# Traditional games of Pakistan

Pakistan has many traditional games played in the rural and urban areas of the country.

## History

A lack of government funding, an increase in urbanisation, and the growth of Western sports have contributed to a decline in traditional sports.

## Traditional games
### Gilli Danda

Gilli Danda revolves around players taking turns to use one stick to hit another stick as far as possible, while trying not to allow the other team to catch the airborne stick before it touches the ground.

### Pittu Garam

In Pittu Garam, one team throws a ball at a pile of seven stones and then attempts to put them back up as fast as possible, while the other team can throw the ball at players of the first team to eliminate them.

### Marbles

Marbles, also known as bilori or shinoli in Pashto, is a family of games involving marbles.

### Goli pila

Goli pila involves flicking marbles into small holes in the ground using one's fingers.

### Slap kabaddi

Slap kabaddi or thappad kabaddi is a Pakistani variant of kabaddi which is particularly popular in Punjab. Two players aim to slap each other, scoring one point for each slap landed on the opponent (above the waist); the winner is the one who scores the most points, or who can force his opponent to forfeit the match.

## Tackling games
### Malakhra

Malakhro is an ancient Sindhi form of wrestling in Sindh, which dates back 5000 years. The match begins with both wrestlers tying a twisted cloth around the opponent's waist. Each one then holds onto the opponent's waist cloth and tries to throw him to the ground. Malakhra is one of the favorite sports among males in Sindh, Pakistan. Malakhara matches are generally held on holidays and Fridays and are a feature of all fairs and festivals. Rich feudal lords and influential persons maintain famous Malhoo (wrestlers) and organize matches for them. In the Pakistani region of Sindh, it is the provincial sport.

### Yanda

Yanda (also known as Yenda, Yandu, etc.) is a game of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in which the teams take turns sending one of their players to run around a circle, while two opponents attempt to make the runner fall before he can run around the entire circle and safely make it back to his teammates. Players who are made to fall are eliminated from the game. The game ends once one team has all of its players eliminated, with the other team then winning the game.

## Variations of tag
### Kho-kho

Kho-kho is traditional for some people in Punjab and Sindh.

### Wanjh wati

Wanjh wati is traditional to Sindh.

### Baraf Paani

Players become frozen in place when tagged by an opponent, but are unfrozen by the touch of a teammate.

### Oonch Neech

Oonch Neech (or Oonch Neech ka Papada) is a rural and urban street children's game and variation of Tag game played in North India and Pakistan. Oonch Neech (Hindi) translates Up and Down in English.

### Langri Pala

Players attempt to tag opponents while hopping on one foot.

### Jee

Jee is a traditional Balochi game in which one team attempts to send one player at a time from one area to another without being tagged out by the opponents.

### Bandar killa

Before the game starts, a coin toss-like process known as pugan pugayee is done, in which three players are chosen randomly and are asked to face one of their hands either upwards or downwards; if one of the player faces their hand in the opposite direction of the other two players, then that player is eliminated from this process; this repeats until finally, one player in the last group of three faces their hand in the opposite direction of the other two players, with this last player being chosen as the "monkey" (bandar). Once the monkey is chosen, the other players place their footwear around a tree or similar object; a rope is then bound to the tree, with the monkey required to hold the rope and continuously run around the tree. The other players then attempt to retrieve their footwear, but if any player is tagged by the monkey, play restarts and the tagged player becomes the new monkey. If all of the footwear is successfully retrieved, then the monkey is forced to run to a designated area away from the tree, while the other players are allowed to throw the footwear at the monkey. Play then restarts with all players continuing in their roles.

## Animal events
### Chirpiest Partridge

Various caged partridges are placed next to each other, with the chirpiest of them winning the day's contest.

### Tent pegging

The United States Tent Pegging Association (USTPA) is a not-for-profit organization registered in the New York state and is the National Governing Body for the sport of tent pegging in the US. USTPA is the premier equestrian sports body dedicated solely to the promotion and development of the equestrian sport of tent pegging across the US