535
In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
www.ijaa .co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Pee Re iewed
Bi-Mon hly
Vol. 6 No. 40
Sep embe - Oc obe - 2025
Role and Con ibu ion o Janja i Communi ies in Spo s in Shaping he
His o y o Bha a
D . Shaikh Shakil Rahim
Dep . o Physical Educa ion,
K. S. K. College, Beed.
Co esponding Au ho – D . Shaikh Shakil Rahim
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.17663964
India, also known as Bha a , has a ich adi ion o physical cul u e, games, and indigenous
spo s ha a e deeply oo ed in i s di e se communi ies. Among hese, he janja i ( ibal) communi ies
ha e played a i al ole in p ese ing, p ac icing, and p omo ing adi ional o ms o spo s and
physical ac i i ies. Thei con ibu ion no only shaped he cul u al iden i y o Bha a bu also laid he
ounda ion o se e al mode n spo s disciplines.
Keywo ds: Janja i Communi ies, Indigenous Spo s, Bha a , T ibal A hle es, A che y, Hockey,
Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Cul u al He i age, F eedom S uggle, Social T ans o ma ion, T adi ional
Games.
T adi ional T ibal Spo s and Physical
Cul u e:
Janja i communi ies ac oss India ha e
long celeb a ed physical s eng h, endu ance,
and skill h ough hei indigenous games.
Spo s like khokho, kabaddi, a che y,
w es ling, s ick igh ing (la hi khel), gilli-
danda, and mallakhamb ha e hei o igins in
communi y adi ions. A che y, o ins ance, is
a skill embedded in he li es o ibes such as
he San hals, Gonds, and Nagas, bo h as a
hun ing echnique and as a compe i i e spo .
Simila ly, w es ling and ma ial a o ms
p ac iced by ibes o cen al and no he n
India highligh he physical cul u e ha
con ibu ed o India’s epu a ion as a land o
wa io s.
Role in F eedom S uggle and Na ionalism:
Spo s and physical aining among
ibal g oups we e no me ely ec ea ional bu
we e linked wi h su i al, de ense, and
collec i e p ide. Du ing he colonial pe iod,
B i ish au ho i ies o en iewed ibal
communi ies wi h suspicion due o hei
ma ial adi ions. Many ibal you h, ained
in indigenous games, became pa o local
mili ias and esis ance mo emen s. Fo
example, he Bi sa Munda mo emen and
o he ibal up isings e lec ed no only
poli ical esis ance bu also he disciplined
physical cul u e ha spo s ins illed. This spi i
o uni y and cou age, nu u ed h ough spo s,
indi ec ly s eng hened he eedom s uggle.
Con ibu ion o Mode n Indian Spo s:
Wi h he g ow h o o ganized spo s in
independen India, a hle es om ibal
backg ounds ha e b ough glo y o he na ion.
Pa icula ly in a hle ics, hockey, oo ball,
a che y, and weigh li ing, ibal playe s ha e
consis en ly excelled.
In hockey, ibal playe s om
Jha khand and Odisha, such as Jaipal Singh
IJAAR Vol. 6 No. 40 ISSN – 2347-7075
536
Munda (cap ain o he 1928 Olympic gold-
winning eam), ha e le a las ing legacy.
In a che y, ibal a hle es like Limba
Ram and Deepika Kuma i ha e ep esen ed
India on he global s age.
The No heas , wi h i s ibal-
domina ed s a es, has become a hub o oo ball
alen , wi h playe s con ibu ing o India’s
na ional oo ball eam.
Social T ans o ma ion Th ough Spo s:
Fo many ibal you h, spo s ha e
become a medium o empowe men and social
mobili y. Pa icipa ion in na ional and
in e na ional compe i ions has p o ided
ecogni ion, educa ion, and employmen
oppo uni ies. Go e nmen schemes and spo s
academies in ibal egions a e nu u ing his
alen u he , ensu ing ha indigenous
spo ing adi ions con inue o lou ish
alongside mode n spo s.
Cul u al Signi icance:
Beyond medals and ou namen s, he
ibal con ibu ion o spo s lies in hei holis ic
app oach. Games a e in eg a ed wi h es i als,
music, and i uals, symbolizing ha mony
be ween body, mind, and communi y. This
cul u al dimension o spo s has en iched he
la ge spo ing cul u e o Bha a , eminding us
ha physical ac i i y is no me ely compe i ion
bu also a way o li e.
Conclusion:
The his o y o spo s in Bha a is
incomple e wi hou acknowledging he i al
ole o janja i communi ies. F om p ese ing
indigenous games o p oducing wo ld-class
a hle es, hei con ibu ion has shaped no only
India’s spo ing iden i y bu also i s cul u al
and na ional spi i . As Bha a con inues o
e ol e as a spo ing na ion, he legacy o ibal
communi ies s ands as a sou ce o p ide and
inspi a ion, e lec ing esilience, s eng h, and
uni y.
Re e ences:
1. Bhowmik, S. K. (2014). T adi ional
Games and Spo s o India. New Delhi:
Spo s Au ho i y o India.
2. Xaxa, V. (2008). S a e, Socie y, and
T ibes: Issues in Pos -Colonial India.
New Delhi: Pea son.
3. Majumda , B. (2006). India and he
Olympics. Rou ledge.
4. Singh, K. S. (1994). The T ibal
Si ua ion in India. Indian
An h opological Su ey
5. Minis y o T ibal A ai s (2021).
Annual Repo on T ibal De elopmen
and Spo s. Go e nmen o India.
D . Shaikh Shakil Rahim
