The real reason why Kabaddi players hold hands

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Indian players can be seen holding hands here in anticipation of the Australian raider

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One of the common sights in a Kabaddi match is that of defenders holding hands when a raider takes a raid. Those are intense moments where the eyes of all the players are locked on the raider and the raider is building escape plans in his mind while chanting ‘kabaddi, kabaddi’. It’s pretty much the lull before the storm as soon after the raider tries to disturb the defensive formation and steal some raiding points away while the opposition tries to trap him and hold on to him with all their might to gain tackle points.

But before getting enamoured by the intensity of the moment, let’s rewind to that moment when it all began and it piqued our interest for a brief while that why do defenders hold hands in kabaddi? Well, while Google reveals that a lot have been perplexed by this question, the answer is not so complex after all.

The primary reason defenders hold their hands when attacked by a raider is to form a chain formation. The chain formation thus formed by holding hands is primarily used to confuse, distract as well as intimidate the raider. Moreover, the attempt often is to eventually encircle the raider and attack him when the best opportunity arises. The defenders, once they have partially encircled the raider and have left almost no space for him to run back to his side of the court then leave each others’ hands to get tackle points.

Also another important reason for the same is that while raiders approach the defenders to get the touch, they are forced to duck and move away from the attacker's advances. Given the different ways raiders use to score touches, evading the touch can get tricky and can often lead to awkward situations that can see defenders go off balance.

This is where it becomes important to hold hands, as players cannot go out of bounds and with a strong grip with a fellow defender, players can assume their defensive positions quickly and stay within the court's lines easily.

The raiders also have devised ways over the years to not fall prey easily to these tactics. In fact, many raiders use their presence of mind to bluff the defenders into breaking the formation by seeming to for a hand touch while stealthily extending their toe to a defender nearby to get points. Rajesh Narwal, Rakesh Kumar and Anup Kumar are some of the names who can often be seen using their guile to put the defenders off their game and scoring some crucial points for their teams.

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Dabang Delhi's Meraj Sheykh has time to time produced incredible dubkis in the Pro Kabaddi League

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The most innovative tactic to defy this chain formation, however, remains the ‘dubki’. This is one of the most difficult skills to execute in the game and hence those who can do it are so valued. A dubki essentially involves a jump over the joined hands, and often over the bodies, of the defenders to cross the line. Needless to say, one’s physical fitness needs to be at peak for him to even attempt a dubki. A failed dubki can easily end up as a moment of embarrassment for the raider but a successful one can bring a large crowd on its feet in appreciation.

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