Kabbadi

Kabaddi (, ) is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players. It is one of the traditional games of South Asia. In this game, a raider enters the opposing half of the court to touch defenders and attempt to return within 30 seconds without being tackled. Points are awarded for successful tags, while defenders earn a point for stopping the raider. Tagged or tackled players are temporarily out but can re-enter when their team scores. Raids alternate between teams throughout the game.

It is popular in South Asia and nearby Asian countries. Although accounts of kabaddi appear in the history of India, the game was popularised as a competitive sport in the 20th century. It is the national sport of Bangladesh. It is the third most popular and viewed sport in India after cricket and football. It is the state game of the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.

There are two major disciplines: " Punjabi kabaddi", also called "circle style", comprises traditional forms of the sport that are played on a circular field outdoors, and the "standard/rectangular style", on a rectangular court indoors, is played in major professional leagues and international competitions such as the Asian Games.

Name

This game is known by numerous names in different parts of the Indian subcontinent, such as: ''kabaddi ''or ''chedugudu'' in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; ''kabaddi'' in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala; ''kabaddi'', ''komonti'' or ''ha-du-du'' in West Bengal and Bangladesh; ''baibalaa'' in Maldives, ''kauddi'' or ''kabaddi'' in the Punjab region; ''hu-tu-tu'' in Western India, ''ha-do-do'' in Eastern India; ''chadakudu'' in South India; ''kapardi'' in Nepal; ''kabadi'' or ''sadugudu'' in Tamil Nadu; and ''chakgudu'' in Sri Lanka.

Etymology

The raider is required to execute each raid on a single breath; in order to prove that they are not inhaling, they are required to repeatedly chant the word "kabaddi", in a process referred to as a cant. The term kabaddi is from a Tamil word composed of "Kai" and "Pidi", meaning "hand catch".

History

Ancient era

Ronojoy Sen speculates in his book ''Nation At Play'' that kabaddi originated during the Vedic period (between 1500 BC and 500 BC). There are accounts of Gautama Buddha and Lord Krishna having played an ancient form of the sport.

According to the sport's origins, kabaddi is a sport developed centered on Jallikattu. A player going to the opposition is treated like a bull. It is like taming a bull without touching it, as it is mentioned in Sangam Literature that the game called Sadugudu was practised since ages.

There are also accounts of kabaddi having been played in Iran 2,000 years ago.

Modern era

Modern kabaddi is a synthesis of the game played in various forms under different names in the Indian subcontinent. India has been first credited with having helped to popularise kabaddi as a competitive sport, with the first organised competitions occurring in the 1920s, their introduction to the programme of the National Games of India in 1938, the establishment of the All-India Kabaddi Federation in 1950, and it being played as a demonstration sport at the inaugural 1951 Asian Games in New Delhi. These developments helped to formalise the sport, which had traditionally been played on muddy surfaces in villages, for legitimate international competition.

The first framework of rules for the sport was prepared in Maharashtra in the 1920s, with English sports serving as a model for this formalisation. One of the earliest modern tournaments of the sport, the All India Kabaddi Tournament in 1923, was played according to these amended rules. After being demonstrated again at the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi, kabaddi was added to the Asian Games programme beginning in 1990.

The advent of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) in 2014 revolutionised the standard style of the sport, with various rule changes being made; for example, whereas previously raids had no time limit other than the breathing capacity of the raider, the PKL rules introduced the concept of a standard 30-second time limit for every raid.

Variations

Standard style

In the international team version of kabaddi, two teams of seven members each occupy opposite halves of a court of in the case of men and in the case of women. Each has five supplementary players held in reserve for substitution. The game is played with 20-minute halves with a 5-minute half time break in which the teams exchange sides. During each play, known as a "raid", a player from the attacking side, known as the "raider", runs into the opposing team's side of the court and attempts to tag as many of the seven defending players as possible. The raider must cross the baulk line into the defending team's territory, and then return to their half of the field without being tackled. (If an attacker touches a defender and hasn't yet reached the baulk line, they do not need to reach the baulk line to score points and may return to their half of the court.) While raiding, the raider must loudly chant ''kabaddi'', confirming to referees that their raid is done on a single breath without inhaling. Each raid has a 30-second time limit.

A point is scored for each defender tagged; tags can be made with any part of the raider's body and touching any part of the defender's body. If the raider steps beyond the bonus line marked in the defending team's territory when there are six or more players, they earn an additional point known as a bonus point (the bonus point is only scored if the raider's trailing foot is in the air while they step over the line).Kabaddi: How to play India's 4000-year-old indigenous sport
https://olympics.com/ Utathya Nag If the raider is successfully stopped (tackled), the opposite team earns a point instead. All players tagged or tackled are taken out of the game, but one is "revived" for each point a team scores from a subsequent tag or tackle. However, bonus points do not revive players. In addition, players who step out of the boundary are out. However, the boundary of the field can vary mid-raid; there are two strips on either side of the court known as "lobby areas" which only become part of the field of play in raids where the raider touches an opponent.

