SURREY – The Vancouver Kabaddi Club won their second tournament in a row last weekend. Something of a rarity as most teams are very evenly matched.
“The Hurricane” Jairo Chavez from California sustained an injury, along with the nearly 300 pounder Manga, earlier in the tournament and were kept to watching from the sidelines. Not to disappoint the crowd in any way the local talent coincidentally took over the show. Their performance proved the existence of great young BC born athletes who will one day dominate this sport.
Jessy Sahota, 6’2” and 250 pounds, is just twenty-one years of age. In only his first year of Kabaddi he took his team “Kamagata Maru” to the semi-finals. Kabaddi was a natural transition for the two-time (120 kg) Junior National Wrestling Champion and five time national medalist. This hard working athlete successfully competes in both sports and recently attempted a third. Amazingly, he won the provincial Ju Jitsu Championship and then followed up by winning the Western Canadians. Already a dominating force in Kabaddi he rarely gives up a point. His play is clean and is a delight to watch.
Mittu Hare, 6’6” and 245 pounds, is twenty-two and was a star on his High School and Provincial Basketball teams. At 6’6” he was very athletic but did not look like a Kabaddi player. With three years of dedication and hard work he has changed everything. Weight training and practice has taken his slim build of 225 lbs to a solid 245 to become one of the dominating forces. “Mitto has a great bone structure and with his height he is a perfect candidate for becoming very strong”. Making the transition from Basketball to Kabbaddi was not easy as both sports are very different. Mittu plans to train in India to improve his technique and continue with the heavy weight training to add more bodyweight.
Mittu’s team “Youth-Prince George” lost in the final to Vancouver in a very hard fought match. This weekend they will do it all over again at the Kabaddi Park at the Guru Nanak Gurdara’s annual sports festivals on Scott Rd.
