38th National games: Tussle over Kalaripayattu’s removal from competition list
The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has accused the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) of “relegating” the martial art to the demonstration section of the event.
Written by Nikhila Henry
New Delhi | January 19, 2025 02:28 AM IST
3 min read
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The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has appealed to the Prime Minister’s Office more than once to include the event in the competition section. It had also held meetings with the IOA.
Kerala’s martial art form Kalaripayattu has become a bone of contention ahead of the 38th edition of the National Games which is scheduled to commence from January 28 in Uttarakhand.
The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has accused the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) of “relegating” the martial art to the demonstration section of the event. In the 37th edition of the National Games, which was held in Goa in 2023, Kalaripayattu was part of the competition section. This year, the art form has been included in the list of events for demonstration, dampening the medal hopes of around 200 Kalaripayattu athletes from 18 states who were planning to participate in the competition, the Federation said.
IOA president P T Usha said in Kerala that the association will decide on the fate of Kalaripayattu within a week, based on the Delhi High Court order. The Delhi HC had on January 15 ordered that “a suitable decision shall be taken for reinstating Kalaripayattu as a competitive sport in the 38th National Games”. The court’s order was based on a writ petition filed by a Kalaripayattu student Harshita Yadav.
“In the 35th National Games which was held in Kerala, Kalari was a demonstration event. It was the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who insisted on promoting indigenous art forms, that led to the inclusion of Kalaripayattu in the competition section in the 37th Games. It is unfortunate that the IOA has undone this vision and relegated Kalaripayattu to the margins,” P B Sumesh, Vice President of Indian Kalaripayattu Federation, told The Indian Express. The federation represents Kalaripayattu students in 18 states. The martial art form has been a competitive event in the under-17 Khelo India Games thrice, Sumesh said.
The decision that Kalaripayattu will not be a part of the competition section was known only on the day the IOA made the National Games sports list public in December 2024.
PT Usha had then said, “The inclusion of demonstration sports like Kalaripayattu, Yogasana, Mallakhambh and Rafting reflects our commitment to honouring India’s rich heritage while encouraging new opportunities for athletes.” However, of these four events, Yogasana and Mallakhambh were later included in the competitive section. According to the federation, Kalaripayattu has been “demoted” to the demonstration section because the IOA is “not interested” in giving medals to its practitioners.
In the 2023 National Games, Kalaripayattu athletes from Kerala had won 22 medals, including 19 gold medals. Since Kalaripayattu is included in the demonstration section, athletes who want to participate in the event might not even get travel and kit assistance from their respective state governments. “The young Kalari athletes are dependent on financial assistance from the state as the tour will cost them at least Rs 30,000.”
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The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has appealed to the Prime Minister’s Office more than once to include the event in the competition section. It had also held meetings with the IOA.
Nikhila Henry is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Hyderabad. With a career spanning 17 years, she has established herself as an authoritative voice on South Indian affairs, specialising in the complex intersections of politics, education, and social justice.
Experience & Career: Nikhila commenced her journalism career in 2007 as an education correspondent for The Times of India in Hyderabad,where she gained recognition for her coverage of student politics. Her professional trajectory includes a four-year tenure at The Hindu, where she focused on minority affairs and social welfare. In 2019, she took on a leadership role as the South Bureau Chief for The Quint, where she directed regional coverage across all five South Indian states. Her expansive career also includes a tenure at the BBC in New Delhi and contributions to prestigious international outlets such as The Sunday Times (London) and HuffPost India.
Expertise & Focus Areas
Nikhila’s reportage is marked by a deep-seated understanding of grassroots movements and institutional policy. Her core focus areas include:
Regional Politics: Comprehensive analysis of the socio-political dynamics across South India.
Education & Student Movements: Chronicling the evolution of Indian academics and the rise of youth activism.
Minority Affairs: Rigorous reporting on the welfare, rights, and challenges facing marginalized communities.
National Beat: Elevating regional stories to national prominence through investigative and on-ground reporting.
Authoritativeness & Trust
A respected figure in Indian media, Nikhila is not only a seasoned reporter but also an accomplished author and editor. She authored the critically acclaimed book The Ferment: Youth Unrest in India and edited Caste is Not a Rumour, a collection of writings by Rohith Vemula. Her dual background in daily news reporting and long-form authorship allows her to provide readers with a nuanced, historically-informed perspective on contemporary Indian society.
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