Interview: Pro-Kabaddi player Deepika Joseph on living her dream

Ill be okay with English too you can ask Deepika Joseph smiles as we greet her in dressing room of Gachibowli Indoor Stadium Hyderabad Joseph stands out in her team Storm Queens which made their debut this season with Pro Kabaddi Womens Challenge She is stocky wears more kohl in her eyes than her Haryanvi mates and isnt shy of being interviewed A BA in English from Fergusson College Pune she is one of many seniors from the Indian kabaddi circuit who is enjoying the primetime limelight that the League has put on them Joseph the allrounder or Didi for her teammates unwinds with us after a strenuous training sessionDeepika JosephQ How did you begin playing kabaddiA I began playing when I was in the fifth standard Our mother raised my brother and me we used to stay in a slum like a chawl and would have to get water from a common tap On my way there I would meet one of our neighbours whose niece played kabaddi at the local sports club She kept insisting that I try it out and I did I loved the game and there has been no looking backQ Tell us about your times at this clubA Suvarnayug Sports Club in Pune has bred many successful players including Indias first woman kabaddi captain I began going there only with the lure of getting a free jersey and shorts But soon by watching other girls the sport grew on me and I began spending more time I felt free and escaped my hardships for a few moments mdash it felt like meditation It was worth the slack I gotQ What challenges did you face while rising through the ranksA There was a lot of opposition starting from my mother Our community in Vetal Hill a neighbourhood of narrow winding alleys in Punes Paud Phata area kept ranting about me wearing shorts and coming home late from local tournaments The thing was my coach would only be able to drop me till outside and Id have to walk my way back in the dark My mom took this seriously and kept me hungry for three days to teach me a lesson and push me back to studiesQ Thankfully you didnt learn any lessonA Smiles No I was stubborn and knew that kabaddi was my only passion After my mom would leave by 6 pm Meena Joseph was a nurse on a night shift I would sneak out to play This landed me in trouble but after my coach intervened and explained things to her I believe things got easier Besides I also began getting trophies homeQ You were 16 when you were in the national team How did that feelA Representing India had been my dream and achieving it was satisfying I had given my 100 percent to the path every day mdash by ninth standard I had participated in my first senior nationals It was new for mebut my seniors ensured I gavemy bestQ Would you say you spent your peak playing years with Team IndiaA I was lucky to make it to the side that went to the 2010 Asian Games 2012 SAFF Games and the first Kabaddi World Cup in Patna in 2012 That was the turning point for many of us as the win bagged R1 crore for myself Abhilasha Mhatre captain of the Ice Divas and Suvarna Bartake defender from the Fire Birds from the Maharashtra government My mother happily began narrating the keeping me hungry story to the media Pauses I wouldnt say this was the peak as I came down with a bone infection It was on my left leg my raiding leg and a small portion had to be amputated I had to switch to defence and have never felt 100 per cent fit sinceQ Did you think of quitting kabaddiA Smiles Its an addiction In 2014 I had a knee injury that was so bad I was bedridden for weeks and became an emotional wreck Doctors advised me to quit and people in the locality felt it was the best time to get married and become a housewife But I got back The pain is still there 24x7 but on the field I forget about it I cannot imagine life without kabaddi