History of Kabaddi and the Pro Kabaddi League

Introduction

Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh (since 1972) and one of the principal South Asian traditional sports, with continuous documented practice from ancient South Asian origins through the modern professional kabaddi tradition. The 2014 Pro Kabaddi League launch established kabaddi as one of the principal modern Indian sports, with broadcast audiences rivaling the Indian Premier League cricket competition in some seasons. The modern global kabaddi landscape is anchored by the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL, founded 2014, organized by Mashal Sports as one of the principal Indian professional sports leagues), the Kabaddi World Cup (held quadrennially since 2004), the Asian Games kabaddi tradition (with kabaddi at every Asian Games since 1990), various continental kabaddi championships, and various national kabaddi championships including the India Senior National Kabaddi Championship, various Indian state kabaddi championships, various Iranian kabaddi tournaments, various Bangladeshi kabaddi tournaments, and others. This article surveys the full history of kabaddi from ancient South Asian origins, through Mahabharata epic references, the 1923 first kabaddi competitive rules codification in Maharashtra by Karandikar Krida Mandal, the 1938 inclusion of kabaddi in the Indian Olympic Association calendar, the 1950 establishment of the All India Kabaddi Federation, the 1972 establishment of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), the 1972 Bangladesh declaration of kabaddi as the national sport, the 1979 first South Asian Kabaddi Championship at Calcutta, the 1990 Asian Games debut at Beijing, the 2004 inaugural Kabaddi World Cup at Mumbai, the 2014 Pro Kabaddi League launch, the Pawan Kumar Sehrawat Pro Kabaddi League dominance, the Iranian kabaddi tradition, the Bangladeshi kabaddi tradition, the 1990s-2010s Indian Asian Games seven consecutive gold medals, the Kabaddi Masters Dubai tournament, and the future of the global kabaddi landscape.

Ancient Origins and the Mahabharata

Kabaddi extends from ancient South Asian origins, with traditional accounts placing its roots at least 4,000 years ago. The Mahabharata epic (composed approximately between 400 BCE and 400 CE) includes references to kabaddi-style activities, including the famous account of Abhimanyu attempting to escape the Chakravyuha military formation, which some scholars interpret as a kabaddi-like reference. Various regional South Asian kabaddi traditions include the Sanjeevani style (the principal modern competitive kabaddi style), the Gaminee style, the Amar style, the Punjabi Circle style (the Punjab regional kabaddi style), and various other regional South Asian kabaddi traditions. Each regional style developed distinctive features over centuries of practice. The Punjabi Circle kabaddi style (with the 16-meter diameter circular court rather than the rectangular court of the Sanjeevani style) established the Punjabi regional kabaddi tradition. The Punjabi Circle kabaddi tradition has continued through various Punjabi diaspora communities across the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and various other countries. Various South Asian kabaddi traditions include the Bengali kabaddi tradition (Hu-Tu-Tu), the Tamil Nadu kabaddi tradition (Chedugudu), the Telugu kabaddi tradition (Chedugudu), the Maharashtra kabaddi tradition (Hu-Tu-Tu), and various other regional South Asian kabaddi traditions. Each regional name reflects the chanted syllables that raiders traditionally repeat during raids. The broader transmission of kabaddi as a competitive sport across South Asia continued through the medieval period, with documented village and regional tournaments throughout the Punjab, Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh regions. The sport's accessibility — requiring only a flat playing area and no equipment — supported widespread participation across rural South Asia.

Modern Kabaddi Rules and the 1923 Codification

The 1923 first kabaddi competitive rules codification in Maharashtra by Karandikar Krida Mandal (the Karandikar Sports Club) established the modern competitive kabaddi tradition. The 1923 Karandikar Krida Mandal kabaddi rules established the principal modern competitive kabaddi rules including rectangular court dimensions, player positions, the raid scoring system, the tackle scoring system, and various other principal modern competitive kabaddi rules. The 1938 inclusion of kabaddi in the Indian Olympic Association calendar established the Indian Olympic kabaddi tradition. The 1938 Indian Olympic Association kabaddi inclusion was driven by the Indian Olympic Association's interest in indigenous Indian sports as expressions of national identity during the broader Indian independence movement. The 1950 establishment of the All India Kabaddi Federation established the principal modern Indian kabaddi governance organization. The 1972 establishment of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) extended the principal modern Indian kabaddi governance organization. The AKFI's role as the principal Indian kabaddi governing body has continued through subsequent decades. The 1972 Bangladesh declaration of kabaddi as the national sport established the Bangladeshi kabaddi tradition. The 1972 Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation establishment extended the Bangladeshi kabaddi tradition. The Bangladeshi kabaddi tradition has shaped the South Asian kabaddi competitive landscape through subsequent decades. The broader transmission of formalized kabaddi rules across South Asia through the 1950s and 1960s extended the competitive structure. Various subsequent national kabaddi federations in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and various other South Asian countries continued to develop through subsequent decades.

International Kabaddi and the 1990 Asian Games