Ask anyone who grew up in a Haryana village and they’ll tell you the same thing. Kabaddi wasn’t a sport we learned. It was just something we did. After school, before dinner, during weddings, on Sundays. Someone would draw a line in the mud, pick teams, and that was it. Games would go on till the light gave up.
But watching kabaddi in a village pit and playing it on a professional mat under stadium lights are two completely different worlds. And getting picked for a professional league? That’s a whole other journey.
If that’s the dream you’re chasing, here’s an honest breakdown of what it actually takes.
Stop Playing Casually. Start Studying the Game.
This is where most kids get stuck. They’re strong, they’re quick, they’ve beaten every boy in their village, and they think that’s enough. It isn’t.
The modern game has changed. Mats instead of mud. Timers, bonus lines, super tackles, review systems. Raids that used to work in the pit get shut down in seconds on a professional court. So the first shift you need to make is in your head. Watch matches like you’re preparing for an exam. Notice how the top raiders set up their moves. See how defenders bait attackers into corners. The players who make it are the ones who think about kabaddi even when they’re not playing it.
Find Coaches Who’ve Actually Been There
You can only learn so much from your uncle or the older boys in your gali. At some stage you need someone who knows the game at a level you’re trying to reach. Someone who can look at your raid and tell you why your left foot is giving you away. Someone who can push your fitness without wrecking your knees by twenty.
That’s honestly why picking the right academy matters so much. BRS Kabaddi Academy in Dighal has become a name people in this belt trust. The coaching there is led by an NIS certified coach along with seasoned kabaddi professionals who guide players through the whole journey, not just the drills. And here’s something that really matters — BRS is an official partner and affiliated center of Haryana Steelers, the PKL team. That kind of link gives players a real, visible path toward professional kabaddi. Not a promise. An actual pathway.
Build a Body That Won’t Let You Down
Professional kabaddi is not kind to the body. One raid can involve a sprint, a jump, a twist, and a full-body tackle within six seconds. Do that thirty times in a match. Do that across a whole tournament. Your body needs to be built for it, or it will break.
That means real strength training. Real agility work. Real endurance sessions. Not just running laps around the school ground. At BRS the fitness programs are structured properly, with strength, agility, and endurance built into the schedule. The campus has a proper running track, agility tools, and a training space set up for competitive prep. When you finally walk into a trial, you want your body feeling ready, not surprised.
Play Matches. Then Play More Matches.
You can look brilliant in practice and freeze completely in a real game. Happens all the time. The only cure for that is match exposure. Lots of it.
Junior tournaments, state opens, district-level meets, invitationals — every match teaches you something no drill ever will. How to raid when you’re gasping. How to stay calm when the crowd is screaming for the other team. How to not lose your head after a bad call from the referee.
BRS players get regular tournament exposure, including junior sports events and competitive Kabaddi tournaments in Haryana. That kind of consistent match play is what turns a talented kid into a player selectors actually notice.
Don’t Throw Away Your Studies
I know, nobody wants to hear this part. But listen. Sports careers can take unexpected turns. Injuries happen. Selections don’t always come the year you expected. Keeping your education going alongside your training gives you a safety net, and honestly, it makes you a smarter player too. Time management, focus, discipline — the same qualities that help you crack a paper help you crack a defense.
BRS understands this, which is one reason parents in Rohtak and Jhajjar have started trusting it. The academy supports players in balancing academics with professional training, so you’re not being asked to choose between your future and your passion.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Live the Sport
There’s a limit to what you can achieve while sleeping at home, eating whatever’s on the table, and traveling an hour each way to practice. At some point you have to commit fully. Live where you train. Eat what an athlete should eat. Sleep on a proper schedule. Wake up thinking about the game.
The hostel setup at BRS is built for exactly this. Clean rooms with good bedding, both private and shared options, Wi-Fi so you can unwind, and 24/7 security with CCTV across the campus. Meals are planned for athletic performance, not just to fill the stomach. There’s an on-site medical team with doctors and physiotherapists, first aid stations placed around the academy, and physical therapy rooms with proper recovery equipment. This kind of setup isn’t fancy for the sake of being fancy. When your body is your livelihood, taking care of it is the job.
To the Girls Reading This
For a long time in Haryana, kabaddi was treated like a boys-only thing. Girls who wanted to play were told to stick to something else, or just not encouraged at all. That’s changing now, and it’s about time.
BRS is growing into a serious girls kabaddi academy in Haryana, with real opportunities for female athletes to train professionally and build proper careers in the sport. If you’re a girl who’s been told this isn’t for you, please ignore that voice. The doors are open. Walk through them.
What Nobody Tells You
Selection isn’t one big magical moment. It’s a thousand small ones. It’s the day you didn’t skip fitness even though your body was aching. The day you played through a bad game and didn’t sulk. The morning you woke up early because your coach said so. The night you watched match footage instead of scrolling on your phone.
Players who make it to the Kabaddi League in Haryana didn’t get there because they were the most talented in their village. They got there because they were in the right environment, with the right guidance, and they showed up every single day when nobody was clapping for them.
If you’re serious about this journey, pick your academy carefully. It’s probably the most important decision you’ll make as a young athlete. A good kabaddi academy in India isn’t just a place to train. It’s the whole world you’ll live inside for the years that shape your career.
BRS Kabaddi Academy in Dighal is worth a proper look. You can go through the home page or read the story behind the academy on the about page.
Whatever you choose, choose it with your whole heart. The mat doesn’t reward shortcuts. It rewards the ones who kept coming back.
