Kabaddi: Turner takes on challenge

Calli Turner, in action for BOP Volcanix in the Women's Provinicial Championship, is off to the Kabaddi World Cup in India. Photo / Rick Moran

Calli Turner is a high performing athlete for Bay of Plenty in touch, sevens and fifteens rugby.

But the super-fit Tauranga local has set herself a new challenge on a completely different sporting odyssey. She leaves for India tomorrow as part of the New Zealand team to contest the 2014 Kabaddi World Cup.

Kabaddi is the national sport of the Punjab area where the tournament will be held and is India's second most popular televised sport after cricket since the launch this year of a professional league.

Turner, 37, says rugby players are very good at kabaddi because of the physical nature of the game.

"It is a lot simpler. There is no ball involved and you can move in any direction but it is physical," she said.

"It is kind of like bullrush or tag. You have 30 seconds to cross the line and tag an opposition player and get back out.

"They will try and move away from you to use up time and either try to push you out or hold you in there.

"There is a wrestling component that comes in to it as well. It is really exciting and I love it.

"I am one of the new players in the New Zealand team and we are looking to see if we can do even better than last year when New Zealand came runners-up in the final to India.

"I am grateful to the support of my family, especially my husband, along with my workplace Spark Digital. They make things easy for me and I truly couldn't do anything without their support."

Turner and the New Zealand team will be up against defending champions India, Pakistan, Kenya, UK, Malaysia, Denmark and Mexico.

On her return from India, her focus will quickly change to sevens as a key player in the Bay of Plenty team to contest the Bayleys National Sevens in Rotorua from January 15-17.