About World Kabaddi Day

DESCRIPTION:

Kabaddi is a contact team sport that originated in South Asia and is especially popular in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Iran. The sport involves two teams sending a "raider" into the opponent's half of the court to tag members of the opposing team while chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi," all in one breath. The objective for the defenders is to either evade the raider or tackle them before they can return to their half of the court.

The sport is described in various ancient texts, including the Indian epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, and traces back over 4,000 years. It is one of the oldest games still in play and is believed to have originated in ancient India. The term "Kabaddi" is derived from the Tamil word "kai-pidi," which means "to hold hands." The sport includes several regional variations, including Sanjeevani, Amar, and Punjabi, with rules and styles differing from one region to another. The basic principle remains the same: two teams send a raider into the opponent's half of the court to tag or touch members of the opposing team while chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi" in a single breath.

Kabaddi received international exposure when demonstrated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the Indian National Games in 1938. Since then, the sport has grown in popularity, especially in South Asia, and has become a regular feature in multi-sport events like the Asian Games.

World Kabaddi Day seeks to increase the sport's appeal beyond Asia, the United Kingdom, and Canada to the rest of the world. World Kabaddi Day began in 2018 and is celebrated annually on March 24.