A game of slap kabbadi turned in Faisalabad turned ugly when one of the participants died after being struck.

The match took place in Mamoo Kanjan village in Faisalabad on Saturday. One of the men in the match, Zakir Hussain, collapsed after being struck.

Rescue 1122 immediately shifted Zakir to the hospital but he succumbed to the injury.

Thappar kabbadi is rapidly gaining popularity in the country as a new form of the historic sport. Instead of competing teams, players take on each other in one-on-one contests.

Competitors score points by trying to land a slap on the other player, but points are not awarded if the opponent manages to block them. However, throwing punches is prohibited and considered a foul.

The match continues until slaps knock out a player or make him quit.