Pakistan team brings 'aman ki asha' to World Kabaddi League

LONDON: The volatile political ties have put a spanner on the Indo-Pak sporting relations but a Kabaddi team from across the border is looking to break the ice with its message of peace while "fighting with all its might" on the mat during the ongoing Wave World Kabaddi League here.

The Lahore Lions, invited to participate in the inagural edition of the ambitious league spread across three continents, has managed to get large Pakistani expat population here to support the event, which has the backing of Bollywood stars such as Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha.

"It is such a huge opportunity for us. Our government was also very cooperative in giving us the requisite clearances and it has been a fantastic experience to be a part of the league," the team's manager Imran Ali Butt said.

"In fact, our Sports Minister has been very keen to improve sporting ties with India. We got our clearances in no time and so far there has not been any problem," he said.

Butt felt that the league, which offers a whopping Rs 1.5 crore as salary to the participating players, is not just a financial boost for the side but also an opportunity to make a difference to the blow-hot-blow-cold ties between the two neighbours.

"We are looking to spread the message of peace. Sports can make a huge difference to diplomatic ties. So whether it is kabaddi or cricket, the idea is to better the relations between our countries," said Butt.

Indo-Pak sporting ties have taken a massive hit post the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. However, Butt is hopeful that things will improve.

"Meeting each other on the sporting field will certainly help relations. Even though, we are rivals again on the sporting field but it is a different kind of battle which promotes harmony. Here also, we will fight hard on the mat but god-willing, we will also be able to spread the message of peace. But we will fight hard when it comes to competition," said Butt.

The World Kabaddi League will be played across eight international (London, Birmingham, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Vancouver, Toronto) and six Indian (New Delhi, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Bhatinda, Amritsar, Mohali) cities.

Asked if he is apprehensive about participating in the Indian leg of the event due to the political relations, Butt smiled it off.

"When we travel to India, we never feel that we are going to a foreign nation. For us we are travelling into a different part of Punjab. We have never felt any fear or apprehension in travelling to India. The people have always been warm and welcoming. We will be carrying the hope of peace with us during the WKL's India leg," said Butt.

"We are fully aware how sensitive the political relations between the two countries are but hopefully such events and interactions will reduce tensions. I personally feel athletes can really contribute to the peace process if they are part of the dialogue process," he said.

WKL kicked off with a glittering opening ceremony yesterday where Akshay Kumar enthralled the audience with a power-packed performance, which included a suspended-in-the-air entry, followed by some energetic dancing on his hit numbers. The star also impressed the audience by singing live for them.

Singer Sukhwinder Singh, who has sung the league's anthem, gave the closing performance at the ceremony, which also featured popular Punjabi film stars Jimmy Shergill and Neeru Bajwa.