We, in the modern day, know Kabaddi by its catchy slogan “ Le Panga “ and its fast-paced nature. But when enquired most of us will not know anything about its early days. First, let me tell you about the geographical presence of Kabaddi in today’s world. It has made its presence throughout the Indian subcontinent. It is the state game of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala & Tamil Nadu. It is the national sport of Bangladesh.
Most recently, the fierce game has spread its wings to Iran. Kabaddi has an ongoing dispute about its origin, but there are two major theories. According to these theories, the game of Kabaddi either originated in Tamil region of ancient India or in the Sistan region, which is now a part of modern Iran.
According to the proponents of the 1st theory, developer of the game of Kabaddi is the ancient Tamil region, which is predominantly Tamil Nadu and southern states. The Tamil empire spread this game to south-east Asia during their sea trade. The word Kabaddi is said to have been derived from the Tamil word ‘Kai-Pidi’ which means “to hold hands”.
The historians of the game have claimed that Lord Krishna played the game in his youth and so did Gautam Buddha. Also, Mahabharata contains an account of Arjuna, being able to sneak into, take out enemies and return unscathed, which is the game of Kabaddi in its essence.
Kabaddi is played in two formats viz, Circle Style Kabaddi and Standard style Kabaddi. Circle Style Kabaddi is mainly popular in the states of Haryana and Punjab, while Standard style is accepted and cherished throughout the world. All the international tournaments are held in standard style Kabaddi. In standard style, two teams of seven members each occupy opposite halves of a 10m * 13m court. Each team has 5 players held in reserve.
The Kabaddi Federation of India(KFI) was founded in 1950 and the basic rules of Kabaddi were formalized around early. The most notable international tournaments are Kabaddi World Cup, Asian Games, Asian Kabaddi Championship and Kabaddi Masters. It is a rather simple and inexpensive game, and it requires no huge playing area with absolutely no equipment.
In India, Pro Kabaddi League has helped Kabaddi regain its lost charm. Pro Kabbadi League has been successful in sparking life into what is argued to be the game of Ancient India. Pro Kabaddi League is a double round-robin and playoffs format league. It was launched in 2014, based on a similar business model as the famous/infamous IPL. At present, it has twelve teams hailing from different states of the country. The next season begins this July 20, featuring twelve teams in their quest for the ultimate title. It is promised to be bigger than ever. Every year, with the growing technology the game is mesmerizing and attracting fans from all age groups. The exceptionally remarkable performance of the players and teams have acquired several titles for themselves. Players like Manjeet Chillar, Rahul Chaudhary, Pardeep Narwal, Vikash Kandola leave us spellbound with their tackling techniques and raids.
