Kabaddi is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players, originating in ancient India. The objective of the game is for a single player on offense, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their players as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds. Points are scored for each player tagged by the raider, while the opposing team earns a point for stopping the raider. Players are taken out of the game if they are touched or tackled, but are brought back in for each point scored by their team from a tag or a tackle.
Sport in Pakistan is a significant part of Pakistani culture. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan, while field hockey, polo, and squash are also popular. Traditional sports like kabaddi and other well-known games are also played.
India men's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey competitions, and is governed by Hockey India. The team was formerly under the control of Indian Hockey Federation. India was the first non-European team to be a part of the International Hockey Federation.
The Pakistan national field hockey team represents Pakistan in international field hockey. Having played its first match in 1948, it is administered by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the governing body for hockey in Pakistan. It has been a member of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) since 1948 and was founding member of the Asian Hockey Federation (ASHF), which was formed in 1958. Pakistan is one of the most successful national field hockey teams in the world with a record four Hockey World Cup wins.
Basketball is the most popular sport overall in Asia. Cricket is the second most popular sport in Asia, and is most popular in South Asia. Other popular sports in Asia include association football, baseball, badminton and table tennis among others. There are also some traditional sports that are popular in certain regions of Asia, such as the South Asian sports kabaddi and kho-kho, and sepak takraw in Southeast Asia. Top sporting nations/regions in Asia include China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Islahuddin Siddiquee, also spelled Islah-ud-Din Siddiqui, is a field hockey player from Pakistan. He was born in Meerut, India.
The 1989 South Asian Games, officially the IV South Asian Federation Games, were held in Islamabad, Pakistan from 20 October to 28 October 1989. Muhammad Ali appeared as a special guest at the closing ceremony.
India has a history of sports dating back thousands of years. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the semifinal of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
The 2010 South Asian Games, officially the XI South Asian Games, was a major multi-sport event that took place from 29 January to 8 February 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This was the third time that the Bangladeshi capital hosted the South Asian Games, thus becoming the first city to hold the games three times.
The India men’s national kabaddi team represents India in international men's kabaddi competitions. The team is by far the most successful national kabaddi side of any country, winning gold medals at the Asian Games in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, as well as winning all three Kabaddi World Cup events to date. Pawan Sehrawat is the current captain of the team since 2022.
Subedar Abdul Khaliq, also known as Parinda-e-Asia(Urdu for The Flying Bird of Asia), was a Pakistani sprinter from 8 Medium Regiment Artillery who won 36 international gold medals, 15 international silver medals, and 12 International bronze medals for Pakistan. He competed in the 100m, 200m, and 4 x 100 meters relay. He participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 1960 Rome Olympics. He also participated in the 1954 Asian Games and the 1958 Asian Games. During the 1956 Indo-Pak Meet held in Delhi, Abdul Khaliq was first referred to as "The Flying Bird of Asia" by the Prime Minister of India of the time, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was reportedly captivated by his performance during the event.
Zahid Shareef is a former Pakistani international hockey player who represented Pakistan from 1987 to 1991. During his playing career, he scored 41 goals playing in 73 matches. He is remembered for his exceptional dribbling skill. He was banned from the game in a controversial manner for six months. He retired from hockey in 1991. In February 2015, Shareef, who was working as a shift station manager at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, was arrested for alleged drugs smuggling.
Rehan Butt is a former Pakistani professional field hockey player who played as a forward for the Pakistan national field hockey team. A world renowned player known for his play-making skills and shooting in-front of the goal Rehan was named in the FIH All Stars Team in 2008 and 2010. In 2008 he was declared as the Best Asian Player by the Asian Hockey Federation. At international level Rehan represented Pakistan at three Olympics and two Hockey World Cups. He was part of the teams that finished third at three consecutive Champions Trophy in 2002, 2003 and 2004. He won the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games.
Muhammad Waseem is a Pakistani professional boxer who challenged twice for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title in 2018 and in 2022. Known for his quick and swift style of boxing, Waseem is nicknamed "Falcon".
Salman Akbar is a Pakistani field hockey player and coach. He is a former captain and goalkeeper of the Pakistan Men's Hockey Team. A veteran of 230 games, he has represented Pakistan in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He lives in Holland now.
Kabaddi, is a contact sport, native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most popular sports in India, played mainly among people in villages. India has taken part in four Asian Games in kabaddi, and won gold in all of them. Four forms of kabaddi played in India are Amar, Suranjeevi, huttuttoo, and Gaminee. Amar is generally played in Punjab, Haryana, the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world, mostly by Punjabi sportsmen. Suranjeevi is the most played form of kabaddi in India and the world. This is the form used in international matches generally and played in Asian Games. Huttuttoo was played by men in Maharashtra. In Gaminee style, seven players play on each side and a player put out has to remain out until all his team members are out. The team that is successful in outing all the players of the opponent's side secures a point. The game continues until five or seven such points are secured and has no fixed time duration.
The India–Pakistan field hockey rivalry is among the most intense sports rivalries in the Asia and the world in the sport of field hockey. India and Pakistan have played against each other several times in field hockey. They participate in World Cup, FIH Pro League, Summer Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asia Cup, Men's Asian Champions Trophy, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
India women's national kabaddi team represents India in international women's kabaddi competitions.
2018 in Indian sports describes the year's events in Indian sport. The main highlight for this year for India is the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
