India, with over 1.4 billion people and hundreds of distinct cultural communities, has given rise to an astonishing diversity of traditional sports, games, and martial traditions spanning thousands of years of cultural history.

Kabaddi

Kabaddi is South Asia's most widely recognized traditional sport. A raider crosses into the opponent's half, tagging opponents and attempting to return while chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi" without inhaling. The game's extraordinary physical demands -- combining sprinting speed, wrestling strength, and breath control -- reflect ancient Indian physical culture. India has won every Kabaddi World Cup since international competition began. The Pro Kabaddi League has brought the sport to massive television audiences while the traditional village game continues across rural South Asia.

Kho-Kho

Kho-Kho is an ancient Indian traditional sport of extraordinary speed, agility, and team coordination. Its origins are traced to Rathera, played in chariots. Modern Kho-Kho is played at national and international levels while maintaining traditional community roots.

Traditional Wrestling (Kushti)

India's traditional wrestling heritage is extraordinarily rich. Kushti is practiced in akharas (traditional training halls) throughout the subcontinent and has produced some of the world's great wrestlers. The akhara provides a community framework of discipline, physical development, and cultural transmission -- encompassing nutrition, spiritual practice, and social organization alongside wrestling technique.

Beyond Kushti, India has dozens of regional wrestling traditions including Mukna in Manipur, Malla-Yuddha in Maharashtra, and Naga wrestling in Nagaland.

Gilli-Danda

Gilli-Danda is one of India's most ancient widespread traditional games -- a highly skilled bat-and-stick game considered by some scholars a cultural ancestor of modern cricket. It remains widely played in rural areas.

Mallakhamba

Originating in Maharashtra, Mallakhamba sees athletes perform gymnastic and yoga poses suspended on a vertical wooden pole or rope. Originating as training for wrestlers, modern competitions test extraordinary strength, flexibility, and balance.

Silambam and Varma Kalai

Silambam is a traditional Tamil martial art using a bamboo staff, with ancient origins in Tamil culture's classical period. Varma Kalai is a traditional South Indian martial art and healing system focusing on specific pressure points for both combat and therapeutic purposes.

ICTSG works with Indian sports authorities, cultural institutions, and traditional sports communities to document, promote, and advocate for India's extraordinary traditional sporting heritage at international level.