AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Kabaddi Sport Association (TKSA), Chairman, Abdallah Nyoni and two local players are among those recognised by the World Kabaddi for top awards.
During the poll that was on March 24th 2020, 2hich was the World Kabaddi Day, involving all members of the World Kabaddi, they selected personalities for the international and national awards.
Selected Tanzanian players are Joseph Lusinde and Nasra Mkima. Buffalo Kabaddi Sports Club and national team captain Lusinde was awarded as country’s male best player, while Mkima scooped the female award.
TKSA Chairman Nyoni confirmed to the ‘Sunday News’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday that Coach Abhay Raj Singh, Technical Official Arun Dagar and Volunteer Adash Sharma were also recognised for the job well done at the national level.
Other recognised individuals are Vijay Juwatkar from Maharashtra Mandal Community, Jeet Patel of Motisun Group of Companies through Sayona Ltd, Bank of Baroda, Jubilee Insurance, Phoenix Assurance, Mayfair Insurance, Icealion Insurance, Nanak Body Builder and Guruwara (Guru Sikh Temple Dar es Salaam).
Nyoni said: “Congratulation to all Tanzania Kabaddi family, we always value your contribution towards development of this game in the country.”
According to Nyoni, all those selected will receive special certificates from the World Kabaddi to be presented by the respective national bodies to their winners later this year.
In a statement to congratulate all winners World Kabaddi President Ashok Das said: “We started this polling because of the current Covid-19 pandemic that had forced us to cancel all our activities. It was a good start and we hope to do this in a much bigger way in the coming years,” said Ashok.
Veteran Indian Kabaddi stalwart Achintya Kumar Saha has been picked for the Lifetime Achievement award in the polling.
Saha played an instrumental part in the inclusion of Kabaddi at the Asian Games as well as introducing the game to countries outside South Asia according to world body.
The 81-year-old, who hails from Calcutta has been involved in Kabaddi since 1958 and was elected as the treasurer of the governing body for Kabaddi in India in 1972. In 1978 he was elected as the first secretary of the Asian Kabaddi body.
He led a four-strong delegate to Bangkok the same year to lobby the inclusion of Kabaddi into the Asian Games. World Kabaddi Secretary General S.T.
Arasu of Malaysia was picked as the Best International Administrator in the same poll.
Arasu, who is also the Malaysia Kabaddi Federation (MKF), Deputy President, had also served as the Secretary of the Asian body from 2002 to 2004.
He was elected unanimously as the World Kabaddi Secretary at its general body meeting in Bangalore in 2018.
It was double honour for Malaysia as the MKF was also picked as the Best National Federation.
Parminder Mohan Sharma of Canada was picked for the President’s Merit Award for his role in developing the sport in Europe and now in Canada.