A raid where no points are scored by the raider is referred to as an "empty raid". By contrast, a play where the raider scores three or more points is referred to as a "super raid". If a team gets all seven players on the opposing team out ("All Out"), they earn two additional points and then all the opposition players are placed back in the game.

In the event of a tie, PKL rules stipulate (for playoff matches) that each team is to perform five raids on the other team, with no time limits involved, no players being dismissed or revived, and the baulk line being simultaneously treated as a bonus line.

Styles of Indian kabaddi

There are four major forms of Indian kabaddi recognised by some amateur federation.
*In Sanjeevani Kabaddi, one player is revived against one player of the opposite team who is out. The game is played over 40 minutes with a five-minute break between halves. There are seven players on each side and the team that outs all the players on the opponent's side scores four extra points.
*In Gaminee style, seven players play on each side and a player put out has to remain out until all his team members are out. The team that is successful in outing all the players of the opponent's side secures a point. The game continues until five or seven such points are secured and has no fixed time duration.
* Punjabi kabaddi is a variation that is played on a circular pitch of a diameter of .

Beach kabaddi

The Beach kabaddi variant is played in two 15-minute halves by two teams of four players who are not allowed to wear shoes and is played on levelled ground of sand either on seas shore or river banks. It is played at an international level in competitions such as the Asian Beach Games.

Indoor kabaddi

The Indoor kabaddi variant is played in two 15-minute halves by two teams of five players and is a shorter variant of standard style kabaddi. It is played at an international level in competitions such as the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

Governance

International kabaddi organisations

An international governing body called the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) has been established for the sport.

Another kabaddi organisation named the World Kabaddi Federation was founded in 2003 and formally incorporated in 2005.

A different organisation called World Kabaddi was founded in 2018. It held its own Kabaddi World Cup competition in 2019 in Malacca, Malaysia, followed by its 2025 Kabaddi World Cup event in March 2025 in West Midlands, England.

Major competitions

International competitions

IKF Kabaddi World Cup

The Kabaddi World Cup is an outdoor international standard style kabaddi competition conducted by the IKF, contested by national teams.

In 2024, it announced a plan to hold a 2025 Kabaddi World Cup in India in January 2025. The IKF men's competition has been previously contested in 2004, 2007 and 2016. All three of these tournaments were held in India and were won by India, and all had Iran as runner-up. To clinch the title in 2016, India defeated Iran by 38–29 in the final of the championship game.

The IKF has also held one women's World Cup event. It was held in 2012 in India. It was also won by India.

Junior Kabaddi World Cup

The inaugural Kabaddi World Cup organised by the IKF was held in Kish island, Iran, 11–14 November 2019. It featured 13 teams. Iran won the tournament by defeating Kenya in the final, 42–22. Team India did not participate in this tournament.

Asian Games

Kabaddi was played as a demonstration event at the First Asian Games in 1951, and again in 1982, before becoming a medal event for the first time in 1990.

The Indian national team won every men's and women's kabaddi competition in the Asian Games from 2002 through 2014. At the 2018 Asian Games, Iran became the first country other than India to win gold medals in kabaddi, with India's men's team winning bronze, and India's women's team being beaten by Iran to win silver.

Asian Kabaddi Championship

AKC's tenth season was played in Gorgan, Iran, in 2017 in which India won its tenth gold by defeating Pakistan in the finals.

South Asian Games

European Kabaddi Championship

The first edition of European Kabaddi Championship was held in Scotland in 2019. The final match was between Poland and Holland, Poland won the tournament. Final score was Poland 47–27 Holland. The second edition was held in Cyprus in 2021 which was organised by the World Kabaddi Federation. Poland retained their title by beating hosts Cyprus in the final, 29–15. Italy was set to host the third edition in 2022, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually happening in 2023. Poland beat England in the final to retain their title.

Kabaddi Masters

The inaugural edition of the Kabaddi Masters was held in Dubai, 22–30 June 2018. It was the first kabaddi tournament to be held in the UAE. It featured 6 teams. India won the tournament by defeating Iran in the final with a scoreline of 44–26, with the Indian Defense outperforming the Iran Defense.

