A district-level school and college kabaddi tournament was organised at Sivakasi, bringing together teams from different educational institutions across Virudhunagar district. The event provided a platform for young athletes to demonstrate their physical fitness, teamwork, discipline and competitive skills.
The tournament was the 5th edition of the school and college kabaddi competition organised by the Rotary Club of Sivakasi Supreme. It was conducted at Sivakasi JCI Matriculation School. The event was attended by Ashokan, MLA, while school principal Chitra Jayanthi presided over the programme. Rotary Club representatives, including president Saravana Prakash, secretary Munees Pandian, project chairman Sankaran and project vice-chairman Pandiarajan, were also associated with the event.
Separate boys’ and girls’ competitions
One of the important features of the tournament was the separate competitions for boys and girls. Teams representing various schools and colleges from different parts of Virudhunagar district took part, giving students an opportunity to compete at the district level and gain valuable tournament experience.
Promoting sports among students
Kabaddi is particularly suited to school and college competitions because it develops strength, agility, speed, coordination and strategic thinking. District-level tournaments also help identify talented players who can progress to higher-level competitions.
Sivakasi and other parts of Virudhunagar have a strong sporting culture. Colleges in the district regularly participate in inter-collegiate and state-level kabaddi competitions. For example, Rajapalayam Raju’s College has recorded participation and podium finishes in men’s and women’s kabaddi tournaments, demonstrating the wider competitive environment for the sport in the district.
Wider sporting opportunities
Kabaddi is also included among the sports disciplines in Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister’s Trophy Games, with separate opportunities for school and college participants. The 2026–27 programme includes kabaddi among its listed sporting events.
Importance for Virudhunagar
The Sivakasi tournament therefore serves more than just a competitive purpose. It helps to:
- Encourage school and college students to participate in sports
- Provide opportunities for boys and girls to compete separately
- Identify promising young kabaddi players
- Improve teamwork, fitness and sporting discipline
- Strengthen the district’s participation in inter-district and higher-level competitions
- Encourage educational institutions to give greater importance to sports development