‘Need to rid kabaddi of unruly elements’

Jalandhar, April 6

Less than a month after Jalandhar-based international kabaddi player Sandeep Singh Nangal Ambiyan was shot during an ongoing tournament in Nakodar, another kabaddi player and tournament organiser Dharminder Singh was shot dead at Punjabi University, Patiala, on Tuesday night. With an increasing number of players losing their lives to incidents of crime, players associated with the game and the AAP have raised concerns over the frequency of such incidents.

Incidentally, Dharminder Singh, a resident of Dhaun Kalan village in Patiala as well as the president of the Dhaun Kalan Kabaddi Club, had recently quit the Shiromani Akali Dal to canvass for the AAP in support of Gurlal Ghanaur (AAP) in the Assembly elections. While Sandeep was an international-level circle style kabaddi player, sources said Dharminder was active in village tournaments which he regularly organised for sports lovers.

Wrestler Kartar Pehalwan, who is also the president of the AAP sports wing, said, “There is a dire need to rid the game of such elements who are taking law into their own hands. While many accused in the Sandeep Nangal Ambiyan murder case have already been caught, the police are also doing its best in this case.”

Hakam Singh, chairman, Major League Kabaddi Federation, said, “Dharminder Singh was more of a kabaddi lover who organised many tournaments in the village for the love of the game. But the loss of such a precious life is very painful, especially when not even a month had passed since the murder of Sandeep. Although Dharminder was a victim a dispute among friends, it is clear that some people in Punjab do not like seeing youngsters laughing and dancing. Bad elements are repeatedly creating problems. The government should take a serious note of such incidents.”