Kabaddi is the game of guts and glory – power and strength and majorly dominated by male players. But there is a 32yrs old female who has created sensation outside the Kabaddi mat and she is the head coach of Kenyan team Ms Laventa Oguta; prefer calling her Madame. So, the Madame of Kabaddi is the center of attraction in this ongoing Kabaddi World Cup at Ahmedabad.
Audience are not acquainted with female leading a team on Kabaddi mat hence when Madame made her appearance in the first match of Kenya against Poland people were watching her with jaws dropped and eyes widen. The tall and muscular players of Kenya has been trained by this professional Rugby player who missed the Rio Olympics due to her knee injury. Madame doesn’t have any serious concern other than her team strength and playing tactic, that she guides from the bench.
It will be difficult to accept that a game which is led by strong men is controlled and groomed by Madame. Madame is not just the national team coach, she is chief scout and president of the Kenya Kabaddi Association and is also the brain behind the close match between Iran and Kenya yesterday. She is a coach who trains the team the hard way, scolds them, shouts at them, punishes for indiscipline, if any and knows how to communicate to win hearts and matches.
Kenya is a country where women are equally involved in sports and have won many medals. It was accidentally that Madame discovered her interest for Kabaddi and started following Pro Kabaddi League. In a game, where aggression is the key to win she appears as most calm and composed person on the court. It is her dedication that Kenya is at No. 2 position on Pool B after Iran. While you are closely watching Kenyan team on mat, do look for Madame in and around the court.