Kabaddi is a sport which is growing in popularity with every season of VIVO Pro Kabaddi. The league has made the sport more accessible to the general populace and it has reached corners of the country where many would have thought it could not. Schools and colleges are now encouraging their students to take up the sport leading to a huge number of aspiring male and female kabaddi players in India. Even though it is only the men who currently play in VIVO Pro Kabaddi, there are still inspirational female figures in the league. Here we take a look at a few of these women who have made their mark.

  1. Jamuna Venketesh

Being a former kabaddi player herself, Jamuna Venketesh recognises the importance of each and every point in the game. She has been associated with VIVO Pro Kabaddi since the first season and proudly talks about her impressive decision-making skills which came to the fore through the league.

“I feel that I have never let anyone down with my decisions. I think I can give my best now also, as always. I will always try to give my 100 percent in every match I officiate,” said Venketesh in an exclusive interview with Prokabaddi.com. Read the full feature and learn more about Venketesh HERE.

  1. Sasmita Das

She made a name for herself as a state level high jumper, but as fate would have it, the high-octane world of kabaddi soon caught Sasmita Das’ fancy. She was the referee in many national and international kabaddi events before finally being picked to be a part of VIVO Pro Kabaddi in Season 2. Her ability to think on her feet even saw her officiating at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad.

"I am fortunate to be part of a sport like kabaddi which is witnessing a revolution,” Das had told the Times of India during Season 5, “Being in a competitive league such as VIVO Pro Kabaddi gives me a huge high. Kabaddi is a sport where a referee has to be on her toes all the time as things happen quickly."

Read more about Sasmita Venkatesh and her journey from athletics to kabaddi HERE.

  1. Mythreyee Rao

Mythreyee Rao is a part of the technical department which supports the men on the mat, the referees. However, her work is vital since she keeps the scores and makes sure the match referees can focus on the task at hand without having to worry about a number of back end tasks.

“The referee has to have eyes on the back of his or her head as well because a referee is the one who has to be everywhere at the same time. Especially in VIVO Pro Kabaddi a referee has a very tough time because their scope of movement is limited due to camera placement. He or she has a limited area to move and it’s a very fast game so that’s why there are two helpers for the referee. There are two umpires on the either side of the mat,” said Rao while speaking to Prokabaddi.com during Season 5.

Know more about Rao’s work and see the growth of kabaddi through her eyes HERE.

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