Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who’s at present in Poland to have a good time the seventieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the 2 nations, highlighted kabaddi because the frequent thread between Poland and India throughout his keynote deal with in Warsaw.
“India and Poland are linked by the sport of kabaddi. This sport reached Poland by India they usually took it to nice heights. Poland goes to host the Kabaddi Championship for the primary time. I wish to want good luck to their crew,” the Prime Minister stated in his deal with. Prime Minister Modi additionally met the captains of Poland’s males’s and ladies’s kabaddi groups.
The go to to Poland by PM Modi is the primary for an Indian Prime Minister in over 4 many years. The final Indian Prime Minister to go to Poland was Morarji Desai in 1979.
Right here’s a fast look at Poland’s historical past within the sport of kabaddi.
When Poland crew performed on the Kabaddi World Cup
The Polish crew have been one of many shock packages on the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016 which was hosted by India.
They brought on one of many greatest shocks of that Kabaddi World Cup eight years in the past, hosted by Gujarat’s Ahmedabad after they defeated Iran, which have been conventional powerhouses of the game.
It was captain Michal Spickzo who led from the entrance to attain 12 factors whereas Piotr Pamulak bagged 9 factors in that pool match. Iran have been surprised by a 25-41 margin. So good have been the Polish crew that they restricted the rampaging Iranian defenders to simply six factors on the night time, with simply two of these coming within the second half.
Poland’s pathbreakers in Professional Kabaddi League
In 10 seasons of the Professional Kabaddi League, which is the premier league for the game on the earth, there have been two Polish gamers who’ve competed in PKL. Not surprisingly, these two gamers have been Michal Spickzo and Piotr Pamulak, each of whom had given a measure of their kabaddi prowess in opposition to Iran on the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016.
Spickzo, a defender, was the primary European to play within the Professional Kabaddi League when he was purchased by the Bengaluru Bulls in 2015. He was with the crew within the 2016 version of the competitors as properly.
Hailing from the Polish metropolis of Bialystok, Spickzo was first launched to the game of kabaddi when Ashok Das, Common Secretary of England Kabaddi Affiliation, when he visited Poland and held a kabaddi demonstration.
The Polish defender used to play American soccer and making the swap to kabaddi was not that troublesome. Again when he was picked within the PKL, he used to work as an IT skilled.
“The similarity between kabaddi and American soccer is that it’s a must to watch your opponent and the way your teammates are taking part in. Preparation is required. In each sports activities, footwork is essential. Since I’ve been taking part in soccer for some time, it might assist me higher my sport at kabaddi,” Spickzo was quoted as saying.
Whereas Spickzo didn’t play an excessive amount of within the PKL, he in a way paved the best way for Pamulak to be picked within the league as properly.
Pamulak grew to become the second Polish participant to function within the Professional Kabaddi League after being picked up by Bengaluru Bulls within the 2023 participant public sale.