Encyclopedia of Sport: Every sport from around the world

Yubi Lakpi

Yubi Lakpi is a type of contact sport played with a coconut. The sport originated in Manipur in India, and is currently the only place where it is played. The name when literally translated means coconut snatching.

The sport is played on a rectangular field, about 45 meters x 18 meters in dimensions. One end of the field has a 4.5 meter x 3 meter box, which essentially acts as the goal region. To score a goal a player has to carry the coconut, and go through the box and out of the field.

The sport is played barefoot, where players wear just a pair of shorts and no shirts. Before the match starts, players smear their bodies with oil to make it slippery when others try to catch. The coconut used is also soaked in oil before the start.

At the start of the match seven players line up on each side of the field. A referee tosses a coconut to begin the play. Each player individually tries to score goals by carrying the coconut, and other players try to tackle the coconut carrier and snatch the coconut away. The player that scores the most goals in the match receives an award.

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