Kabaddi

A contact sport that goes by different names- chedugudu, komonti,  ha-du-du, baibalaa,  kauddi, hu-tu-tu , ha-do-do, chadakudu,  kapardi, sadugudu , chakgudu! 

Kabaddi is a team game with seven players each in two opposing teams. Players take turns crossing onto the other team’s side, repeating “kabaddi, kabaddi” (or an alternate chant); points are scored by tagging as many opponents as possible without being caught or taking a breath before returning to one’s home territory. It demands high levels of strategy, physical fitness and stamina, as well as courage and teamwork.

Origins of the Game & Associations with Mythology

It is believed that the game originated in prehistoric times, when the development of human reflexes was crucial for self-defense and hunting. The earliest references to the game can be found in an abhang by Tukaram mentioning that Lord Krishna playing Kabaddi as a boy. According to myths, the Pandava Arjuna had mastered kabaddi skills from Lord Krishna, and this helped Arjuna breach several enemy walls. Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu is said to have listened to Krishna’s tutelage while in his mother’s womb and inherited kabaddi skills and brought down a seven-tiered defence of the Kauravas, single-handedly. You can associate this with the kabaddi move of a single raider raiding the opposite side having seven defenders and returning to his side victorious. Buddhist legends state that Gautam Buddha was fond of playing a kabaddi-like sport during his leisure time.  

Kabaddi as an organised sport

Kabaddi was showcased by Indian players as a demonstration sport in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The All India Kabaddi Federation was formed in 1950. Regular tournaments started being conducted for both men and women. The game was first included in the Beijing Asian Games in 1990. India has been consistently bagging the Gold Medal in Kabaddi in the Asian Games since then, except in the year 2018, when Iran took the gold.

Pro Kabaddi League (PKL)

An Indian men`s professional Kabaddi league was launched in 2014 and is the most popular kabaddi league in the world. Modelled on the format of the IPL of cricket, PKL has become hugely successful.

The World Kabaddi Federation defines kabaddi as a combative sport that teaches the life lesson that offence is an individual effort whereas defence is a group effort.