Kabaddi PlayDay All-Star Game Returns For Third Year At Queen Elizabeth Secondary

More than 2,000 people are expected to attend Queen Elizabeth Secondary’s third Kabaddi PlayDay, an annual event featuring the district’s best kabaddi players in an all-star game on Friday, June 2.
Started in 2019, the Kabaddi PlayDay followed the league’s first season and was intended to create further awareness for the sport. The all-star game includes the four best student athletes from eight teams across Surrey: Enver Creek, Fleetwood Park, Frank Hurt, Khalsa School, École Panorama Ridge, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth and Tamanawis secondaries.
“It’s going to be the biggest game of the whole season – it’s the best of the best players wearing their school-based uniforms,” said QE counsellor Jeremy Lendvoy. “The first year, we looked at how can we also bring in the community, our feeder schools, and how can we make it a fun event for everyone, and it’s been magnifying a bit every year.”
While the PlayDay was interrupted by the pandemic, it picked back up in 2022 and has returned to an annual schedule. The league finals take place Wednesday, May 24, with the June 2 QE event showcasing the best of the best in the district.
Lendvoy said the addition of kabaddi to the district’s sport portfolio has filled a gap in the spring, when many athletes in soccer, wrestling and basketball have less to keep them active. He also said the sport, which originated in India, has resonated with students of all backgrounds, providing a great outlet and physical challenge to secondary athletes.
“When you look at the roster of this all-star team, you have diverse representatives from all over the world,” he said. “One of the best defensive players in the whole league is originally from Africa, and one of our best players is a refugee from Afghanistan. It’s totally a diverse group of all-stars.”
The event is supported by the Surrey RCMP and Delta Police Department, and organized in large part by PR teacher and league coordinator Raman Bedi, as well as Safe Schools director Rob Rai.
Additionally, Grade 6 and 7 students from Cindrich and Creekside elementary schools have been invited to learn about kabaddi, South Asian art and bhangra dancing before the game, and will be part of the event’s halftime show featuring QE’s award-winning bhangra team.
Lendvoy said he hopes many elders from the community can attend the event, and that the turnout is bigger and better than the previous two years.
“We really try to focus on inviting elders from the community – they really enjoy watching this sport, so we reserve a bunch of seats for them in a VIP section to come and watch it,” he said. “You’re looking at at least 1,200 of our students plus about 300 elementary, then we usually have a bunch of community members show up. It’s going to be huge.”
Community members are recommended to arrive early for the QE Kabaddi PlayDay on Friday, June 2. Classes let out at 1:30 p.m. and the game begins at 1:45 p.m.