Third Roll Ball World Cup

The International Roll Ball Federation announced recently the dates for the third Roll Ball World Cup, scheduled to take place this year from 14-20 December, while the national team was also introduced at an event in Mumbai at the Goregaon Sports Club. But what is Roll Ball? Well, a stray basketball came bouncing his way one afternoon when Raju Dabhade was busy skating, which is when the idea for Roll Ball struck him some 12 years ago. Roll Ball is a sport Dabhade invented, combining aspects of basketball, roller-skating, and handball.

It’s been around for only 12 years, but it’s already reached the World Cup stage, and was also recognised by the Indian Olympic Association in 2006. He used to be a newspaper delivery boy who would deliver the paper on roller skaters. A competitive skater, he retired and became a physical education teacher, before the love of professional competition, and the urge to create something new, led to the formation of Roll Ball. In fact, Dabhade was also awarded the Raja Mantri Puraskar in 2005 for his contribution to Roll Ball and roller-skating. The sport is managed and supervised by two sports bodies: the International Roll Ball Federation and the Roll Ball Federation of India.