"I urge IPL, ISL to give opportunities to women officials" - PKL Season 6’s Best Technical Official Sasmita Das

A high-jumper becoming an international kabaddi official is unusual. But the story of PKL Season 6’s best umpire Sasmita Das is different. From never having played kabaddi to becoming a household name in India when it comes to umpiring, Sasmita has come a long way.

Sportskeeda caught up with the 47-year-old from Odisha to understand what it takes to be an official at PKL and the journey behind it.

From not officiating a single national championship until November 2014 to the star-studded PKL season 2 in the next six months, Sasmita’s story is nothing short of a fairytale.

When asked about how kabaddi happened to her, she said:

“I was already officiating in some kabaddi matches in my home state before PKL kicked off, but I had no serious intentions. To be honest, I wasn’t that inclined towards kabaddi. But when PKL started in 2014, some of my friends pushed me to watch the matches and that’s how I fell in love with this beautiful sport.”

Sasmita had already passed the AKFI qualifying exam and the secretary of her state association, Mr Ajay Kumar Behera, recommended her name to officiate in the 26th Sub-Junior National Championship in Patna in 2014. The lady from Bhubaneswar hasn’t looked back since.

From officiating at the National Games in 2015 to the men’s World Cup in 2016 to seven PKL seasons so far, Sasmita has done it all. She has also officiated in marquee international events like the Dubai Masters (men) and the 2019 South Asian Games held in Kathmandu.

Sasmita Das during toss in a PKL match (PC: Sasmita Das)

Recalling how she got selected for PKL, Sasmita said:

“I did well in the 2014 Kabaddi Nationals in Patna, and from there I was selected to officiate in the 2015 National Games that was held in Kerala. PKL’s broadcaster Star Sports was also there in Kerala to cover the National Games. My performance caught their eyes and that’s how I was selected for the PKL camp.”

Like many, Sasmita didn’t think kabaddi would get a league of its own.

“Refereeing or umpiring in any sport is a very thankless job. But after PKL came into our lives (everyone associated with kabaddi), there has been a tremendous change. Most importantly, our image has changed; people now recognize us. When we are at the airports, people know us by our face if not by name. We have become household names in the sports ecosystem. Our name appears in Wikipedia, and this is all because of PKL. And, most importantly, the money that we get in the sport and the league has been the biggest boon," said Sasmita, who works as a financial advisor when not officiating.

Click here for yesterday Pro Kabaddi match results.

Being a woman in a sport dominated by men

PKL is the only league in India that encourages women to officiate in a men's tournament. Asked if she faces any challenges during PKL matches, she explained:

“The bigger the player, the more respect they have for coaches and officials. Every kabaddi player has huge respect for their coach and the officials. Kabaddi is a sport in which players are very well-mannered. They treat the officials with utmost respect. You won’t see cheating in kabaddi often. Players respect the game like no one else.”

Below is a video of the legendary player Anup Kumar, who is now coach of Puneri Paltan, asking his players not to laugh at the other Pro Kabaddi team.

“From the start of my career till date, I haven’t been a victim of any such incident where I would be made to feel inferior for being a woman. Our male counterparts treat us with utmost respect. Even the male players give us more respect because we are women officials. Be it on the ground or off it, they are always polite to us," added Sasmita.

PKL organizers Mashal Sports has been extremely vocal about women's empowerment. Sasmita says that it’s the League Commissioner Anupam Goswami who always encourages more women to be a part of this league.

“Other games should be inspired by PKL to allow women officials to officiate in male-dominated matches. Through Sportskeeda, I would request the organizers of other big leagues in India like the IPL and ISL to promote women referees, as it would help in holistic development of the league and sports in general,” said Sasmita.

Asked who her inspiration has been, Sasmita broke down while talking about her mentor Nita Mohanty, who passed away on January 14.

“She is a very well-known coach in Odisha and if I am into kabaddi today, that is only because of her. She was the one who also taught me officiating. Her contribution to my success is unparalleled. I was disheartened when I heard the news and I couldn’t even attend her last rites because of my duties here in PKL," said the referee over the phone from Bengaluru.

While Nita was her mentor back in her state, at the PKL she says Mr. E Prasad Rao (Technical Director), Dr. HV Nataraj and Mr. Vishwas More (both Technical Supervisors) motivate her a lot to be one of the best in the business.

Sasmita also drew inspiration from Jamuna Venkatesh, the first female international kabaddi referee from India.

“When Jamuna used to conduct matches, she did it with a lot of control and precision. I got inspired seeing her. So when she could do this, why not me?” Sasmita said.

Pathway to be associated with kabaddi and PKL

“Before talking about pathways, I would like to say that fitness is paramount to being a kabaddi official. Second is your state association. There is an exam by AKFI (Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India) for being an official, and if you clear that you become eligible to officiate in kabaddi matches. With that certificate, you can officiate in state championships, and if your state association recommends you to AKFI, you will be called to officiate in National Championships. So it is mostly in the hands of your state association," explained Sasmita.

“After seeing the performance of officials in the Nationals, a group of 50-60 officials are selected for a camp. In the camp, there are many things with which we are tested. From fitness to theory sessions to speech therapy sessions to yoga, we are trained with everything. Whoever performs the best, is selected for officiating in the PKL,” she added.

“I must say that the secretary in my state, Mr. Ajay Kumar Behera has been very supportive. He trusted me and recommended me for the Nationals and that opened the doors for me to be here at PKL. My childhood athletic coach, Mr. Suryakanta Mohanty, has played a big part in my transition from athletics to kabaddi. He has been very kind to allow me to shift games and has also supported me in kabaddi in whatever way he could,” says Sasmita with respect for her mentors.

Sasmita has been a renowned name both in her state and in India. Her grit, dedication, and determination have put her where she is today.

“I had huge support and love from Odisha and that is why I am here. Also, my federation supported me a lot. I will be forever indebted to them,” Sasmita concluded.