Indian indigenous sports at Commonwealth Games: These four sports are in race for CWG 2030 in Ahmedabad

Cricket and hockey have been confirmed to be a part of the sports programme for the 2030 Commonwealth Games that will be taking place in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Four other indigenous sports from the country are also being discussed with a couple of them expected to make the cut.

17 sports are set to be included in the roster for the 2030 edition of the Commonwealth Games. The event in Ahmedabad is set to be a grand one in scale after the upcoming 2026 edition was scaled down due to cost concerns. The 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place in Glasgow after the original hosts, Victoria, pulled out. Cricket and hockey are not part of the upcoming event.

However, both hockey and cricket are set for a comeback with the Games being held in India where these are the most popular sports. Apart from these, two indigenous sports will also be included.

“We spoke of these sports during the meeting. Yogasana, Mallakhamb, Kho-Kho and Kabaddi were discussed. We want them as part of the Commonwealth Games in 2030. We are very much hopeful that we will see some of them played when we host the Games,” union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

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Let us take a look at what these four sports are which the Indian sports minister is pushing for exclusion at the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

Kabaddi

This is the most popular event of all four being discussed, with extremely high chances of making it through to the roster. Pro Kabaddi League is among the most popular sports leagues in India and the Indian team is a heavyweight in this sport, with Iran consistently rising as a challenger. It was demonstrated unofficially at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and has been a regular feature at the Asian Games.

Kho Kho

Another traditional Indian sport, which is highly popular in rural parts of the country, kho kho has seen a surge in popularity thanks to the launch of a professional league called Ultimate Kho Kho. It is a game where there is a chasing team and a running team, with the "chasers" trying to tag the "runners" while following strict rules. It is played on a rectangular field with two teams of 12 players taking turns attacking and defending on a rectangular field.

Mallakhamb

A traditional Indian pole-and-rope gymnastics sport, mallakhamb, too, was demonstrated at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Athletes perform aerial yoga-like poses, balances, and acrobatic maneuvers while gripping a vertical wooden pole (or rope), combining elements of gymnastics, yoga, and martial arts. Madhya Pradesh declared mallakhamb to be an official state sport in 2013 and it is included in national-level programs in India, such as the Khelo India Youth Games.

Yogasana

A competitive version of yoga, yogasana includes athletes performing static or dynamic yogic postures (asanas), which are then judged on elements like difficulty, balance, control, flexibility, endurance, and grace. The popularity of yoga has surged in recent times and yogasana is set to become a medal sport at the Asian Games from 2030.