Beach kabaddi is aiming to leave a long-lasting impression at the Khelo India Beach Games (KIBG) 2025 in Diu.
The popular form of kabaddi, which is played on mats, is already well received across India, supported by a thriving professional kabaddi league.
However, beach kabaddi is a relatively new concept. It was introduced during last year’s Diu Beach Games and is once again part of the programme this year.
Simrat Gaikwad -- venue coordinator and senior coach at the Ghoghla beach which is the epicentre for all eight KIBG games -- believes the moment is ripe for beach kabaddi to grow.
"It's a new concept. Khelo India Beach Games are a great platform for the sport. It will definitely help popularise the sport," she said.
Delhi girls' kabaddi team coach Sunita also has high hopes.
"It's a totally different setting with the beautiful sea in the background. Kabaddi is, anyway, quite popular in India. Hopefully, beach kabaddi will make a mark too," she said.
Beach kabaddi is considered more challenging than the mat-based kabaddi, primarily due to the elements.
The sandy terrain often causes players' feet to sink, making quick movement difficult. The sport is played under the sun, requiring greater stamina, while the sea breeze can fluctuate wildly, further affecting player performances.
Sunita claimed that non-coastal states face additional challenges, given how unfamiliar they are with the conditions.
"The artificial sand turf that we have is good, but the environment here is totally different and much more challenging," she said.
Gaikwad, who has participated in seven National Championships and has multiple laurels to her name, is currently is based in Thane, Mumbai. She believes the sport has a promising future, even though it still has a long way to go.
"Once these events happen often, more and more people with gravitate towards it. You want to have a viable career option. Once that happens, beach kabaddi can grow in a desired way," she said.
While beach kabaddi retains the essence of the traditional sport, there are key differences in rules and format:
- Each side has four players instead of seven.
- The halves are 15 minutes long instead of 20.
- Players cannot be revived once they are out.
- The playing field is also smaller.
All the changes were incorporated to suit the challenging beach conditions. At KIBG 2025, there are two pools across boys and girls with eight teams each. The top two teams from these groups will advance to the semi-finals. The beach kabaddi matches kicked-off on Tuesday, with both the finals scheduled on the closing day of KIBG on Saturday
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