Iran has some traditional games, sports, and martial arts that date back thousands of years.[1][2][3][4] Many of these games have started to disappear due to urbanisation, the advent of computer games, and the neglect of cultural institutions.[5][6]
Some of the traditional Iranian games were demonstrated at the 1974 Asian Games hosted by Iran as a way of demonstrating the ability for traditional Persian culture to coexist with modern Western culture.[7]
Kabaddi is also known as Zu/Zou in Iran,[9][1] and has a history going back thousands of years in the country.[10][11]
In 1895, General Albert Houtum-Schindler described the rules as follows:[29]
Chovgan, Chowgan or Chogan (Persian: چوگان, romanized: čōwgan), is a sporting team game with horses that originated in ancient Iran (Persia).[30][31] It was considered an aristocratic game and held in a separate field, on specially trained horses. The game was widespread among the Asian peoples. It is played in Iran, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.[32]
In 2013, chovqan in the Republic of Azerbaijan was included in the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in urgent need of safeguarding.[33]
It was later adopted in the Western World, known today as polo.