Why is in news? Mallakhamb competitions begin at National Games
Indian indigenous sport Mallakhamb began at the 36th National Games.
Mallakhamb is a traditional sport, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga or gymnastic postures and wrestling grips in concert with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope.
The word Mallakhamb also refers to the pole used in the sport.
The pole is usually made from sheesham (Indian rosewood) polished with castor oil.
Three popular versions of Mallakhamb are practiced using a sheesham pole, cane, or rope.
The name Mallakhamb derives from the terms malla, meaning wrestler, and khamb, which means a pole. Literally meaning "wrestling pole", the term refers to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers.
On April 9, 2013, the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh declared Mallakhamba the state sport. As of 2017, more than 20 other states in India have followed suit.
National Games of India: The 2022 National Games of India, also known as the 36th National Games of India and informally as Gujarat 2022, will be the 36th edition of the National Games of India and will be held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat between 29 September and 12 October 2022.
Teams are expected from all 28 states and eight union territories of India as well a team representing Indian Armed Forces.
The official motto of the games is "Celebrating unity through sports".
The sports programme will include athletics, field hockey, football, volleyball, lawn tennis, table tennis, skateboarding, Netball and judo, and will also feature traditional sports such as kabaddi, kho kho, mallakhamba, and yogasana.
The Mallakhamba and Yogasana, along with Skateboarding, Golf and Soft Tennis will make their debut at National Games 2022.
UPSC / PCM - 2026 / NEW REGULAR BATCH STARTS ON SEP-5, 2025 
