Kabaddi

Kabaddi is a contact team sport. Played between two teams of seven players, the objective of the game is for a single player on offence, referred to as a “raider”, to run into the opposing team’s half of a court, touch out as many of their defenders as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders, and in a single breath. Points are scored for each player tagged by the raider, while the opposing team earns a point for stopping the raider. Players are taken out of the game if they are touched or tackled, but are brought back in for each point scored by their team from a tag or tackle. It is believed that the game originated in Ancient Thamizhagam, as it is mentioned in Sangam Literature that the game called Sadugudu was practised since ages. Sadugudu was played as a warm up sport before the players enter the arena for Jallikattu. There are also accounts of Gautam Buddha having played the game recreationally. There is another version to this sport origins and rich history, Legend has it that kabaddi originated in Tamil Nadu over 4,000 years ago. The game was said to have been popular among the Yadava people. An Abhang by Tukaram stated that the lord Krishna played the game in his youth.