Monks lead chant for kabaddi in Japan

GUANGZHOU - Shouting "kabaddi, kabaddi" instead of their usual chants, a group of Japanese monks has now found itself compared to ancient Indian warriors at the Guangzhou Asiad.

The Japanese men's team, which includes three genuine monks and a bunch of Buddhism scholars, has given the ancient Indian sport, which evolved as a means of keeping soldiers fit between battles, a touch of "solemnity".

"I didn't see any contradiction between being a monk and playing kabaddi. Kabaddi makes my body stronger, while Buddhism guides me spiritually," said team captain Kokei Ito. "Remember, they both originated from India."