Kabaddi World Cup: Oguta, the inspirational woman behind Kenya

AHMEDABAD: While searching for some rugby videos about six years ago, Laventa Oguta stumbled upon a recording of a kabaddi match between India and Iran. Her interest was piqued from whatever she witnessed, and thus began her quest to get a deeper understanding of the sport.
In a relatively short period of time, the international rugby player, aged 32, has risen to not only become the head coach of the Kenyan team that's taking part at the World Cup here, she also leads the fledgling kabaddi association of the country.
"I was curious to know what kabaddi is all about. Once I began gathering information about it, I realised it is one sport which will appeal to kids. You require to be physically and mentally strong, and I thought it would interest Kenyan people," she told TOI.
"In our country, kabaddi is played mostly in Nairobi (the capital) and there is a limited pool of players. But, even from this small pool, we managed to get a couple of them selected for the Pro Kabaddi League in India.
"Aware of this development, younger athletes have begun asking me what PKL is all about, and whether it is possible to make a career of the sport," she says.
Oguta offers her advice to them, but one thing that constantly worries her is her association's inability to increase the reach of the sport at a greater pace. "Honestly, it is difficult.For the sport to grow rapidly, we require adequate infrastructure and that's something we do not have.
"Even if I want to call kids to come and train with us, they need boarding and lodging facilities. That needs to be developed. On the other hand, if I want them to just come, train and go back home after their session, they will end up incurring huge travelling expenses as transport in Nairobi is expensive. That's one reason why we have not been able to grow as fast as I would have liked," she explains.
But, the gritty rugby player that she is, Oguta is confident that kabaddi will become a mainstream sport in the country in the coming years. The Kenyans, meanwhile, have put up decent performances at the World Cup, beating Poland, taking the fight to Group B leaders Iran before losing narrowly, and enduring a forgettable performance against Thailand.
"We showed a lot of fight against Iran who are a powerhouse of kabaddi. It is performances like these that catch the eye of young fans," she said. So, has she faced difficulties in building her own career as a coach and administrator, in a sport she was not associated with till 2010? "No, thankfully not. I have worked hard and people back home realise this. That is why they trust me," she said.