Kabaddi is a contact team sport which is played between two teams with 7 players each. The teams play at opposite sides of a field or court, with their main goal being crossing into each other’s side and tagging as many players as possible. Players that are tagged leave the game but can be ‘revived’ when their team scores a tag or tackle. Kabaddi is popular in the Indian subcontinent, especially in Pakistan and Iran. It was popularized in the XX century in India and is now the national sport of Bangladesh. Kabaddi is also the official state game of Karnataka, Punjab, and other Indian states.
There are two different versions of kabaddi – standard and circle style. The standard version of the sport involves two 7-player teams with 5 reserves playing on a rectangular field. The match is separated into two 20-minute halves with a 5-minute break for the players to rest and change sides. There’s a 30-second shot clock for each attack (raid). On the other hand, circle kabaddi is played on a circular field (court) and can be found in 4 different forms – Sanjeevani kabaddi, Punjab kabaddi, Gaminee kabaddi, and Amir kabaddi, each one following a slightly different set of rules.
Yes, it is. Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh. It has been demonstrated at the 1936 Olympics and included in the Indian Olympic Games in 1938. The Kabaddi Federation of India was formed in 1950 and started organizing men’s and women’s tournaments in 1952 and 1954 respectively. After receiving wider exposure during the second half of the XX century, Kabaddi became very popular across Asia, eventually being included in the Asian Games since 1990.
The Pro Kabaddi League and Super Kabaddi are the most popular kabaddi leagues in India and Pakistan. Other popular kabaddi competitions in Asia are the Kabaddi World Cup, Kabaddi masters, and the Kabaddi Asia Cup, all organized by the International Kabaddi Federation.
The term raid in a game of kabaddi describes an attack by a team that’s entering the opposite part of the court and trying to tag the other team’s players. In the process, the player (raider) must chant ‘Kabaddi’ while in the opponent’s court and going back – this shows that the ‘attack’ is done in one breath. While in the opponent’s court, the player must also step on the baulk line which makes the raid legal. Players can start a raid from each side of the court – some are more suited attacking from the left, while other players attack better from the right. Of course, there are players who can do well raiding from each side.
Raiders can score more points in a single raid by tagging as many opponents as they can. Additionally, raiders can also get bonus points for entering the opposite field with one foot over the line and the other in the air, not being grounded in the area.
Of course you can. Kabaddi is a highly popular sport in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan as well as many other Asian countries, so most bookies from these regions have kabaddi in their offer. The markets offered are not as extensive as other sports such as football, but you still have plenty of options at your disposal.