Sports in Kerala

Sports in Kerala

This article discusses sports in Kerala. Both ritualised and popular sports are discussed.

Ancient

Several ancient ritualised arts are Keralite in origin. These include "kalaripayattu"—"kalari" ("place", "threshing floor", or "battlefield") and "payattu" ("exercise" or "practice"). Among the world's oldest martial arts, oral tradition attributes "kalaripayattu"'s emergence to Parasurama. Other ritual arts include "theyyam" and "poorakkali".

Modern

However, larger numbers of Keralites follow sports such as cricket, "kabaddi", soccer, and badminton. Dozens of large stadiums, including Kochi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Thiruvananthapuram's Chandrashekaran Nair Stadium, attest to the mass appeal of such sports among Keralites.

Football

Football is the most popular sport in the state. Some notable football stars from Kerala include I. M. Vijayan and V. P. Sathyan.

Athletics

Kerala has a rich history of producing world class athletes. Athletes like like T. C. Yohannan, Suresh Babu, P.T.Usha, Shiny Wilson, K. M. Beenamol, Anju Bobby George are amongst the best Kerala has produced.

Volleyball

Volleyball, another popular sport, is often played on makeshift courts on sandy beaches along the coast. Jimmy George, born in Peravoor, Kannur, was arguably the most successful volleyball player ever to represent India. At his prime he was regarded as among the world's ten best players.

Cricket

Cricket, which is the most-followed sport in the rest of India and South Asia, is less popular in Kerala. Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who was born in Kothamangalam and often referred to as simply "Sreesanth", is a controversial right-arm fast-medium-pace bowler and a right-handed tail-ender batsman whose actions were pivotal in sealing, among other games, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. Among less successful Keralite cricketers is Tinu Yohannan, son of Olympic long jumper T. C. Yohannan.

External links

* [http://prd.kerala.gov.in/kalarippayatu.htm Kalaripayattu - one of the oldest martial arts] , Government of Kerala website


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