Kabaddi is synonymous with the energetic and athletic pride that India possesses when it comes to

sports. It is in fact the perfect game for those who love thrill and a constant adrenalin rush while
sweating it out on the field. With its roots in the Indian tradition, Kabaddi has been around for centuries
and is one of the most popular sports played across Indian terrains.

What Is Kabaddi?

Kabaddi is a contact sport which requires two teams to compete in a match. The game has its origin in
ancient Indian history as it was first conceptualized in South India.

The game is governed by the International Kabaddi Federation at a global level, whereas at a domestic
level the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) acts as the governing body. The game has two
major formats; international and Indian. Within the Indian format there are 4 main styles; Sanjeevani,
Gaminee, Amar and Punjabi.

Kabaddi is played at the Asian and South Asian Games. Besides this, there are several international
kabaddi events that include the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, Men’s Kabaddi World Cup, World Kabaddi
League along with the domestic level Pro Kabaddi League which is quite popular in India. Some of the
legends in this sport are Rakesh Kumar, Anup Kumar and Manjit Chillar.

Kabaddi In A Nutshell

What is kabaddi

Kabaddi is a sport which is not meant for the weak hearted. In order to be a part of a team one has to
have good lung capacity, presence of mind and a lot of muscular strength. A Kabaddi match is generally
played between two teams consisting of 7 players on each side.

The field is divided into two halves; players on the defensive side are categorized as antis and the ones
on the offensive side are categorized as raider. In this sport, attacking is an individual process while
defending involves group effort.
The main objective of the sport is for the raider to attack the antis while chanting ‘kabaddi kabaddi’ i.e.,
without breaking the chant or taking a break to breathe. If the breath Is broken the rival team gets a
point and if the raider is successful in chanting and tagging players of the opponent team, raider’s team
gets a point. The raider has to attack and get safely to its team’s side of the field without breaking the
chant. For the antis, preventing the raider from tagging them is crucial. The role of the raider and antis
keep getting switched depending on which team is attacking.

Kabaddi’s History

Kabaddi history

Kabaddi is a contact sport that originated in India. To be precise its concept as a sporting event can be
traced back to Tamil Nadu, where group hunting and village defense techniques gave birth to the first
form of this sport.

The game further developed in the northern parts of India with Punjab being the most prominent
region.

An organized version of Kabaddi was first played in Maharahstra, and between 1950-1920 standardized
rules were also formulated for the sport. Even though variations were introduced in the sport, the prime
objective of the game remained unaltered.

Countries like Bangladesh and Nepal play Kabaddi as their national game and in Indian states like Tamil
Nadu, Maharashtra, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab it is played at a state level.

The sport has two main forms, international and Indian. Even though the rules for both only differ
slightly, the Indian one has various styles; Sanjeevani, Gaminee, Amar and Punjabi.

The sport is commonly known as hadudu in Bangladesh, baibalaa in Maldives, chedugudu in Andhra
Pradesh, sadugugu in Tamil Nadu and hututu in Maharashtra.

Kabaddi first got international exposure at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. It was also introduced at the Indian
National Games held in Calcutta in 1938.

The All India Kabaddi Federation (AIKF) was created in 1950 which gave the sport nationwide
recognition. Later, it was reorganized as Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) in 1973.

In 1979, Kabaddi was popularized in Japan by Sundar Ram of India who was touring the country for two
months on behalf of Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation.

In 2004, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) was formed taking the sport to a global level with
several western nations like Canada and Germany joining in as members.
India has the best and one of the most successful Kabaddi teams at international level; winning every
Kabaddi World Cup and Asian Games title till 2015 (in both men’s and women’s category).

In 2016, Gujarat is expected to host the World Cup Tournament for Kabaddi

Kabaddi – Rules And Regulations

Kabaddi rules

Kabaddi can be played outdoors as well as indoors and has two main forms, International and Indian the
rules for which differ slightly.

In the international version there are two teams that contest in a match. Each team has a total of 7
players and both teams occupy opposite halves of the field.

The defensive team is known as the antis and the offensive team is known as raider’s. The role keeps
getting switched depending on which side is attacking. For men the field dimensions are 10 m X 13 m
and for women 8 m X 12 m. Each team has the right to reserve three players that are sitting outside the
field.

These can be used as substitute if a player gets injured and is unable to continue playing. The game is
played in 20 min halves with a 5 minute break in the middle, after which the teams change sides.

The main objective for the teams is to send a raider into the opposite teams half (antis). To score a point
the raider must take a breath before entering the opposite team’s half and chant ‘kabaddi kabaddi’
without breaking the breath. The raider is supposed to tag a member of the opposite team while
chanting and return back to his half. If the player breaks his breath in the process or is not successful in
tagging the opponent team member, he or she will be declared ‘out’ by the referee.

The role of the tagged player Is to catch the raider preventing it from reaching its half of the field. This
can be done by wrestling the raider to the ground till the chant is broken or a breath is inhaled. If the
tagged defender fails to catch the raider, the player tagged will be declared out by the referee. Defenders
must be cautious enough not to cross the centre line of the field known as ‘the lobby’ while trying to
catch the defender as doing this can lead to a foul. For raiders there is one bonus line which can be
touched, and if the raider returns back to his half successfully an extra point is granted.
When a player is declared out, it is mandatory to sit out of the field. Each time a player is declared ‘out’,
the opposite team scores a point.

A team has the possibility of scoring three points which are known as the ‘lona’, if the entire opposite
team is ousted. This is usually done, if the raider manages to tag the entire team or manages some form
of contact with the opposite team while safely returning to its team’s half.

The team that manages to score most points is declared as the winner of the match. Kabaddi matches
are usually categorised by age and weight. A team of six officials are present at the match; one referee,
two umpires, a scorer and two assistant scorers.

In the Indian version of Kabaddi there are 4 main forms:

Sanjeevani: The rules for this version are similar to the international one with only a slight variation. In
this version, one player of the opposite team is revived, if they manage to oust the other player of the
rival team. A game in this version lasts for 40 minutes with a 5 minute break during half time. There are
seven players on each team. However, in this version a team can score 4 extra points if they can manage
to take out the entire opposing team.

Gaminee: In this version, there are a total of 7 players on each side, and if a player is declared out, he or
she has to stay out till the entire team loses the match. There is no scope for revival of players. A team
that manages to oust all the players of the opposing team scores a point. The game has no fixed duration
and continues till a team can successfully score 5-7 such points.

Amar: This version has the same game duration as Sanjeevani. However, if a player in this format gets
out they can still stay inside the field while the play continues. The more players a raider can touch, the
score of the opposite team increases on the score board.]

Punjabi: This version is basically played on a circular pitch with a diameter of 22 meters. The rules for this
are more or less the same as the ones in other versions.

Kabaddi – Specifications

Players usually wear shorts and T-shirts while playing the game with their team colors and names
represented on the front and back side. Apart from this, no equipment is required to play the sport.
Governing Bodies For Kabaddi

In 2004, the International Kabaddi Federation was formed giving the sport a prominent international
presence. Till 2015, the federation has a membership of 31 nations.

Janardan Singh Gehlot is the founder of this federation and hails from India. Several