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Director Mari Selvaraj’s recent film Bison Kaalamaadan vividly brings to life the inspiring journey of veteran kabaddi player Manathi Ganesan, one of the two kabaddi players to have received the Arjuna Award. In the film, the confident captain of the Indian team assures sports officials that India would certainly defeat Pakistan. In real life, that captain was S. Rajarathinam, the first kabaddi player from Tamil Nadu to receive the Arjuna Award. A native of Ganapathipuram in Kanniyakumari district, he led the Indian team that clinched the gold medal by defeating Pakistan in a rematch at the 1994 Asian Games held in Hiroshima in Japan. Though narrated through the experiences of Manathi Ganesan, one of the members of the winning Indian team, the film also captures the fiery spirit and dedication of Mr. Rajarathinam. Ganapathipuram is a hub for kabaddi in the district, and Mr. Rajarathinam has been passionate about the sport since his school days at the A.V.D Higher Secondary School. “My interest in kabaddi developed after watching my brothers and other players from my village, as it has produced many kabaddi players who secured government jobs through their achievements in the 1980s,” he recalled. Though Mr. Rajarathinam always pursued kabaddi with determination, initially, like many other players, he saw the sport as a springboard to a government job. His efforts paid off when he joined the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) team at the age of 18. This was followed by a job at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in 1984. “I played in the nationals, representing the Tamil Nadu kabaddi team as its captain from 1980-84, and later represented the Indian Railways kabaddi team from 1984-93,” he said. The turning point He said the turning point in his life came when the Indian team won its first gold medal in kabaddi at the 1990 Asian Games held in Beijing, China. Speaking about the 1994 Asian Games, Mr. Rajarathinam said there were three Tamil players on the team including him. The others were Ganesan and Baskaran from Thoothukudi and Thanjavur districts respectively. Mr. Rajarathinam said the arguments between sports authorities and players, as depicted in the film, were real. “As I had faith in my teammates and was confident that we would win, I agreed to a rematch with Pakistan,” he said. Discussing the current state of kabaddi, Mr. Rajarathinam emphasised that the government should adopt a more diverse approach to developing all sports in the State, ensuring job opportunities for deserving athletes, including kabaddi players. He observed that while Tamil Nadu once had many good kabaddi players, players from Haryana now had the edge in both national and league-level competitions. “Other than trophies and medals, monetary benefits are crucial. They motivate a player from a marginalised background to pursue his passion,” he said. Mr. Rajarathinam urged the Tamil Nadu government to revive and strengthen the sports quota system in the State for employment. “Many players like me, who reached great heights in kabaddi, first took up the sport to secure a government job. Once that foundation is laid, the rest naturally follows,” he added.
