THE kabaddi World Cup is being held in India. The previous World Cup was also held in India. Different games of an area present the culture of that particular area as kabaddi presents the culture of Punjab. Most of the villagers, particularly in Punjab, play kabaddi and enjoy matches between two traditional rivals -- Pakistan and India.

It is an irony that in this age a kabaddi player in Pakistan has no future. This is why our youths don’t have any interest in this game.

The apathy of the provincial government and commercialisation of the media have made the situation worse.

Our state-owned PTV, which has its coverage in rural areas, did not show the final kabaddi World Cup match and thus deprived many viewers of a cheap entertainment. As there are little chances of selling advertisements through a kabaddi game, multinational brands do not sponsor it.

In short, various games of our provinces do not have any support of official and unofficial quarters. It would be highly appreciated if provincial governments fix special quotas of jobs for players of regional games and organise regional tournaments at different levels.

PTV should formulate a policy to encourage regional games. The private media, particularly the electronic media, should also play its role in this regard.

MUHAMMAD NADEEMLahore