Kabaddi Wrestling – Complete GK Capsule for Railway Exams
1. What is Kabaddi?
- Definition: A 7-a-side contact sport originated in India where a “raider” enters the opponent’s half, tags as many defenders as possible, and returns within 30 seconds while chanting “Kabaddi-Kabaddi”.
- Nick-name: “Game of the Masses” – minimal equipment, played on a 13 × 10 m (men) or 12 × 8 m (women) court.
- Recognition: India’s 2nd most watched sport after cricket (Star Sports 2023 survey).
2. Historical Timeline
| Year |
Milestone |
| 1918 |
1st organised match at Baroda (Vadodara) under Sri Balwantrao Patil. |
| 1923 |
All-India Kabaddi Federation formed in Mumbai. |
| 1950 |
1st National Championship (men) – Chennai; winner: Services (Railway team). |
| 1952 |
Demonstration sport at Delhi Asian Games. |
| 1990 |
Beijing Asian Games – Kabaddi becomes medal sport; India wins Gold. |
| 2004 |
1st Kabaddi World Cup (circle style) – Mumbai, India beats Iran 55-27. |
| 2010 |
Asian Beach Games – Muscat, India bags Gold. |
| 2014 |
Inception of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) – owned by Mashal Sports & Star India. |
| 2016 |
**Kabaddi included in South Asian Games (Guwahati-Shillong). |
| 2019 |
3rd Standard style World Cup – Ahmedabad, India beats Iran 55-21. |
| 2022 |
Asian Games (Hangzhou postponed to 2023) – India wins Gold (men) & Gold (women). |
3. Kabaddi vs. Wrestling – Key Distinctions
| Point |
Kabaddi |
Wrestling |
| Origin |
Ancient India (Tamil word “Kai-pidi” – holding hands) |
>5,000 yrs, Mesopotamia; India: Malla-Yuddha |
| Playing surface |
Mat / mud court |
Mat (6 m dia.) / mud akhara |
| Objective |
Tag & return; bonus line, lobbies |
Pin opponent’s shoulder blade to mat |
| Duration |
2 halves × 20 min (international) |
3 × 2 min bouts (freestyle) |
| Scoring |
1 point per tag, 2 for super tackle |
2-4 points per move (takedown, exposure) |
| Olympic status |
NO (only Asian/Asian Beach Games) |
YES (freestyle & Greco-Roman) |
| India’s Olympic medals (wrestling) |
— |
KD Jadhav 1952 Bronze, Sushil Kumar 2008 & 2012, Bajrang 2021 Bronze, Ravi 2021 Silver |
4. Indian Kabaddi Honours (Senior)
| Event |
Men’s Titles |
Women’s Titles |
| Asian Games |
8/8 Gold (1990-2022) |
3/3 Gold (2010-2022) |
| World Cup (Standard) |
All 3 editions (2004, 2007, 2016) |
1/1 (2012) |
| Asian Championships |
8 Gold (last 2021, Iran) |
7 Gold (last 2021) |
| South Asian Games |
5/5 Gold |
3/3 Gold |
5. Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) – Rail-Exam Favourites
| Season |
Winner |
Runner-up |
Venue |
MVP |
| 2014 |
Jaipur Pink Panthers |
U Mumba |
Mumbai |
Anup Kumar |
| 2015 |
U Mumba |
Bengaluru Bulls |
Mumbai |
Kashiling Adake |
| 2016 Jan |
Patna Pirates |
U Mumba |
Mumbai |
Pardeep Narwal |
| 2016 Jun |
Patna Pirates |
Jaipur |
Mumbai |
Pardeep Narwal |
| 2017 |
Patna Pirates |
Gujarat Fortune Giants |
Chennai |
Pardeep Narwal |
| 2018 |
Bengaluru Bulls |
Gujarat |
Mumbai |
Pawan Sehrawat |
| 2019 |
Bengal Warriors |
Dabang Delhi |
Ahmedabad |
Naveen Kumar |
| 2021-22 |
Dabang Delhi |
Patna |
Bengaluru |
Naveen Kumar |
| 2022 |
Jaipur Pink Panthers |
Puneri Paltan |
Bengaluru |
Arjun Deshwal |
| 2023 |
Puneri Paltan |
Haryana Steelers |
Chennai |
Aslam Inamdar |
- Most raid points (PKL): Pardeep Narwal – 1,569 (till S10).
