From kabaddi to kho-kho, sports is a vital part of Gurugram’s heritage

Contemporary films, such as Dangal, bring back memories of the traditional sports of Haryana like wrestling (kushti). Most of these traditional sports were prevalent

Contemporary films, such as Dangal, bring back memories of the traditional sports of Haryana like wrestling (kushti). Most of these traditional sports were prevalent in Gurugram and also recorded in the historic Gurgaon Gazetteer, besides being etched in the memories of the elderly generation today.

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While the urban youngsters in the cyber city of Gurugram today largely prefer virtual games on mobiles, the older generation from Gurugram is often nostalgic and remembers traditional sports such as kabaddi, gulli danda and gindo tora or gindo khuli. These are recorded as the indigenous games in Gurgaon Gazetteer from the earliest times. Gindo tora or gindo khuli is an adapted local version of the hockey that is played with a stick and a ball of rags and twigs in the rural areas. Gulli danda is another game played with a small stick and a big stick in rural areas of Gurugram. It is often interpreted by most as playing cricket with two sticks instead of a bat and a ball. Kho kho is a game for girls as recorded in the gazetteer. It is good to note that some of the schools in Gurugram are holding interschool kho-kho competitions even today.

While most of these sports are dying, it is some solace that kabaddi is one of the traditional sports that have still survived in Gurugram and, even today, we find a number of kabaddi competitions and clubs in and around the city. One reason for the survival of kabaddi is also because it was prevalent throughout India and became a national game in 1918. Later, it became a part of the Asian Games in 1990 in Beijing. It is actually the official national game of Bangladesh and the state game of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana in India.

It is interesting to note that the kabaddi played in the Gurugram region of Haryana is a bit different from the national one. While the national one is played on a rectangular field (13m x10m), the local one is actually played on a circular field. As per the gazetteer records, kabaddi in Gurugram areas was often played in the moonlit nights of Phalguna and Chaitra (February- March). In the month of Phalguna, competitions were held around Teej and Raksha Bandhan festivals. The field for kabbadi locally would be circular with a periphery of 23 metres and 10 players. The team members, in action, on one side would be holding their breath and chanting, “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi”. They then would be raiding into the opponent team’s area, determined to tag more than one player. The challenge is to touch the centre borderline dividing the two teams. But at times, players would end up in the opponent area being pinned by players of the opponent team.

We should again be thankful to Bollywood for increasing awareness about kabaddi through movies such as Pardes, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and Tewar, which have scenes showing this game. While most of us, residents of Gurugram, would have watched these movies, only a few will know that we also have kabaddi stars from Gurugram itself.

Anup Kumar is a well-known former Indian professional kabaddi player from Gurugram. He was born and brought up in Palra, in a village of the Gurugram district of Haryana. He started playing kabaddi during his free time in his schooldays. In April 2005, he joined the CRPF as a constable. He represented India for the first time at the 2006 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka and he has represented two teams in the Pro Kabaddi League. He was a member of India’s national kabaddi team that won Asian gold medals in 2010 and 2014, one South Asian gold medal in 2016, and the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. He is said to be one of the most successful raiders of the Pro Kabaddi League and International Kabaddi Federation. In 2012, the Government of India conferred the Arjuna Award on him for his achievements in the sport.

Besides kabaddi, there are other historic indoor games of this area such as chess (chaturanga or shatranj), cards, and even chaupar, which played in panchayati ghars or chaupals or as a pastime of baraatis (wedding guests). All these sports have their own stories.

(Shikha Jain is state convenor, INTACH Haryana Chapter and member of Heritage Committees under ministries of culture and HRD. She is co-­editor of book ‘Haryana: Cultural Heritage Guide’; director, DRONAH (Development and Research Organisation.)