The Papatoetoe Sports and Community Charitable Trust has adopted the Papatoetoe Kabaddi Club as a Community Group.
An Agreement signed recently also made the Papatoetoe Sports Centre, owned and managed by the Trust, as the home for the Papatoetoe Kabaddi Club, which is affiliated to the Des Punjab Sports and Cultural Club.
Kabaddi Club Secretary Dev Dhingra described the Agreement as significant.
While Kabaddi is played extensively throughout New Zealand, the game has until now been organised within the Indian community through traditional groups, he said.
He said that the Club was proud to be associated with the Papatoetoe Sports Centre to bring Kabaddi to the community.
“Kabaddi is one of the oldest sports of Indian origin with a history dating back at least 4000 years. Traditionally an outdoor game played on grass, it does not require any expensive equipment to play and hence known as the ‘Game of the Masses’. Kabaddi combines the characteristics of rugby and wrestling and helps keep people fit and healthy,” Mr Dhingra said.
Papatoetoe Sports and Community Charitable Trust General Manager Justin Leydesdorff said that the Agreement reflected the changing attitude of the community.
“The Agreement provides for integration of Kabaddi into the Centre, demonstrating the fact that sport hub facilities can break traditional barriers and bring together various communities,” he said.
Further information can be obtained from Dev Dhingra on 021-843636.
About Papatoetoe Sports Centre
The Papatoetoe Sports and Community Charitable Trust provides sport, leisure and recreation services through its Papatoetoe Sport Centre. It also provides advocacy services for sports clubs.
The Papatoetoe Sports Centre is located at Sutton Crescent, Papatoetoe in South Auckland. Its facilities include an international hockey turf, six tennis courts, an Indoor Cricket Centre, bowling greens, strength training facilities, Cricket, Soccer and Rugby fields, Bar and Bistro, and multi-purpose meeting and function rooms.
About Kabaddi
Kabaddi has two teams pitched against each other with seven members in each team. Each team has five reserve players. The duration of a match is 40 minutes for men and 30 minutes for women with a break of five minutes in-between for the teams to change sides.
