Sports — Class 9 Physical Education

This practical unit surveys a wide range of sports and physical activities, from India's indigenous martial arts to modern international games, showing how each builds fitness, skill and character. It opens with two foundational activities: gymnastics (whose name comes from the Greek "gymnos", governed today by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, with artistic gymnastics using apparatus such as the vault, beam and bars) and swimming (a non-weight-bearing exercise with strokes including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly, requiring safety care like a lifeguard and warm-up). It then celebrates India's indigenous martial arts — Thang-Ta of Manipur (a combination of sword, spear and breath), Gatka of the Sikh tradition, and Kalaripayattu of Kerala (a 3,000-year-old art) — and the indigenous sport Mallakhamb, the "wrestler's pole" that blends yoga, strength and balance and is the state sport of Madhya Pradesh. The unit covers combat sports (Judo, Wrestling with its freestyle and Greco-Roman styles plus Indian Kushti, Taekwondo and Boxing) and outdoor sports (Hockey, Basketball, Cricket, Archery, Softball and Tennis), giving each sport's origin, governing body and basic skills. Throughout, it links physical training to cultural tradition, discipline, courage and respect, encouraging students to participate actively and appreciate sport's role in a balanced, healthy life.