Sqay in Madhya Pradesh

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Wikipedia — Sqay, Kashmir Reader, Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Observer — 23rd National Sqay Championship coverage. These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: Jammu & Kashmir, India
Category: Combat
Olympic discipline: No
Paralympic discipline: No
Central pathway: None recorded
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 0

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: Sqay Federation of India
Ministry recognition: Not currently verified
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility: Not currently verified
Olympic status: Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: Not a Paralympic discipline

Sqay is listed on SportSupport in the combat category. Its recorded origin is Jammu & Kashmir, India. It is not on the Olympic programme. We list Sqay Federation of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Sqay does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, and we hold no verified central pathway or current-year Ministry recognition record for it, so we make no Khelo India, TOPS, National Sports Development Fund or pension claim. Whatever competition exists is run by clubs, akharas, private promoters or state-level bodies. (Checked against Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — Discipline wise Participation in all editions of Khelo India Games (19th Edition).)

Scholarships & Funding

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

No central scholarship pathway
Sqay does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list (Sports Authority of India / Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports), so Khelo India, TOPS and the National Sports Development Fund do not cover it. Athletes self-fund or rely on club and private support.

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Indian Players

No profiles yet

No athlete profiles are recorded for sqay yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.

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Rules

Sqay is a Kashmiri sword-fighting martial art contested in two main forms. In the weapon event, competitors use a pair of tora (curved, foam-padded sticks representing swords) with a bargula (small shield), fighting timed rounds on a marked square mat by age, weight and gender category. Points are awarded for clean, controlled strikes to legal target areas — head guard, torso and limbs — with the shield used for defence; thrusting to the throat, groin strikes and uncontrolled force are penalised. The second form, the single or group demonstration (khawankay), is judged on technique, precision, stance and synchronisation rather than contact. Bouts are officiated by a mat referee and side judges, with warnings and point deductions for fouls, and safety gear is mandatory for all contact events.

Authoritative rulebook: Sqay Federation of India.

Positions

Typical roles across combat sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced sqay squad list.

Fighter / competitor
Contests bouts inside the ring, mat or cage in a set weight category.
Corner / second
Coach in the corner during the bout — allowed to instruct between rounds.
Referee & judges
Officiate the bout, score rounds and enforce safety rules.
Cutman / medical
Manages cuts, swelling and immediate medical needs between rounds.

Equipment

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

Tora — pair of curved padded sticks/swords
Bargula — small shield for defence
Head guard with face protection
Chest guard, forearm and shin guards
Gum shield and groin guard
Traditional uniform (sqay dress) with belt denoting grade
Marked square competition mat

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Sqay Federation of India

Sqay Federation of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Sqay. We hold no sourced detail on its domestic calendar, selection norms or state structure, and no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it.

Origin: Jammu & Kashmir, India
Olympic: No
Paralympic: No
Category: Combat

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Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in sqay.

National Sqay Championship
Organized by the Sqay Federation of India (SFI), most recently the 23rd edition (2022-23, Jammu), drawing over 1,000 athletes from 22 states. Jammu & Kashmir has consistently topped the medal tally, reflecting the sport's Kashmiri origins.
National Games inclusion
Sqay was included in the 2023 National Games of India, one of 43 sports on the programme — a notable domestic recognition milestone.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in sqay.

World Sqay Martial Art Championship
India has competed since at least 2018 (3rd edition, held in Chungju, South Korea).
South Asian Sqay Martial Art Championship
India has competed at multiple editions, including the 7th in Kathmandu, Nepal, where Indian athletes won gold.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for sqay. The national championship under Sqay Federation of India remains the top domestic competition.

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International Players

Globally recognised sqay athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for sqay maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

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

Sqay's competitive base is overwhelmingly concentrated in Jammu & Kashmir, with junior athletes from the state representing India at World Championship level
The School Games Federation of India (SGFI) National School Games provides a genuine, active competitive pathway for young sqay athletes
Coaching pathway through SFI-recognized academies, concentrated in the Kashmir valley

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Related academies

0 listed

No sqay academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

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FAQs

Common questions about sqay in India.

Who governs Sqay in India?▾

We list Sqay Federation of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Sqay, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Sqay an Olympic sport?▾

No, Sqay is not on the Olympic programme.

What government schemes support Sqay athletes?▾

TOPS does not apply, as Sqay is outside the Olympic programme. State-government cash awards or sports-quota employment can apply where a state notifies the discipline, which varies by state. Sqay does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

Sqay in every state & UT

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