Kabaddi is a traditional Indian sport that has gained international recognition but is not currently part of the Olympic Games. This contact team sport originated in ancient India and has been played for thousands of years in various forms across the Indian subcontinent.
The sport involves two teams of seven players each, where one player from the attacking team （the raider） enters the opposing team\“s half to tag as many defenders as possible while chanting kabaddi repeatedly. The defenders must stop the raider from returning to their half while avoiding being tagged.
Despite its popularity in South Asia and the establishment of international competitions like the Kabaddi World Cup and its inclusion in the Asian Games since 1990, kabaddi has yet to be included in the Olympic program. The International Kabaddi Federation has been actively working toward Olympic recognition, but the process requires meeting specific criteria set by the International Olympic Committee.
Kabaddi remains particularly popular in rural India and has seen a resurgence in urban areas through professional leagues like the Pro Kabaddi League, which has helped increase its global visibility and potentially move it closer to Olympic consideration in the future. |
