Newspaper delivery boy develops roll ball game

At one point in time, he used to struggle-- he had even worked as a newspaper delivery boy. But Raju Dabhade, now 50, always wanted to do something new and he had passion, dedication and confidence. And he came out with Roll Ball, which has now been recognised by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Around a lakh students are practising and playing it in India - and it has now spread to nearly 50 countries.

The game is a combination of skating, handball and basketball. “It is a perfect Make in India sports model,” says Dabhade from Pune, where he is based and associated with the Maharashtra Education Society's Bal Shikshan Mandir English Medium School in Kothrud.

Now what makes the story interesting and how the idea came - Dabhade used to deliver newspapers on roller skates. He rose through the ranks in roller speed skating and later, after retiring from competitive skating, became a physical education teacher.

However, the competitive edge never left him. He set his sights on creating an all-new sport, something that would make a name for India, a game born in India that will be the pride of India’s sports identity.

The idea for roll ball came to him one afternoon in 2003 when a basketball interrupted his skating instruction. Roller-skating on old school quads is still popular in India and ball sports are always well liked.       

Therefore, he decided to combine the two. The IOC recognised it in 2006.
“If we talk about true Indian sports that had made name internationally, it is kabaddi and kho-kho....all the ball games - football, rugby, volleyball or basketball are of European or American origin....I wanted something truly Indian and came up with this idea,” said Dabhade, who is the General Secretary of International Roll Ball Federation (IRBF).

“I had to work hard for close to four years to invent the game....I studied how football, volleyball, basketball,  handball started and so on....I slowly  designed the roll ball and also came out with rules and regulations, conduct, safety measures and so on,” he said. “We have detailed guidelines for players, coaches, organisers and referees,” he pointed out.

In 2006-07, Dabhade had spread it in India and some other countries. He spent  his own money earned from the sale of his ancestral land to finance trips abroad to introduce the sport and establish teams in places as distant and diverse as Kenya and Belarus. “It worked so well that it was a Danish team, and not an Indian team, that won the initial World Cup,” he said. The last World Cup in Kenya was won by India and the next is going to be hosted in Pune in December. Pune event would see participation of 50 countries.
Roll Ball is managed and supervised by two sports bodies - the  International Roll Ball Federation (IRBF) and the Roll Ball Federation of India (RBFI).

Roll ball is played on skates. Each team consists of 12 players, six on the field and six on bench. The main objective is to score maximum goals within a stipulated time. The main feature of roll ball is that the ball is held in single or both hands, even when passing on to the other players, and is repeatedly bounced on the ground. This game is played on any hard surface, including ice.

The players are required to excel in speed, balance and control. “It is thrilling and spectacular and captivating,” he said. “We would take the game further...my idea is to have Indian league on the lines of IPL, hockey league, football league or kabaddi league....I am sure more and more people would come in to support the game,” he said.

“It's more thrilling.....you just cannot take your eyes off the field...it can give  to other commercial sport a run for their money ,” he said. Dabhade said that he is coordinating with states and also at district level. “Like every game, we can find talent in the remote districts besides towns, cities and metros.....my aim is to visit all over and find talent,” he said.

Gaurav Gore, CEO of Miracle Epic, who has been associated with the game, said, “We always see international games creating a benchmark in India and attracting huge audience. The IPL, Football League, CCL, Badminton League, Tennis League and our own Kabaddi are a few games that have become tremendously famous and shown a flamboyant image to youth.  This time, the world championship would make a sincere attempt to reach the youth."