The 2018 Asian Games is currently taking place in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, until 2 September.

Athletes from 45 nations are competing in 40 sports and 67 disciplines, including table tennis, swimming, rowing and judo.

But among these familiar sports are a few you may have never heard of, or are unaware are now part of the Games.

Check them out:

1. Sambo

1. Sambo
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Making its debut at the Asian Games is the Russian sport of Sambo, a combination of martial arts such as wrestling, judo and boxing, among others.

The name is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, which is Russian for “self-defense without weapons”.

It was developed by the Soviet Red Army to train soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.

The goal of each match, which lasts five minutes, is to take down your opponent or force them into submission.

Points are also awarded for successfully holding or locking your opponent.

If no-one submits during a match, the winner is decided by the number of points scored.

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2. Kurash

2. Kurash
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This ancient martial art that originated in Uzbekistan is also making its debut at this year’s Games. Kurash, which means “to wrestle”, is a form of wrestling where the goal is to throw one’s opponent to the ground.

Competitors will be in either blue or green, colours of the Uzbek flag, and moves are focused mostly on the upper body.

Managing to trip or throw your opponent to the ground on his back gets you an immediate win.

If your opponent lands on his side or front, you will earn points.

The wrestler with the most points at the end of the match, wins.

3. Kabbadi

3. Kabbadi
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Kabbadi is a traditional Indian sport that made its Asian Games debut in 1990.

It’s akin to a game of tag.

Each game is made up of two 15- or 20-minute halves with a five-minute break in between.

Two teams face off on a court, with each team taking turns to send in a player, known as a raider, to the opponent’s side.

After taking a deep breath and holding it, the raider runs into the opponent’s side to touch, tag or wrestle as many people as possible – while chanting “kabbadi, kabbadi” to prove that he is not breathing.

The raider can only exhale when he returns to his side of the court. Points are scored based on how many people are tagged.

The defending team also scores a point for successfully tackling a raider.

The 2018 Asian Games is currently taking place in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia, until 2 September.

Athletes from 45 nations are competing in 40 sports and 67 disciplines, including table tennis, swimming, rowing and judo.

But among these familiar sports are a few you may have never heard of, or are unaware are now part of the Games.

Check them out:

4. E-sports

4. E-sports
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Competitive gaming, or electronic sports, was recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) last November.

Although just a demonstration event this year, e-sports is set to be a medal event in 2022. Six games, comprising individual and team events, will be played this time.

They are: Arena of Valor, Clash Royale, League of Legends, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone and Pro Evolution Soccer 2018.

Players had to take part in regional qualifications in June with the finalists playing in the main event.

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