Ontario Khalsa Darbar defeated Metro Punjabi Sports Club by half a point to capture the 18th Kabaddi Cup on May 27th at Centennial Park. In the second final, Mega City Springdale Sports Club beat Hamilton Punjabi Sports Club by two points.
For the first time, the Peel Regional Police took part in the 18th annual Ontario Kabaddi Cup organized by Ontario Khalsa Darbar. Other teams who participated in the tournament were Hamilton Punjabi Club, Sher-e-Punjab Club, Azad Kabaddi Club and International Sports Club.
Peel Regional Polcie men's and women's teams played the show matches. Inspector Barry Dolan observed that kabaddi could ease tension and promote harmony between police and the community. Dolan is also planning to take his teams to India next year.
Ontario Khalsa Darbar presented trophies to Peel Regional Police men's and the women's teams for participating. Prof. Makhan Brar and Sukchain Brar conducted the commentary.
Although kabaddi is primarily an Indian game, not much is known about the origin of this game. There is, however, concrete evidence, that the game is 4,000 year old. It is a team sport, which requires skill, power and combines the characteristics of wrestling and rugby.
Ontario Khalsa Darbar 2006 Kabaddi Cup Winners
Surjit Singh Flora has worked as writer for the past 20 years. He is a reporter and photographer for the Hamdard Weekly Punjabi Newspaper in Brampton. His articles, poems and stories have been published in local and international newspapers and magazines. He won the Editor’s Choice Award from the National Library of Poetry in 1993. Surjit is a resident of Brampton.