Patka is a Sikh headgear in lieu of the full Sikh turban. It is worn by young Sikh boys and sportsmen to cover a small topknot called joora [1] [2] which sits at the top of their head. Patka is a square piece of cotton, usually with four strings (one attached to each corner) for tying. [2]
Patkas are commonly tied by sportsmen due to their stability, especially those playing Cricket and Field Hockey in India.
Some choose to wear a bandana tied with a (typically black) Patka cloth, tying a bun behind their head instead of a Sikh joora (at the top of their head) and tying the bandana over it creating a look resembling a durag instead of tying a Sikh patka. This is commonly tied by cricketers such as Monty Panesar and Harbhajan Singh, but is not a Sikh patka (since the Sikh religion mandates tying hair on top of the head, tying a bun behind instead does not fit this definition for a Sikh head covering)
In 2014 there was a row with FIBA about two Sikh Indian players, Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh wearing patkas during the FIBA Asia Cup. [3] In 2017 FIBA lifted the patka ban. [4] In 2018 Indian wrestler Jashkawar Gill was denied the participation in a tournament in Turkey for his refusal to replace his patka with a women-style tying of hair allowed by the United World Wrestling rules. [5]