National Games 2023: Kerala's Kalaripayattu finds fresh impetus with debut in Goa

Panaji (Goa): Kerala's centuries-old martial art form Kalaripayattu seems to be enjoying a fresh breath of interest after becoming part of the 37th National Games in Goa. Interestingly, Kerala's Hana Sherin B and Fathima Nishana won gold in Kalaripayattu.

Kalaripayattu, which is often referred to as the mother of all martial arts, is a captivating blend of physical prowess, cultural heritage, and spiritual depth. 

In recent years, this ancient art form has been experiencing a renaissance, captivating the world with its graceful yet powerful movements. This combat sport has also made its debut in the ongoing 37th National Games in Goa where 224 athletes from 16 states in the country participated. 

“It is indeed the mother of all martial arts. There is no doubt about that. It has been a huge honour for all of us that we got a chance to showcase this unique sporting event at the National Games in Goa,” said Adv. Poonthura Soman, Secretary General, Indian Kalaripayattu Federation.

“Kalaripayattu was included as a demonstrative sport in the 2015 National Games hosted by Kerala. We were all under the impression that we would see another National Games in 2016 but that did not happen. So, we had to wait till this year to be able to see Kalaripayattu getting its due recognition of a competitive sport,” he added.

A glimpse into the past

Kalaripayattu traces its origins back more than 3,000 years in Kerala, a state immensely rich in tradition and history. The name itself is derived from two Malayalam words, "kalari" meaning battlefield and "payattu" meaning fight. Developed by the warrior class, it was designed as a means of self-defense and combat training. 

The sport flourished in the 11th century AD during the rule of the powerful dynasties of Cholas, Cheras, and the Pandyas. However, during British rule, the sport was banned for fear of revolution. It was in the year 1955 with the introduction of the Indian Kalaripayattu Federation (IKF), the combat sport gradually regained its popularity as part of the initiative to promote traditional art forms in the southern part of India.

“We are thankful to the Government of India for giving us the recognition which we truly deserved for a long time. A sport like Kalaripayattu, which is deeply ingrained into the Indian ethos and culture, deserves to be promoted so that more youth take an active interest in it,” Soman said.

While Kalaripayattu remained somewhat obscure for many years, Soman said it has been experiencing a resurgence in recent times, both in India and around the world. The surge in interest can be attributed to several factors.

“One of the main reasons for its revival is the increased global interest in holistic wellness practices. Kalaripayattu is not just a physical discipline; it's deeply rooted in the philosophy of Ayurveda and yoga. The practice emphasises the balance of the mind, body, and spirit, making it appealing to those seeking a holistic approach to well-being,” Soman said.

With Kalaripayattu finally getting its eureka moment in the Goa nationals, Soman is hopeful that the athletes will help preserve its traditions in the coming days.

National Games: Maharashtra clinch Raja Bhalindra trophy for first time since 1994
 

Table-toppers Maharashtra clinched three gold medals in Yogasana and one more from shooting on the final day of the 37th National Games to clinch the Raja Bhalindra Singh Rolling Trophy for overall championship for the first time since 1994.

Maharashtra finished with a total of 228 medals, including 80 gold, 69 silver and 79 bronze medals to end Services Sports Control Board's (SSCB) reign at the top since the 2007 Games in Guwahati. SSCB finished second, bagging 66 gold, 27 silver and 33 bronze medals, while Haryana were third in the standings with 62 gold, 54 silver and 73 bronze.

Madhya Pradesh and Kerala finished fourth and fifth respectively with hosts Goa registering their best ever finish of 9th with a total of 92 medals, including 27 gold.

Karnataka swimmer Srihari Nataraj (8 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) was adjudged the Best Male Athlete while gymnasts Sanyukta Prasen Kale and Pranati Nayak of Odisha (4 gold, 1 silver each) were adjudged the Best Female Athletes. The National Games witnessed almost 11000 sportspersons vying for top honours in 42 sports disciplines, three of which were demo sports.

With just 12 gold medals to be grabbed on the final day of the competition, Maharashtra were already assured of the top spot but with Yogasana and shooting being one of their key sports disciplines, the only interest was to see whether they could extend their lead further.

And their players did not disappoint, dominating the Yogasana competition by clinching three of the five gold medals on offer while Abhidnya Patil rounded off their gold medal tally with a winning finish in women's 25m Pistol final, according to a release.

At the Yash Shooting Academy range, Manderem, Patil was so dominant in the 25m Pistol final that she could win the gold even if she had not handed a single shot on target in the final series. She managed just one to finish with 35 points, five ahead of second-placed Simranpreet Kaur of Punjab. Payal of Haryana won the bronze with a score of 28 points.

Earlier, Olympian Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar of Madhya Pradesh showed tremendous composure under pressure to add the men's 10m Air Rifle gold to his 50m Rifle 3-position triumph.

Tomar came up with shots of 10.6 and 10.4 under pressure in the final series to pip Services Sports Control Board's Sandeep Singh by just .3 points. The MP shooter was trailing by 0.3 points going into the final two shots but underlined his position as one of the top rifle shooters in the country to finish with a total score of 250.7 in the final. Sandeep scored 250.4 for his silver winning effort while Uttar Pradesh's Pratham Bhadana took bronze with a score of 250.4.

In the women's trap final, Punjab's Rajeshwari Kumari took the gold medal with a score of 44 points with Uttar Pradesh's Sabina Haris taking the silver with a score of 43 points. Aashima Ahlawat of Haryana finished with bronze.

In the men's trap final, Haryana's Lakshay Sheoran shot 47 ahead of Tamil Nadu's Prithviraj Tondaiman's 45 to clinch the gold, according to the release. M. Bakhtyaruddin Malek of Gujarat won the bronze.

At the Delhi Golf Course, Punjab's Amandeep Drall did the double, winning gold in women's individual and team events in the Golf competition. The golf events that happened over four days saw four rounds of intense action in which Amandeep prevailed over Zara Anand of Uttar Pradesh and Vani Kapoor of Haryana who won the silver and bronze respectively. She then paired with Mannat Brar to win the team gold and complete the double.

In the men's category, Karnataka's Yashas Chandra won the gold with a score of 273 while Om Prakash Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh won the silver with a score of 277 and Kartik Sharma of Haryana clinched the bronze with a score of 280. Shaurya Bhattacharya paired with Sachin Baisoya to win the gold in the team event ahead of Anant Singh Ahlawat and Aadil Bedi of Delhi who won the silver and Giirraj Singh Khadka and Sawai H.S Bhati of Rajasthan who won the bronze.

Earlier in the morning, Punjab's Harveer Singh took the gold in men's Road Race while Monika Jat led Rajasthan's 1-2 in women's individual Time Trial at Verna with Kavita Siyag taking the silver medal.

At Miramar Beach, SSCB and Haryana won the Beach Handball titles beating Rajasthan and Kerala respectively. (ANI)

PTI,IANS