The 38th National Games is being held in Uttarakhand. These games started on 28 January, which will be played on 14 February. A major decision has been taken between this Olympic-style multi-sport event of India. Actually, at the beginning of the 38th National Games, 32 games were kept in the medal event. But now 2 more games have been included in the medal event. These games were still part of the National Games as a performance game. But now medals will also be given in these games.

These 2 games included in the medal event

Yogasan and Mallakhamb are no longer only performing sports in the National Games and now the players will be given medals. This decision was taken at the request of the organizers, a source of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) confirmed this to PTI. The IOA included both sports as a performance game before the multi-game event that began on 28 January. In December last year, IOA said that the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand will have 32 main and four performances. These 4 performances included sports yoga, Mallakhamb, Kalapayattu and Rafting. But now Yogasan and Mallakhamb have been added as a medal event. That is, now 34 sports and two performance games are being competition in the National Games.

What is Yogasan and Mallakhamb?

A source in the IOA told PTI, "Yes, Yogasan and Mallakhamb were confirmed by the IOA as a medal event as the host state has the right to request two sports as medal sports." Yogasan is a sport that focuses on the physical aspect of yoga, where players have to do yoga postures and are evaluated on the basis of their difficulty, balance, control, flexibility and stamina.

On the other hand, Mallakhamb is a traditional Indian game in which the player performs postures and activities like yoga on a pillar or rope. The word Mallakhamb is made up of 'Malla' which means wrestler and 'pillar' which means pillar.