VISION
National Gatkaa Association of India
Elevating Gatka to Olympic Glory
The National Gatka Association of India (NGAI) and the World Gatka Federation (WGF) have set their sights on a remarkable goal to include Gatka as an Olympic sport. However, before making its Olympic debut, Gatka will step onto the international stage at the Asian Games, an exciting development for which a comprehensive modernization plan has been meticulously crafted. The aim is to showcase Gatka’s inaugural appearance at international competitions by upgrading and modernizing infrastructure and adopting the latest IT techniques for tournament management. To realize this visionary objective, NGAI and WGF have jointly formulated a “Vision Document-2030,” outlining a 20-year plan to foster and enrich this sport with contemporary knowledge.
Embracing Digital Transformation for Gatka Infrastructure
The NGAI and ISMAA have dedicated significant effort over the years to secure Gatka’s rightful place on the international sports map. To maintain the enthusiasm of players and spectators and further popularize this symbol of ancient culture, it has become evident that more robust endeavors are essential. To achieve the desired goals and bring Gatka in line with the modern era of computerization, the following proposals have been set forth:
- Digital Scoreboard: Introducing a digital scoreboard to provide real-time judgment information within the arena.
- Online Tournament Entry System: Implementing an online tournament entry system for players and officials, enabling instant result declaration and proper maintenance of records through the Gatka TSR system.
- Bout Replay Facility: Incorporating a bout replay facility on LED screens (Video Umpire) to address any scoring disputes promptly
- High-Definition Video Cameras: Installing high-definition video cameras for the live broadcast of matches.
- Advanced Gatka Sticks: Replacing wooden Gatka sticks with fiber sticks embedded with sensors and microchips to facilitate quick scoring and foul calculations.
- Enhanced Safety Equipment: Introducing additional safety equipment, including face guards, chest guards, shoulder guards, inner guards, and shin guards
- Smart ID Cards: Implementing smart ID cards for players and officials, featuring unique ID numbers and QR coding to securely maintain detailed information
- The WGF and AGF are planning to hold the first Asian Gatka Championship in 2024 and first World Gatka Championship in 2025.
- Grading/Ranking Systems: Launching grading/ranking systems for national and international players and officials.
- Secure Certificates: Issuing certificates embedded with holograms and bar/QR coding for enhanced authenticity
- Advanced Mats: Procuring synthetic inter-locking mats for Gatka grounds, complete with pre-demarcated field boundaries.
- Dedicated Server: Establishing a dedicated server to securely manage data related to players, officials, and tournaments
- Dedicated Server: Establishing a dedicated server to securely manage data related to players, officials, and tournaments