In a new development, for the first time, 5 sporting activities with core Indian origin have been included in the Khelo India Youth Games 2022. These games will be held in Haryana from 4-13 June 2022.  The Indian origin sports that have been included in this season are applicable for the Under 18 age group.

These games include Gatka, Thang-Ta, Yogasana, Kalaripayattu and Mallakhambh. Among them, Gatka, Kalaripayattu and Thang-Ta are traditional martial arts, while Mallakhambh and Yoga are fitness related sports.

Khelo India Youth Games was started in the year 2018 and the credit goes to the then Sports Minister Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. Apart from Panchkula in Haryana, the venues for these games this year will include Shahabad, Ambala, Chandigarh and Delhi. Around 8,500 players will participate in these games.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (@YASMinistry) posted several posts one after the other, giving this information on the country's own micro-blogging platform, the Koo app. Regarding the first of these games, the ministry posted that Yogasan is the third of the 5 indigenous sports included in #KheloIndiaYouthGames2022. Yoga is a system of exercise, including breath control and stretching, that helps to relax our mind and body. It is believed that it started with the birth of civilization!

Gatka is one of the 5 indigenous sports included in #KheloIndiaYouthGames2021. It is a mix of acrobatics and fencing and was introduced in the late 17th century as part of self-defense for Sikh warriors fighting the Mughal Empire. Thang-Ta, meanwhile involves movements mixed with breathing rhythm. It was developed amidst the war atmosphere of Manipur and played an important role in its geopolitical setting.

Union Cabinet Minister Anurag Thakur has also given information about five traditional sports being included in Khelo India Youth Games through his Koo handle:

Gatka

Punjab government has recognized the game of Gatka as a martial art, which has been included in the Youth Khelo India Games for the first time. Gatka Nihang is the traditional fighting style of Sikh warriors. Players also use it as a game with self-defense. Arms operation of this art is performed in religious festivals of Sikhs.

Thang-ta

Thang-ta is a Manipuri ancient martial art.  It includes a variety of combat styles. The word Thang means sword and the word Ta means spear. Thus Thang-ta game is played with sword, shield and spear. This art is also a traditional folk dance along with art of self defense and warfare.

Yogasana

Yoga is an ancient heritage of Indian culture and Yoga benefits the human body and mind. Nowadays players of all sports definitely include yoga in their practice schedule. In an effort to develop Yoga as a competitive sport, it has been included in the Khelo India Youth Games-2022.

Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu is a traditional martial art of Kerala. This game is also known as Kalari. This includes foot strikes, wrestling and predetermined methods. Kalaripayattu is one of the oldest fighting methods in the world. It is also very popular amongst the Malayali community of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka apart from south eastern countries of Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

Mallakhambh

Malkhambh is the oldest traditional game of India. It is made up of a combination of two words, in which the word Malla means warrior and the word Khambh means pillar. In this, the players demonstrate their physical flexibility by showing different yoga and fitness related feats with the support of a wooden pole. In Mallakhamb, all parts of the body can be trained in a very short time. This game was first declared as a state sport by the state of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2013.