Carrom in Jammu & Kashmir

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (Wikipedia — All India Carrom Federation, Carrom in India, A. Maria Irudayam, K. Srinivas, Ravivarman Sharmila, 2016/2018 Carrom World Championship, DT Next — M. Khazima 2025 Carrom World Cup coverage, High Commission of India, Colombo — 2015 World Carrom Championship results).

Overview

Governing body: All India Carrom Federation
Origin: Indian subcontinent
Olympic discipline: No
Category: Precision
Total players listed: …

Carrom is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The All India Carrom Federation oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Carrom is not currently on the Olympic programme, but it sits firmly inside India's broader sporting ecosystem. The discipline receives support through the Khelo India movement, multi-sport events such as the National Games and Asian Games trials wherever the sport is contested, and dedicated league or championship structures run by the federation. Sponsorship, broadcast deals and private academies often fill the gap that direct government funding leaves, and several state governments offer cash awards, government jobs and land grants to medallists at the National Games and recognised world championships.

Carrom sits in the precision-sport category, where mental skill, repetition and equipment matter as much as raw athletic ability. The All India Carrom Federation runs a rigorous national calendar that doubles as an international selection trial, and Indian competitors have a strong record at Asian, Commonwealth and World level. Private clubs and ranges supply most of the entry-level infrastructure, while SAI and dedicated national academies handle elite training.

At the grassroots, the route into Carrom typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Carrom originated in Indian subcontinent, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Carrom, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the All India Carrom Federation, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Carrom is played and developed across India under the All India Carrom Federation, with grassroots programmes, state associations and national-level competition pathways.

History

How carrom evolved globally and took root in India.

Carrom traces its modern origins to Indian subcontinent. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and All India Carrom Federation is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, carrom grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under All India Carrom Federation, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Carrom sits outside the Olympic programme but is firmly part of India's Asian Games, Commonwealth and National Games map, with state governments backing medallists through cash awards, jobs and land grants.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for carrom athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified carrom talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect carrom athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite carrom athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired carrom internationals — Government of India.

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Indian Players

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Rules

Carrom is played on a square 29-inch playing-surface board with four corner pockets, using a striker flicked from the baseline to pocket nine white and nine black carrom men plus the red queen. Players (singles or doubles) are assigned a colour after the first pocketed piece and must pocket all of their pieces plus cover the queen — the queen must be pocketed and then followed by pocketing one of your own pieces in the same or next stroke, or it is returned to the centre. A board is won by clearing your colour first, scoring one point per opponent piece remaining plus 3 for the queen (queen points count only below 22). Matches are played to 25 points or a set number of boards. Fouls — pocketing the striker, touching a piece with any body part, or the striker leaving the board — cost a pocketed piece back to the centre and end the turn.

Authoritative rulebook: All India Carrom Federation. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a carrom squad or competition.

Rifle / pistol events
10m air, 25m and 50m disciplines shot to an electronic target.
Shotgun events
Trap and skeet — moving clay targets scored on hits.
Archery — recurve & compound
Ranking round and head-to-head elimination matches.
Team events
Three-athlete team formats contested at Asian, Commonwealth, World and Olympic level.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in carrom at a federation-recognised event.

Standard carrom board (29-inch playing surface, wooden, with corner pockets)
Striker (approx. 15g)
18 carrom men (9 white, 9 black) and the red queen
Boric powder or approved smoothing powder
Board stand and adequate overhead lighting

Governing body

National federation

All India Carrom Federation

All India Carrom Federation is the recognised national body for Carrom in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for carrom. State associations under All India Carrom Federation run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: Indian subcontinent
Olympic: No
Category: Precision

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Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the carrom calendar in India.

National Carrom Championship
Organized by the All India Carrom Federation (AICF, founded 1956, recognized by the Government of India in 1970 and the IOA in 1997/98), now with over 144 editions across cadet, sub-junior, junior, senior and veteran (45+) categories, plus the All India Federation Cup. The 49th Junior National Championship was held at LNIPE, Gwalior in 2024. AICF has 47 affiliated units (30 state associations, 17 institutions).

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in carrom.

World Carrom Championship
India held the Men's Singles title continuously from the tournament's 1991 inception for many years, before it was finally broken by Sri Lanka's Nishantha Fernando. At the 2016 edition (Birmingham), India topped the medal table with 12 of 18 total medals (5 gold, 5 silver, 2 bronze). India has also hosted the World Championship itself twice, in 1991 and 2000, both in Delhi.
Notable champions
A. Maria Irudayam is a two-time World Champion (1991, 1995) and nine-time National Champion — the first, and for many years the only, carrom player to receive the Arjuna Award (1997). At the 6th Carrom World Cup (2025), 18-year-old M. Khazima — the daughter of an auto driver from Chennai's Kasimedu — became the youngest-ever Carrom World Champion, defeating 12-time national champion Rashmi Kumari.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for carrom. The national championship under All India Carrom Federation remains the top domestic competition.

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International Players

Globally recognised carrom athletes to know outside India.

Kim Woo-jin (South Korea)
Olympic and World archery champion.
Jean Quiquampoix (France)
Olympic 25m rapid-fire pistol champion.
Amber Rutter (Great Britain)
Olympic skeet medallist.
Kim Ye-ji (South Korea)
Olympic 25m pistol medallist.

Records

Where to find India's official carrom record book.

Olympic medalsN/A
Carrom is not on the Olympic programme, so India records this discipline through Asian Games, Commonwealth, World and Continental championships instead.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in carrom are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the All India Carrom Federation.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in carrom are maintained by the All India Carrom Federation.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for carrom and mirrored by All India Carrom Federation.
National record holdersFederation register
All India Carrom Federation publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in carrom — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Carrom has been included in the Government of India's sports-quota recruitment list since 1991, giving successful players a genuine pathway into government offices and public sector jobs
The Sports Authority of India's Talent Search Scholarship Scheme also supports top state and national performers
A. Maria Irudayam's own path — dropping out of school at 14 and rising through local club carrom to two world titles — reflects the sport's accessibility as a genuine social-mobility route, as does Khazima's story of training at a local coaching centre before becoming world champion

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Related academies

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Government Schemes

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Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for carrom athletes and academies.

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FAQs

Common questions about carrom in India.

Who governs Carrom in India?▾

All India Carrom Federation is the recognised national federation for Carrom in India. State associations under All India Carrom Federation run age-group and state-level competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Is Carrom an Olympic sport?▾

Carrom is not currently on the Olympic programme, but India competes at Asian Games, Commonwealth Games (where recognised), World Championships and other continental events sanctioned by All India Carrom Federation.

How do I start playing Carrom in India?▾

Join a school team under SGFI, a college team under AIU, or a private academy affiliated to your state association. From there, age-group state championships and Khelo India events are the standard route into the national pipeline.

What government schemes support Carrom athletes?▾

The core schemes are Khelo India (talent development stipends, scholarships and boarding at accredited centres), TOPS (funding for elite athletes preparing for the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games), and state-government cash awards, jobs and land grants for medallists. Federation-specific schemes may also apply.

Where can I train for Carrom?▾

Sports Authority of India (SAI) national centres of excellence, Khelo India accredited academies, state sports institutes and private academies registered with the state association are the standard training venues. The Academies section on this page lists options.

How are Indian Carrom athletes selected for international events?▾

All India Carrom Federation runs selection trials — typically the senior national championship, a dedicated trial event, or ranking-based selection — and publishes the selection policy each season. Objective criteria (times, distances, ranking points, weight-class results) dominate at the elite level.

Carrom in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Carrom in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Carrom