That Punjabi youth is desperate to settle in foreign shores is an open secret now. The latest case of “kabootar baazi (illegal immigration)”, as it is called in Punjab, has come to light in the sports arena. Around 90 players who went Canada to play kabbadi never returned home.
Every year, several kabbadi players from the state go to Canada to play in the local tournaments. However, last year the number swelled as the Canadian government started special visa process to fast-track the visa of kabbadi players from Punjab. The move resulted in very high number of players from Punjab going to play matches there.
Last year, a record 670 visas were issued to the players from Punjab out of which 91 never returned and 27 players filed refugee claims. About 152 kabbadi visas were issued in 2009 and 298 in 2010. Although some players have disappeared in Canada even in the past, but this is the first time that so many have gone missing.
The vanishing act by such high number of players forced the Canadian government to stop the special process for kabbadi players. However, with the beginning of new kabbadi season this summer from May to August in Canada, the players nursing the dream of playing Canada are most worried.
According to Punjab Kabbadi Association secretary Gurdeep Singh Malhi, the main reason for vanishing of such huge number of players is that the kabbadi tournaments in Canada are organised by private clubs. Punjab Kabbadi Association is not involved with these tournaments. He says that private clubs in Canada, which have patronage of Indian origin politicians, call Indian players to participate in these tournaments.
Mr Malhi blames the involvement of people who have nothing to do with the kabbadi. The people who take kabbadi teams to Canada select many non-players, sometimes their relatives, with the purpose of trafficking, Mr Malhi said. The Punjab Kabbadi Association has taken teams to various parts of the world in the past, but the boys of our teams have always returned.