Taking inspiration from the Indian Army’s extensive use of indigenous drones during Operation Sindoor against terrorist positions in Pakistan, the Uttarakhand government has conceptualised a new sport, drone kabaddi, to technically train the youth and enhance employment opportunities in the drone sector.
Officials said the initiative aims to build a pool of skilled drone pilots who can be deployed during crises such as natural disasters and military support operations. All rules, equipment specifications, and gameplay mechanisms for drone kabaddi have been finalised, and the state is gearing up to launch the sport soon, a first for the country.
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Being a disaster-prone mountainous state, Uttarakhand often faces situations where manual intervention becomes challenging. In such scenarios, technology-driven operations become crucial, but require trained personnel to execute them. To bridge this gap, the Sports Department, with technical assistance from drone manufacturer D-Town Robotics Pvt Ltd, has integrated drone training with the popular sport format of kabaddi.
Drone kabaddi will be open to youth from all backgrounds, with district, state, national, and even international-level competitions planned in the future. Skilled instructors will provide training at a nominal fee.
How Drone Kabaddi Works
-The game is played inside a netted court.
-Each match has one attacker drone versus five defender drones, with two additional drones in reserve.
-The match comprises five sets of 30 seconds each.
-The attacker must enter the defenders’ zone, make contact, and return to score points.
-Defenders earn points if the attacker fails to touch any drone.
-A bonus point is awarded if the attacker enters and returns without contact.
-All drones are remotely controlled and fully enclosed to prevent damage during collisions.
Special Principal Secretary for Sports Amit Sinha said the concept was developed five years ago and has now reached a fully operational stage with government backing.
“Through this initiative, the youth of Uttarakhand can gain technical expertise while participating in a new and exciting sport,” he added.