Rural women are warming up to Chhattisgarhiya Olympics

Be it the pre-Deepavali festive spirit or the close-knit communities that allow for independence and agency, the State government’s sports initiatives has attracted many a woman, young and old, and how!

Be it the pre-Deepavali festive spirit or the close-knit communities that allow for independence and agency, the State government’s sports initiatives has attracted many a woman, young and old, and how!

Fifty-year-old Jayanti Bai Dhruv — a resident of Banbagaud village in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari, nearly 95 kilometres from the capital Raipur — takes a moment to catch her breath.

Minutes ago, she had led her team to a victory in a village-level kho-kho match, qualifying them for the next round of the inaugural Chhattisgarhiya Olympics. Though confident of clearing the remaining five rounds to become a State-level champion, she feels some kind of victory has already been achieved.

“It’s a great feeling for my teammates and myself to be playing sports after years, or even decades. That we can compete in something physically so demanding is also an encouraging sign, but more importantly, it’s a lot of fun,” says the grandmother of one with a triumphant smile on her face.

Her teammates, and other women surrounding her, nod in agreement.

Children spinning tops, schoolgirls in uniform enjoying the early suspension of classes, young mothers with babies and the odd elderly man smoking a beedi in a corner, there is a motley crowd of onlookers. Neither the mugginess nor the occasional drizzle has dampened the spirit of these women, or the audience cheering them.

In the neighbouring Rudri village, Jageshwari Sahu (42), a housewife, is keenly observing two boys’ team competing in pitthool (seven stones), another game on the list of 14 categories of traditional sports the Chhattisgarh government says it is trying to revive through the Chhattisgarhiya Olympics.

Some of the rules applied here are not how she remembers playing pitthool in her maternal home in Durg many years ago or when she occasionally tries her hand at it in her neighbourhood.

That, however, is not a deterrent and “it’s the excitement that matters for women like us who hardly play outdoor sports”, she says. Lalita Bai Sahu, who is waiting at the registration counter nearby to submit names for race and tug of war, points out that women gathering to take part in the sporting events in Rudri are outnumbering the men.

A 3:1 ratio can be seen in Banbagod as well. Sunil Sinha, 36, a sports teacher who is visiting different villages as referee in these Chhattisgarhiya Olympics, says it has been the case in most villages he has covered so far.

What women want

It is difficult to establish a trend based on the visit of two villages but from across Chhattisgarh, there are numerous videos of women, even the elderly ones, playing sports like kabaddi, kho-kho, billas, fugdi, going viral on social media. One such video, showing women playing kabaddi in saree in Ratawa village, also in Dhamtari, went viral, leaving netizens in awe.

On why women are warming up to the tournament, Banbagaud up-Sarpanch Chan Singh Sahu says that usually when sporting events at the community or village level are organised in his village or even the neighbouring ones, those include games such as gilli-danda or tennis or ball cricket that are still male bastions.

Launching the games on October 6, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had said, “These games are not only entertaining but also beneficial for maintaining good physical and mental health. In rural areas, children, the elderly, and youth all engage in these games for entertainment and to keep themselves fit.”

While those factors are drawing many, the participation of women can also be attributed to some pre-existing factors, according to those working with them.

“The plains of Chhattisgarh are paddy-growing regions. This is labour-intensive farming, so women are a part of the workforce and are hence used to hard work. Most of the women stay away from addictive substances, which cannot be said about adult men in these areas, and that also keeps them relatively fitter,” says Dhamtari Collector Padum Singh Elma.

The timing of the games, or at least the initial levels, is also conducive because of the festive mood setting in ahead of Deepavali. It also helps that this is the time when crops are ready but the harvesting hasn’t begun yet. So, they have more time to engage in these activities. The joint family system and the close-knit communities in most rural neighbourhoods mean young children can be trusted in the custody of neighbours or other family members, leaving the women some time for practice too. However, for the subsequent rounds when they may have to travel out of the village, things may not be as smooth.

Some, including those among the organisers, do not rule out that the participation could also be due to the administration pulling out all stops to make the State government initiative look like a success.

In an age of smartphones and other sophisticated gadgets, the officials get munadis done in in these villages for the message to reach the last mile. The viral videos and photos published in local newspaper reports also create a buzz.

The season ahead

K. Swati Lakshmi, who is the cluster president for one of the self-help groups in Rudri, says that working with these SHGs have also helped the womenfolk in shedding inhibitions.

“These rural women are comfortable with the public sphere, even organising and raising voices against social evils like alcoholism. There were some doubts about a dress code or wearing something they were not comfortable with, but we told them that they were free to choose the attire they wanted to compete in. It’s a great platform for these women to relive their childhood and preserve their tradition for the future while getting fitter,” she says.

Mr. Sahu is also the president of the Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club that is assisting the administration in organising the games. Set to continue till January 6, the games are divided into three categories based based on age requirement — up to 18 years, 18-40 years, and above 40 years.

The village-level games conducted by the Club will be followed by the zonal-level games in which there will be a club comprising eight Rajiv Yuva Mitan clubs. The teams or individuals will then move to the development block/urban cluster level, district level, divisional level, and finally the State level.



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