Kabaddi is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players, originating in ancient India. 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 the court, touch out as many of their players as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds. 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 return to the game after each point scored by their team from a tag or tackle.
Kabaddi being played at the 2018 Asian Games
A commemorative stamp depicting kabaddi's first appearance in the Asian Games in 1990
A kabaddi court at the 2006 Asian Games
A circle kabaddi match being played in Bhimber
Traditional games of India
India has several traditional games and sports, some of which have been played for thousands of years. Their popularity has greatly declined in the modern era, with Western sports having overtaken them during the British Raj, and the Indian government now making some efforts to revive them. Many of these games do not require much equipment or playing space. Some of them are only played in certain regions of India, or may be known by different names and played under different rules and regulations in different regions of the country. Many Indian games are also similar to other traditional South Asian games.
A kho-kho defensive player (centre) runs from one half of the court to the other to avoid being touched by an opponent.
An Indian stamp from 1990 commemorating the introduction of kabaddi, India's most popular traditional sport, into the Asian Games.
A few traditional Indian games have been noted for being similar to games throughout the Global Southeast, such as atya-patya, whose Indonesian variant gobak sodor is pictured here.
A photo from 1870 depicting Hyderabadis preparing for pehlwani.