Sikh martial art Gatka has pan-India appeal now
Samad Hoque
New Delhi, October 11
Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art, now has pan-India appeal.
The 11th National Gatka Championship opened in the national capital today with more than 800 participants from across 14 states of the country.
Apart from North Indian states like Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, there is an impressive participation from Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Andhra Pradesh has sent 58 participants while Telangana and Karnataka have 51 and 12 players, respectively.
Caretaker for the Andhra Pradesh team Diwan explained the importance of wearing a patka while playing the gatka. “Patka is an important part of the sport. Without this a player cannot enter the mat,” he said.
An 18-year-old Jagjeet Singh of Delhi team said he got influenced by the sport as he saw competitions in East Delhi.
The two-day event opened at the Talkatora Stadium today and is organised by the National Gatka Association of India in collaboration with the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, former chief, DSGMC, and national secretary of the BJP opened the meet. The competition is being held across various categories.
The tournament being conducted in Delhi will be a selection camp for the national team. The association would scout the best talent to prepare for the first Asian Gatka Championship in 2024 and the World Gatka Championship in 2025, Washington, said Grewal.
