Harpreet Loves by All or Beloved One

Though kabaddi is primarily an Indian game, not much is known about the origin of this game. There is, however, concrete evidence, that the game is 4,000 years old. It is a team sport, which requires both skill and power, and combines the characteristics of wrestling and rugby. It was originally meant to develop self defense, in addition to responses to attack, and reflexes of counter attack by individuals, and by groups or teams. It is a rather simple and inexpensive game, and neither requires a massive playing area, nor any expensive equipment. This explains the popularity of the game in rural India. Kabaddi is played all over Asia with minor variations.

Amar Kabaddi (Punjab Style) :- In the Amar form of Kabaddi, each team consists of 5-6 stoppers and 4-5 raiders. At one time, only 4 stoppers are allowed to play on the field. Every time a stopper stops the raider from going back to his starting point, that stoppers team gets 1 point. on the other hand, every time the raider tags one of the stoppers and returns to his starting point, his team gets one point. At one time, only one of the stoppers can try to stop the raider. If more than one touch the raider, an automatic point is awarded to the raider's team. If the stopper is pushed out by the raider or vice versa, then the team whose member is still in the field gets a point. If both the raider and the stopper go out, the result is a common point, where nobody gets a point. There is a 30 second time limit for the raider from the moment he leaves until he returns to his starting point. This rule was only recently introduced (1994) after controversy with some raiders abusing the old system where they were able to struggle through a point until they ran out of breath from repeating the word kabaddi. Some players used to continue on for more than a minute which was deemed to be unfair to other players including stoppers who were constantly tugged at for silly amounts of time. The basic unwritten rule of kabaddi is that once you are caught and after a brief but unsuccessful attempt at breaking free, you give up and surrender the point to the stoppers team. The first point of the game is always worth 1 and a half points to avoid a tied game. This is why it is advantageous to win the toss at the start of the game. Whether it be the stopper who gets the point or the raider it is always worth that extra half a point. Usually made of 2 20 minute halves, this form of kabaddi can also be played in 10 or 15 minutes each, depending on the tournament organisers. It is played in a circle, with a line dividing the field into two halves.