The International Carrom Federation (ICF) was formed in the year 1988 in Chennai, India. The formal rules for the Indian version of the game were published in 1988. In the same year the ICF officially codified the rules. The game has been very popular throughout South Asia, mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives. The game is also popular in many of the countries in the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. It has gained some popularity in United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia where it has been introduced by the Indian diaspora.