Fascinated by the contact sport of kabaddi, a middle school and a high school in Saitama Prefecture beat a succession of collegiate teams this year to win the national student championship after learning the rules and tactics from scratch.

Seven years ago, Jiyunomori Gakuin Junior and Senior High School in Saitama Prefecture created Japan's only kabaddi club below collegiate level. Having stood on the national podium, they are now hoping the sport will draw wider interest from people in their generation.

Kabaddi, which has its roots in India, is played between two teams of seven players on a small court without any equipment. The objective is for an offensive player known as the "raider" to tag the opposing team's defenders in their half of the court and return safely to his own half without being tackled.