Some traditional South Asian games, such as kabaddi, kho-kho, and atya-patya, are believed to be thousands of years old, finding mention in historical scriptures[3] and dating back to ancient India.

[8] After the British colonisation of the subcontinent which peaked from the 19th century to 1947, Western sports such as cricket, football, and hockey began to be followed to a greater extent, to the detriment of the traditional games.

[9][10] The modern advent of urbanisation,[11] globalisation (which attracted people towards more globally popular games),[12] and technology (which gave people digital forms of entertainment such as the Internet, television, and video games)[13] have further diminished the traditional South Asian sports.

[14] Additional reasons include religious extremism in some areas, which has restricted people from playing certain games, and lack of governmental support.

[19] Gillidanda or gulli danda is a game where players attempt to hit a stick as far as possible to score points.

It has similarities to the popular South Asian sport of cricket, as well as to traditional games around the world, such as tipcat.