In the 2021 Khelo India Youth Games, the Ministry of Sports included Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba. A national yojana/scheme for the growth of sports in India, introduced in 2018, is the Khelo India Programme. The 2021 Khelo Indian Games are expected to be held in Haryana.

 

Gatka originated from the Punjab province. "It is the "Nihang Sikh" warriors` traditional fighting style, used for self-defense and sports.

Kalaripayattu is a Kerala-derived traditional style of martial art. It is known as India`s oldest living martial art and one of the world`s oldest surviving martial arts. Its roots can be traced back to the 3rd century BCE, at least.

Thang-Ta is a form of martial art from Manipur. It`s part of the Huyen Langlon Martial Art. Thang-Ta means armed war. Another feature of Huyen langlon is sarit sarak (unarmed combat). "Thang" means sword and "Ta" means spear, both of which are the main arms of Huyen langlon.

A traditional sport that originated in the Indian subcontinent is Mallakhamba or Mallakhamb. Aerial yoga or gymnastics postures and grappling grip with vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope are done by gymnasts in this sport. The use of Sheesham poles, crutches or ropes was practised in three common versions of Mallakhamb. It was declared to be a state-run sport in Madhya Pradesh in 2013.