NS commander, national athlete

You can immediately tell 3SG (NS) Yathukulan Ahdhitthyan is an athlete – wide frame, broad shoulders.

If you guessed that he’s a rugby player, you’re not too far off.

For the last nine years, 3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan, 21, has been playing Kabaddi, a traditional South Asian sport that’s often described as a mix of rugby, wrestling and tag.

In fact, he was part of the national team that represented Singapore at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last year, when the sport was included for the first time!

Rookie to raider

Although Kabaddi is one of the most popular traditional games in South Asia, it’s a pretty new sport in Singapore. In fact, the Kabaddi Association of Singapore (KAS) only formed officially in 2019.

The contact sport is traditionally played between two teams of seven players, with “raiders” from one side sprinting into the opposing half to tag their opponent’s defenders and returning back in one breath, all while chanting “Kabaddi”.

3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan began playing Kabaddi when he was 13, thanks to a family friend who introduced him to the sport.

What drew the Victoria School alumnus to the sport was its physicality and rough nature.

“I like that it is a contact sport, where you are able to tackle your opponents… It’s a fun opportunity to let go and just do your best competing against others.”

Going up against giants

His biggest achievement in the sport? Representing Singapore at SEA Games 2025, which was held in Thailand from 9 to 20 Dec last year.

“I know I’m not the best player or anything, but I worked very hard to get into the team and was overjoyed that I was included,” said 3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan.

However, it was an uphill battle for him and his teammates – they were facing off against regional powerhouses Thailand and Indonesia, which had longer histories in the sport.

“We went in with the knowledge that we were going up against countries with like 30 years of experience (while) we had no more than five at international games,” he recounted.

“Our mentality was to just do our best and get some exposure (and) experience.”

Surpassing their own expectations, the Men’s Kabaddi team went on to win bronze in all three categories – Standard, Super Five and Three Stars.

3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan recalled the moment he realised that they had won the medals: “My mind went blank with joy. Everyone was in a different state of shock, and some of my coaches were even crying their eyes out!”

National athlete & NS commander

The journey to the SEA Games was not an easy one for 3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan, who was then serving as a Full-time National Serviceman (NSF).

A section commander in 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), he had to juggle his National Service (NS) duties with Kabaddi training.

In fact, when he was first posted to 1 SIR in November 2024, he was worried that the unit would not be supportive of his sporting commitments, considering that Kabaddi is still a niche sport in Singapore.

However, he was pleasantly surprised when his then-Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM), 2nd Warrant Officer Eugene Wong, was very supportive of his sporting commitments, and sought approval for him to continue training and competing while serving as an NSF.

Taking into account operational and training requirements, the unit supported him by scheduling his regimental duties on days that would not clash with his usual Kabaddi training on Wednesday nights, and his duties as a commander.

With preparations intensifying in the lead up to the SEA Games 2025, he found himself in a balancing act, juggling his NS commitments with training three times a week.

“It was very tough, but I told myself that I wanted to see through it no matter what. Whatever the result, at least I was able to say that I tried my best.”

Strengthened by the support of family & friends

The infanteer is thankful for the support that his peers gave him throughout his NS journey, as this allowed him to continue giving his best to Kabaddi.

“They would jokingly complain, but they still supported me…and would just be like, ‘Remember to bring some food back for us!’” he said with a bright smile.

He also credits his family for helping him to stay mentally strong: “Their support was a big motivator for me…to keep the mentality of finishing what I started, no matter what.”

“My father is my biggest supporter, even though he won’t admit it,” 3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan added with a chuckle.

“I will ask him to give me oil massages after training and he will do it without fail, even if he grumbles about having to do it.”

Looking to the future

3SG (NS) Ahdhitthyan, who completed his full-time NS in January, is looking to the future with bright eyes and big plans.

“I plan to continue being involved in Kabaddi for the next year. After that, I’ll be heading off to Australia for my university studies.”

His advice for other athletes juggling NS with their sporting commitments? “Just remember to set aside some time early on to talk to your superiors about it. (As long as operational and training requirements are being met,) I’m sure they will support you if they can!”

He added that NS had taught him the valuable lessons of “mind over body” and resilience, which have helped him in sports too.

“(Learning to be) resilient translated to my play on the court. Even if my body was hurting, I knew that I could give more to the team if I just didn’t give up!”