I was roaming the offerings of ESPN+, waiting for my soccer match to start, when I came across this sport that I had literally never heard of before.
Basically, I would describe it as a very fast, physical game of team tag on a small court. After watching only 45 minutes or so of it, I would also describe it as very tactical.
Anybody else aware of this game and have any insight on what it’s like? All the matches I found were in India, and Wikipedia says that’s basically where it is, but I’m interested in any additional color on it.
I watched the games when I was Bangalore for work, it’s pretty much only Indian and mostly rural India. The players are chanting “kabaddi, kabaddi” when on the opposing side of the court to demonstrate to the refs that they’re holding their breath. You can’t breath when in enemy territory.
I’ve been trying to pick up a Bangalore Bulls jersey but they’re really hard to find online. Next time I’m over there I plan to get one.
I’d heard of it and watched a clip, but it didn’t seem too interesting. The whole breathing bit and how it’s supposedly enforced through chanting seems utterly nonsensical to me. I don’t see how doing that chanting would prevent you from breathing in, or at least using circle breathing techniques. I’ve been told that it works perfectly fine, but from the clip I watched it wasn’t too apparent.
Thanks for all the comments. I don’t think I’ll become a regular watcher, but it does lurk down at the end of live events on ESPN plus semi-regularly, so I will drop in from time to time.
I am curious if there are, like, kabaddi stars, or dominant teams, so I will read a little more about it.
I’ve been on several WhatsApp groups with about 50 classmates from school, college and university and other social groups from the time I was in Pakistan (35+ years ago) for about 8 years. Many of them are still in Pakistan. Kabbaddi has never come up. Cricket and football a lot, a smattering of hockey and squash, tennis during the grand slams, but somehow never kabbaddi. Has there always been kabbaddi organized along formal lines on a large scale (e.g. televised, professional clubs with coaching, managers and physios)? Or is this a recent development?
I recall first hearing about kabaddi when it was featured as a demonstration sport during some summer Olympics. I can’t recall exactly when but I think it was in the 1990s.
The one I watched on TV was indoor, this outdoor championship looks oddly less professional, and more rough. Either way, fun to watch for a few minutes.
As far as I can tell, it’s never been an official Olympic demonstration sport. It was at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, but I don’t think they had official demonstration sports back then. But it got more attention by being included as a demo sport at the Asian games in 1951 and 1982, and then becoming a medal sport in 1990.
No, no. I just happened to be in Lahore for work and nearby Fortress Stadium when it was on. So dropped in to see it.
I have a rather personal link with Kabbadi though, my father was an Army officer and it’s a popular sport amongst the ranks. I was at one match where my Dads regiment team won unexpectedly. After that the men decided that the CO’s son was a good luck charm so I had to be at every game. We won the Corps championship that year. After that, whatever sport the regiment was playing, hockey, volleyball, basketball. “CO’s son has to be there"
