Kabbadi is one of the most unique and interesting international sports. With its origins in Southern Asia. Kabbadi is a game that is physically demanding, requiring vast amounts of skill from the individual players as well as excellent teamwork among the players. Kabbadi, while an entertaining spectator sport and an exhilarating full-contact game, has deeper significance than mere recreation. Kabbadi is the state sport of Karnataka in India, making it a cultural touchstone in India and throughout Southeast Asia.
While the exact details of Kabbadi are topics of ongoing debate, many claim that Kabbadi was originally developed as a method of combat training. The terminology and gameplay of modern day Kabbadi hearkens back to this. While the rules vary from state to state, the gameplay of Kabbadi usually involves two opposing teams split between a field. The offensive team sends out a “raider” who must tag or confine a defender by wrestling them. Meanwhile, the defenders form a chain to block the raider from returning to his side of the field. As an added challenge, the raider must hold his breath while within enemy territory. If a defender is confined, the offensive team earns a point and the player is temporarily removed from the game. If a raider takes a breath or steps out of bounds, the defending team earns a point and the raider is temporarily eliminated.
These are the basic rules of Kabbadi, but there is much more to learn and discover about this intriguing sport and pastime. Our Kabbadi-Karnatak subcategory of our Sports directory is reserved for websites that pertain to Kabbadi as it is played in Karnatak.