Back in her hometown of Jalandhar, Punjab, Gurpreet Kaur is fondly known as Gopi Nakodar Wali, a name that ties her to the town of Nakodar and her growing fame in kabaddi. Her athletic prowess, especially in kabaddi, has earned her recognition, with the town embracing her as a local hero.
This November, Kaur will once again showcase her skills in the opening exhibition women’s kabaddi match at the International Kabaddi Cup in Australia, set to take place in Melbourne on November 4.
Growing up in Punjab, Kaur was about 10 years old when she first noticed kids playing kabaddi, a popular contact sport played between two teams of seven players. She told her father she wanted to play, and he said, “OK.” In Punjab, children often start young, playing in the fields or streets.
Gurpreet, now 29, was already active in athletics, competing in events like the 200m, 400m, long jump, and high jump. With this foundation, by the time she reached class six, she joined the under-14 kabaddi team. She would go on to compete at both the state and national levels in kabaddi.
“I have played in three national games, including 2021 and 2022 in India, and I also represented India in circle kabaddi in 2022, competing in Canada and Sri Lanka,” says Kaur, adding with a smile, “I don’t remember many of the dates,” as she shows me news and media clips of her accomplishments.
Kaur came to Australia with the support of Kuldip Bassi, Chairman of the Australia Kabaddi Federation. “He was scouting for good players for his Melbourne Kabaddi Academy, and so I came to play here while studying at the same time.”
“I am known for my attack and bonus style,” says Kaur.
Although she has only been in Australia for a year, Kaur has already played in four games – including the Adelaide Sikh Games, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Currently nursing a sports injury, Kaur is gearing up for the International Kabaddi Cup match in November, for which she is also training other women every Sunday at Epping.
“Fitness, regular exercise, and diet are very important, as with all sports,” she says.
Kabaddi is a fast-paced sport that combines elements of tag, wrestling, speed, and tactics. In Australia, it’s played with two teams of up to 12 players on a circular field. One player, called the raider, has 30 seconds to enter the other team’s half and tag a defender, while four linked defenders, called stoppers, try to stop them.
If the raider tags a stopper and returns to their side within the time limit, they score a point. The game has two 20-minute halves, with 25 raids for each team per half.
Kaur mentions that the women’s teams from New Zealand and the US are particularly strong. In Australia, while there is some participation from mainstream white players, awareness of the sport remains limited.
“Women here are generally very busy, but there is a lot of interest. You have to have the passion,” she says. “I was always focused on kabaddi and only took a year’s break when I got married.”
She proudly shows me the many awards she has received in India, including three Activas (motor scooters) and a gold chain she received for her strong performance at the Adelaide tournament.
“I want to make sure my team wins this November at the International Cup,” she says with a laugh.
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