Last night at the chai stall, the old bhaiya who runs it was telling me about how they used to play *gilli-danda* in his village before any of these sponsored leagues came. I think about that when I see the big kabaddi franchises — all that money and lights, but the kids in my lane still play with a borrowed tyre and a stick. Bas, I just wonder if the real game is the one where nobody's selling you a jersey.

Bhai log, all this talk of "institutional recognition" — my nani used to say, jo chij bina kisi certificate ke sau saal se chal rahi hai, usko sirf kagaz ki zaroorat hoti hai, dum ki nahi. I saw a bunch of kids near our village practicing on a neem trunk with a rope, laughing and falling, no coach, no budget — and they were stronger than any medal factory. Before you turn mallakhamb into another bureaucratic chai-paani circus, ask yourself: do we want more paperwork, or more people actually holding the pole