Two teams are on opposite halves of a small field. They take turns sending a “raider” into the other half. This is to win points by tackling members of the opposing team. Then the raider tries to return to his own half. He holds his breath and chants the word “Kabaddi” during the whole raid. The raider must not cross the lobby unless he touches any of his opponents. If he does not touch anyone then he will be “out”. There is also a bonus line. If the raider touches it and returns to his side of the field, he will get extra points.
In the international team version of kabaddi there are two teams of seven members. Each are on opposite halves of a field of 10 m * 13 m in case of men and 8 m * 12 m in case of women.Each has three extra players held in reserve. The game is played with 20-minute halves. There is a five-minute half-time break when the teams change sides.
All work and no play make jack a dull boy is a very well known proverb. Games are very useful for health. They refresh and recreate the energy that has been lost in the days work. Students who have to study hard must play some games. There are a number of games both Indian and Foreign. Crickets, Tennis, Football are a number of games. They are costly. On the other hand Kabaddi , Wrestling etc. are Indian games. I like to play Kabaddi more than any other game. It is my favorite game.
Kabaddi can easily be played in a small field. It does not require a large play ground. The field is divided into two parts by drawing a line in the middle. There are two teams, each of eight players. One team plays on each side of the line. A player from one of the teams goes to other side and tries to touch a player of the opposite side. If he is captured, he is declared, “DEAD”. On the other hand, if he succeeds and returns to his side of the line, the player who has been touched is supposed to be “DEAD”. The dead player sits apart and does not participate in the game. In this way, the game continues till one of the parties is defeated.
I like ‘Kabaddi’ for a number of reasons. It does not require a large play-ground. It can be played even in the court-yard of a house. It is very cheap. The players have to be alert constantly. The game is good for health. The players have constantly to run and jump. They are active throughout. The game does not required much time. It recreates and gives good exercise only within a few minutes.
For all these reasons, ‘Kabaddi’ is my favorite game. It should be made compulsory in schools and colleges. At present there are no suitable arrangements for games in schools. Foreign games are costly, and need large playground. So most of the students do not play any of the games, this is a serious short-coming. It can be overcome by making Kabaddi compulsory.