2024-01-31 05:22:48
# Siraj Qasim
31 January 2024, 10:52 AM IST Country Ball Games in Qatar
Doha: Otta, Petta, Pidian, Thalam, Kier, Indan… Words I hear in Malayalam from the ground near the stadium where the Asian Cup football matches are held. A ‘native international’ comes into play when the source of that noise is sought. Kerala’s local ball game, which is getting excited in Qatar, is now reaching international level.
A number of Malayali expatriates from Kottayam worked hard to build a ground for local balls in Barwa village of Doha. People from areas like Puthupally, Pampady, Vakathanam, Ancheri, Meenadam, Areeparam, Kooropada, Thotakkad and Vellore in Kottayam district started the folk ball game in Qatar. The game is played every Friday afternoon.
Sometimes there is a game on Thursday and Saturday. Kerala Native Ball Association – Qatar (KNBA) was formed by the players. According to Association President Joby Thomas and Secretary Rohit James, more than 100 people come here regularly to play. The match is played on a field 52 meters long and 22 meters wide. A 100 gram buffalo leather ball is used for the game. This ball, which has a special shape like a wheel, is brought from Kerala.
There are seven players in a team. From the three-meter-long cuttings, the stages from single to indan should be cut three by one. If everything is completed successfully, the point is scored. It is said to have got a ‘chakkara’.
If the ball goes out of bounds, the batsman misses out. The batsman is out even if the batted ball hits the opponent’s side. If one team makes the cut, the other team reaches the cut and plays from one to eight. In the end, the team with the most points wins. Along with Qatar, other Gulf countries also organized international tournaments with the ground and players of Kerala Nadan Ball. Apart from Qatar, the Kerala Native Ball Association was formed by Malayalee expatriates in UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
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