Domestic competitions

Pro Kabaddi League

The Pro Kabaddi League was established in 2014. The league modeled its business upon that of the Indian Premier League of Twenty20 cricket, with a large focus on marketing, the backing of local broadcaster Star Sports. The Pro Kabaddi League quickly became a ratings success on Indian television; the 2014 season was watched by at least 435 million viewers over the course of the season, and the inaugural championship match was seen by 98.6 million viewers.

Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Patna Pirates, Tamil Thalaivas, UP Yoddhas, Gujrat Giants, Haryana Steelers, Puneri Paltan, U Mumba, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Dabang Delhi KC, and Telugu Titans are the 12 teams that play in the Pro Kabaddi League.

The organisers of the Pro Kabaddi League change the sport's rules and its presentation to make it more suitable for a television audience. All players in the league must be strictly under 85 kg in weight. When the raider scores 10 or more raid points in a single match, it is called a super 10, and they earn an extra point. If the defender successfully manages to tackle the five raiders in a single game, it is a high 5, and the team will be awarded one extra poin


Additional rules are used in the Pro Kabaddi League to encourage scoring: when a defensive side has three or fewer players remaining, tackles are worth two points instead of one. Furthermore, if a team performs two empty raids in a row, the next raider must score a point ("do-or-die raid"), or else they will be declared out and the opposing team will score a point.

Indo International Premier Kabaddi League

The inaugural edition of the IIPKL was on 13 May 2019 at Pune, India. The title for the inaugural season was won by the Bangalore Rhinos.

Super Kabaddi League

In May 2018, the Super Kabaddi League was first held in Pakistan, as part of a larger push to promote renewed interest in the sport in Pakistan.

Yuva Kabaddi Series

Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) is a franchise-based junior-category kabaddi tournament in India. It is for players who are under 23 years old and below . The inaugural Yuva Kabaddi Series was conducted in Jaipur in June 2022, and was broadcast on OTT platform FanCode. It is the second-largest kabaddi tournament in India, and the largest tournament in India in terms of number of matches played per year.

Four seasonal editions are held every year. Three tournaments were conducted in 2022: Summer Edition in Jaipur, Monsoon Edition at Ranchi, and Winter Edition at Pondicherry; and two in 2023: the KMP YKS in Maharashtra (which was won by Ahmednagar) and Summer Edition Mysore. For the first time in the history of Indian kabaddi, players from the North East will be playing in a tournament of this stature.

Each edition is contested over several rounds, with teams eliminated in each round, and the Summit Round acting as the playoffs of the tournament and leading to the final. Several players who started off in YKS have gone on to play at higher levels of kabaddi competition, such as the Pro Kabaddi League (through the New Young Player initiative) and the Junior Kabaddi World Cup.

Yuva Kabaddi Series was founded by uMumba CEO Suhail Chandhok and Vikas Kumar Gautam.

Popularity

Indian subcontinent

Kabaddi is a popular sport in the Indian subcontinent. The governing federation for kabaddi in India is the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), which was founded in 1973 and compiled a standard set of rules. Kabaddi is the second-most popular sport in India, with the Pro Kabaddi League being watched by hundreds of millions of people each year. The governing body for kabaddi in Pakistan is Pakistan Kabaddi Federation.

In Bangladesh, Kabaddi is known with a different name called "Ha-du-du". Ha-du-du has no definite rules and is played with different rules in different areas. Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh, given official status in 1972. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of Bangladesh was formed in 1973.

Nepal

Kabaddi is among the national sports of Nepal. Kabaddi is played and taught in most primary schools beginning in about the third grade in most Nepali schools.

From 2025, Nepal Kabaddi League has begun as the fourth sports franchise league ever been established after Cricket, Football and Volleyball. It is the benchmark in the history of sports in Nepal which has been organised by Astrionix Management.

The inaugural season features top international players from Thailand, Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The women's national Kabaddi team of Nepal won th
historic bronze medal
in the 19th Asian Games.

Internationally

Kabaddi was also played by the British Army for fun, to keep fit and as an enticement to recruit soldiers from the British Asian community. Kabaddi was brought to the United Kingdom by its South Asian diaspora (Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Nepali and Sri Lankan immigrants.)

In the 21st century, South Korea is one of the fastest-rising nations in international kabaddi, having beaten India in the opening match of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.

See also

* Tag (game)
** Kho kho
** Punjabi (circle-style) kabaddi
** Capture the flag
* Jallikattu

Notes

References

Further reading

*

External links

World Kabaddi Federation
*
*


slideshow by ''The New York Times''
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Traditional sports of India
Traditional sports of Pakistan
Sports originating in India
Sports originating in South Asia
National symbols of Bangladesh
Traditional sports of Bangladesh
Traditional sports of Iran
Team sports
Tag variants
Indian inventions