38th National Games and Kalaripayattu:
The Indian Kalaripayattu Federation has accused the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) of downgrading the Kalaripayattu to the demonstration section of the event, not the competitive section.Demonstration events showcase sports for promotion and are excluded from the official medal tally. Kalaripayattuis one of the oldest and most scientific martial arts globally, originating in Kerala. The warrior sage Parasurama is credited with establishing Kalaripayattu, which Bodhidharma (a Buddhist monk from South India) later introduced to China at the Shaolin Temple in the 5th century AD.
