In a bid to promote sports among rural women, an exclusive throwball competition for women took place yesterday (01-05-24) in Thondamuthur.Women from Pullagoundanpudur, in collaboration with Isha, organized the event and cited inspiration from Isha Gramotsavam rural sports festival as the driving force behind their initiative to host the competition.
The competitions took place at the playground in Pullagoundanpudur village, attracting more than 100 girls and women from nine teams representing neighboring villages such as Devarayapuram, Pooluvapatti, Nallurwayal, Thennamanallur, and Madhwarayapuram.
The Green Pullagoundanpudur A team clinched first place, followed by the Devarayapuram team in second place, the Pooluvapatti team in third place, and the Green Pullagoundanpudur B team in fourth place. Retired DIG Shri. Chinnaswamy IPS, the special guest, awarded cash prizes to the winning teams.
Smt. Pavitra, who is part of the team coordinating these competitions, shared, “With Isha’s constant encouragement, the girls and women of Pullagoundanpudur have been playing throwball for many years. Inspired by the transformational power of sports, they came forward to host this event to encourage rural women to come out of their houses and enjoy playing games.”
"From reluctantly agreeing to play, to witnessing their joy in winning and sadness in losing, they have come a long way. Their involvement in enjoying the game shows how much they have grown. Now they can't wait to participate in the upcoming Isha Gramotsavam rural sports festival."
It is also noteworthy that the Green Volleyball team from Pullagoundanpudur, which coordinated these competitions, won the throwball final in the Gramotsavam competitions held last year.
Unique in its format, Isha Gramotsavam is not open for professionals, setting the stage for everyday rural folks- from daily wage earners, fishermen, and housewives among others, to break away from their daily grind and come enjoy the celebratory and unifying power of sports.
Last year, the sporting extravaganza unfolded in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and the Union Territory of Puducherry. Played in over 194 rural locations, Isha Gramotsavam inspired the participation of 60,000 players, with over 10,000 rural women, mostly householders, participating in events like Kabaddi and Throwball.