Ever played Lagori in your childhood? If yes, then your childhood is awesome. Lagori is a fun-filled sport in the Indian subcontinent, especially in the southern part of the country. This sport involves running and applying survival tactics, great for the physical and mental growth of the kids. There are a few other names of this game as well, such as Pittu Garam and Seven Stones. No time or the number of players is bound to play this game, but whichever team makes a fixed number of points faster than the other team wins. If it sounds interesting to you, read this post until the end to learn more about Lagori.
Table of Contents
About Lagori: An Overview
Before hopping into the other details, let’s understand the Lagori game first. In this game, the total number of the players is equally divided into two teams, each having 3-9 players. The other requirements for the game are a rubber ball and seven flat stones that can be balanced on one another. When the game starts, any of the team can take the chance to hit the stones with the ball. To make the points, a team has to hit the seven stones with the ball and then rearrange it in the original form.
How Does It Work?
Three players of a team can take the chance to hit the stone. Each of the players can hit three times, which means one team can get nine chances to hit the stones at a time. If none of them can hit the seven stones, the chance will go to the next team. Even if the ball touches the stone, but not the stone falls, the chance goes to the next team. However, if even one of the seven stones falls, they will rush to arrange it back.
On the other hand, the defender team will try to hit any player of the running team before they can arrange the stone back. If the stones are arranged back, the team not only gets one point but also keeps the chance in hand to hit the stones again with the balls. The game has some simple rules.
History Of Lagori
The history of Lagori is really old. As we have discussed, its origination from the Indian subcontinent part has been mentioned in the Hindu religious texts as well. There are incidents of Lord Krishna playing this game with his friends. So, the estimated time can go 5000 years back from now.
When online games were not evolved, kids used to play some amazing outdoor games. Lagori also comes into the list of such games. However, kids from the 1990s in India and Pakistan can easily relate to this game and know how to play it. Unfortunately, this game is not very popular among today’s kids.
Rules Of Lagori
Now that we have a fine understanding of the game, it is very important to understand the rules of the game. It has a few simple rules. The number of players can range from a minimum of three to a maximum of nine in each team. Time is not fixed, but to win this game, a team has to achieve the decided number of points. After making a point, the team keeps the chance to hit the stone again. If not, the ball goes to the other team. The ball must not hit above the waist. When hitting, a player can’t keep the ball for a long time, so he needs to pass it to the other players.
Popularity Of The Sports
When online games were not there, the group of kids used to play various outdoor games. Where cricket and football were highly preferred games, other small games were also a significant part of the gaming routine of the 90’s kids. The list included Kho-Kho, Gilli Danda, and more. However, these games are on the verge of extinction, as kids have opted for online games for their amusement. Besides, modern outdoor games have replaced these traditional games.
To revive these games, sports authorities are organizing the sporting events on a larger scale. For instance, the Pro-Kabaddi League has revived Kabaddi to a great extent. Similarly, International events are also being organized for Lagori so that it can re-achieve its former glory. It is now popular in almost 30 different countries of the world.
Lagori In Modern Time
The deliberate attempts to make Lagori popular worldwide have turned fruitful. As a result, many countries are now showing their interest in this game. Starting from India, Lagori is a widespread game and gaining the attention of modern audiences. What more, The Indian Lagori Premier League in November 2017 gained mass attention beyond boundaries. Thanks to the Amateur Lagori Federation of India, who conducted this tournament on a larger scale. ALFI is also making deliberate attempts to spread this game to different parts of the country to increase awareness and interest in this game.
Enhancements
To popularize the game, certain enhancements are made into it; however, the actual form of the game hasn’t changed all that much. The International Lagori Foundation established these instructions: Each team will have 12 players, but only six of them will be on the court at any given time. The first set lasts 3 minutes, with a half-minute break in the middle of the game. One match typically has three sets and whichever team makes more points will win. Moreover, all leagues follow the same set of rules.
The old players can consider it as a significant change. It has moved to the indoor synthetic turf from the vast outdoor fields. The stone chips randomly picked from the ground are replaced with the seven circular fiber disks. Besides, softballs are designed specifically for the game, replacing the old tennis ball.
Final Words
This post can help you to know about the Lagori, a popular sport that originated from the southern part of India. Besides, you can also learn about the rules and enhancements in the game format over time. For more posts on sports and entertainment, you can pay a visit to our blog section.
