Daily Times

The Kabaddi Tolerance League is planned to be launched in Multan for promotion of peace, brotherhood and harmony.

The league is being launched by Soft Heart Foundation, a non-government organisation. This was told by Soft Heart Foundation President Zia Rizwan.

Zia Rizwan said that the district government was fully supporting this initiative of Soft Heart Foundation. He told that initially the league was launched at local government level only in Multan District however, at later stages this league would be introduced in Bahawalpur division and in other districts of South Punjab. He more said that 11 union councils of Multan that are located in Bosan Town and Shahrukn-e-alam are selected where 11 day camps would be established for talent hunting. He said that talent would be hunted from villages and schools located at far-flung areas of Multan. He told that total 42 matches would be played and the winner will be Rs 1 million prize money.

We are establishing camps in rural areas to provide platform to those children who otherwise are unable to qualify for standard academies of kabaddi, said President Soft Heart Foundation. These children are equally capable and talented to participate not only at regional level but also at national and international level, he added.

Director operations Soft Heart Foundation Anjum Naureen told the scribe the main aim of kabaddi league is to promote interfaith and inter-religious harmony. She told that kabaddi is a centuries old game and it was selected purposefully keeping in mind the plain areas of South Punjab, prevailing illiteracy and the social crimes associated with “honour” such as honour killing in this region. She told that the league will help in mitigation of social crimes and promotion of tolerance in society. She said that kabaddi league will help in countering violence and countering extremism. She told that first stage of the league is publicity and talent hunting.

Naureen told that various traditional methods of publicity were opted including drum beating in rural areas, announcements in mosques and through religious scholars of various areas. Moreover, politicians are also included in publicity campaigns to convince the masses for registration. She said that minorities are least represented and in this league special focus is on minorities to show the better picture of Pakistan to the outside world. She said that there was no strict qualifying criteria. Registration has no limits of religion, education, profession or sect. She told that in second stage, awareness seminars will be arranged at various places to aware the masses about the importance of this tolerance league.

The selection panel for talent hunt includes General Secretary Multan Divisional Kabaddi Association Tars Mohiyyudin, Training Coach Pakistan Junior Kabaddi Team Badar Mohiyyudin and International Kabaddi referee Muhammad Tariq Pehalwan.