Khelo India 2021 to feature 4 indigenous sports; Mallakhamba included in the list

Khelo India 2021 to feature 4 indigenous sports; Mallakhamba included in the list
Mallakhamb India featuring Rajesh Amrale with Rajesh Rao. (Photo credit Birgit & Ralf)
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Key Points:

  • The Khelo India Youth Games 2021 that are scheduled to take place in Haryana have included four indigenous sports in the games.
  • The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of the four sports – Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba.
  • The Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, after the decision said, “India has a rich heritage of indigenous sports, and it is a priority for the sports ministry to preserve, promote and popularize these games.”

The Khelo India Youth Games 2021 that are scheduled to take place in Haryana have included four indigenous sports in the games. The Sports Ministry has approved the inclusion of the four sports – Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba.

The Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, after the decision said, “India has a rich heritage of indigenous sports, and it is a priority for the sports ministry to preserve, promote and popularize these games.”

Saying that there is no better platform than the Kheloo India Games where athletes of these games can compete, Minister Rijiju said,
“India has a rich heritage of indigenous sports, and it is a priority for the Sports Ministry to preserve, promote and popularise these games. There is no better platform than the Khelo India Games where athletes of these games can compete. The games have huge popularity and are telecast across the country by Star Sports, so I am confident that in the 2021 Khelo India Youth Games these four disciplines, along with Yogasana, will get their much-deserved attention among sports enthusiasts and youth of the country. In the coming years, we will be able to add more indigenous sports at the Khelo Games.”

The Four Games:

Official Press Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1682218

1) Mallakhamba

– Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been the hotspots for the sport.

– A gymnast performs aerial yoga or gymnastic postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope.

2) Kalaripayattu

Origin – Kerala

Known For – Its long-standing history within Indian martial arts and is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India.

Actor Vidyut Jammwal is a Kalaripayattu practitioner.

3) Gatka

Origin – Punjab

– A Traditional Fighting style of the Nihang Sikh Warriors, used as self-defence as well as a sport.

4) Thang-Ta

Origin – Manipur

– A Martial art which also has a connection with a certain war-dance.

The Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka Ashwathnarayan CN on Monday hailed the move of including four indigenous games in the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021.