Discover India's Dominance in Kabaddi, Wushu, Sepak Takraw, and Roller Skating on the Global Stage.

India has a long history of sports and a powerful presence in many tournaments, including cricket, hockey, and badminton. There are, however, a variety of lesser-known sports in which India has competed and excelled on a global scale.

Let’s evaluate a few of these sports in this article and highlight India’s successes in them.

Kabaddi

A contact team sport with Indian roots that is now popular worldwide is Kabaddi. In this sport, two teams of seven players each alternately send a "raider" into the half of the opponent to tag as many defenders as they can before returning to their own half unnoticed.

The men’s team from India has won all but one of the Asian Games gold medals since the sport was introduced in 1990, continuing a long tradition of dominance in the sport. The women’s team has also had success, taking home gold at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014.

Wushu

The Chinese martial art known as Wushu combines fighting and stagecraft techniques. It has taken part in the Olympics in various forms and is also an official sport at the Asian Games. With many medals at the Asian Games and the World Wushu Championships, India has made a name for itself in Wushu on the international stage.

Narender Grewal, who took home a bronze medal at the 2018 World Wushu Championships, and Santhosh Kumar, who took home a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, are two significant Indian Wushu competitors.

Sepak takraw

Similar to volleyball, sepak takraw is a Southeast Asian sport where players use their feet, chest, head, and knees to hit a small rattan ball over the net.

India has been a consistent contender in the sport on a worldwide scale, with the men’s team taking home bronze medals from the Asian Games in both 2010 and 2018. The women’s team also did well, taking home silver from the 2018 Asian Games.

Roller skating

Popular as a recreational activity, roller skating is also a competitive sport with several divisions, including speed skating, artistic skating, and roller derby. India has had success in speed skating, as evidenced by the numerous medals its athletes brought home from the Asian and World Roller Games.

Roller skaters from India who have achieved distinction include Anup Kumar Yama, who took home a bronze medal at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in 2009, and Roopa Nagaraj, who claimed a gold medal at the Asian Roller Skating Championships in 2018.

India’s involvement in these lesser-known sports shows the nation’s diversity and adaptability in the world of sports.

The most popular sports in India may be cricket and hockey, but the country’s success in kabaddi, wushu, sepak takraw, and roller skating shows that Indian athletes can excel in a variety of sports.