- Most tackle points: Fazel Atrachali – 470 (Iranian, plays for Puneri).
6. Awards & Recognitions (Indian)
| Award |
1st Kabaddi Recipient |
Year |
| Arjuna Award |
Shankar Lakshman (Services) |
1965 |
| Dronacharya |
E. Prasad Rao |
2002 |
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna |
Ajay Thakur |
2019 |
| Padma Shri |
Anup Kumar |
2022 |
7. Railway & Services Connection
- Railways Kabaddi Team has won maximum National Championships (men – 36, women – 31 till 2023).
- Ajay Thakur (former Indian captain) – Northern Railway employee (ITI Hamirpur).
- Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) has supplied >50% players to India’s Asian Games squads.
8. Quick-Reference Tables
A. Standard Style Court Dimensions
| Parameter |
Men |
Women |
| Court size |
13 × 10 m |
12 × 8 m |
| Mid-line to bonus line |
3.75 m |
3.5 m |
| Lobby width |
1 m (each side) |
Same |
B. Weight Categories (Wrestling – Olympics)
| Style |
Men |
Women |
| Freestyle |
57, 65, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg |
50, 53, 57, 62, 68, 76 kg |
| Greco-Roman |
55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 77, 82, 87, 97, 130 kg |
— |
9. One-Liner Revision Bullets
- Kabaddi is the only sport in which India has won every Asian Games gold (men & women) since 1990.
- “Super Raid” = 3+ points in a single raid.
- “All-Out” = Entire 7 players out; 2 bonus points awarded.
- First non-Indian PKL winner coach: BC Ramesh (Bengaluru Bulls, 2018).
- First woman Arjuna (Kabaddi): Mamatha Poojary (2010).
- Wrestling’s “Federation Cup” is organised by Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) since 1960.
- India’s 1st individual Olympic medal: KD Jadhav (Bronze, Helsinki 1952).
- Kabaddi World Cup (circle style) held annually in Punjab since 2010; India (Punjab) has won every edition.
15+ Railway-Style MCQs
1. In which year was Kabaddi introduced as a medal sport in the Asian Games?
Answer: 1990 (Beijing)
2. Who was the first Kabaddi player to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna?
Answer: Ajay Thakur (2019)
3. The standard Kabaddi court for men measures ____ × ____ metres.
Answer: 13 × 10
4. Which team has won the most Pro Kabaddi League titles?
Answer: Patna Pirates (3 titles)
5. The first National Kabaddi Championship (men) was held in which city?
Answer: Chennai (1950)
6. What is the maximum time allowed for a raider to complete a raid?
Answer: 30 seconds
7. India’s men’s Kabaddi team has won how many Asian Games gold medals out of 8 editions?
Answer: 8/8
8. Who is the highest raid-point scorer in PKL history?
Answer: Pardeep Narwal
9. The Railway Sports Promotion Board Kabaddi team has won the National Championship approximately how many times (men)?
Answer: 36
10. Which country has been the runner-up to India in the last three standard-style Kabaddi World Cups?
Answer: Iran
11. The first Arjuna Award in Kabaddi was given to ____ in 1965.
Answer: Shankar Lakshman
12. In wrestling, the Olympic weight category 74 kg falls under which style for men?
Answer: Freestyle
13. How many bonus points are awarded to the raiding team when they enforce an “All-Out”?
Answer: 2
14. The 2019 Standard Style Kabaddi World Cup was hosted by which Indian city?
Answer: Ahmedabad
15. Which Indian wrestler won a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics?
Answer: Bajrang Punia
16. The term “Super Tackle” in Kabaddi fetches how many points?
Answer: 2
Last-minute tip: Remember “8/8 Gold” for India’s men Asian Games Kabaddi record and “Patna Pirates – 3 titles” for PKL. All the best for your Railway Exam!
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