"It's our own sport," said Ronnie Screwvala, a kabaddi commentator who founded the league. "But it's not buried under some ancient mound. It's a new, modern international sport."
On paper, kabaddi would seem a peculiar game to be played professionally. Essentially, it resembles Red Rover: Two teams of seven score points through "raids," where a player darts into the opponents' half and tries to cross a line on the far side of the court.
The opposing team's job is to stop him. Defenders can tackle the raider anytime he's moving, resulting in spectacular jumping dodges as the attacking player tries to fly over the typically wrestler-sized opponents looking to slam him to the ground.
The game's most unusual feature also lends the sport its name: Whenever attacking, a player must chant the word "kabaddi" repeatedly without drawing breath. If he stops before returning to his own half, he forfeits any points gained in the attack.
The word "kabaddi" has no obvious meaning. One fan's explanation summed it up well enough: "Kabaddi is called kabaddi because of the kabaddi." Alternative words can be chanted in place of "kabaddi", including "huta huta," although the Pro-Kabaddi League has chosen to prescribe the former. The act of repeating the word is said to be connected to the yoga practice of controlled breathing.
