Hockey, in which India has an impressive
record with eight Olympic gold medals, is officially the national sport.
Although numerous sports are played in India, Cricket in the national
pastime of the country. Cricketers are worshiped like Gods and in every
nook and corner of the country the sport is played by people all ages.
The history of sports in India dates
back to the Vedic era. Physical culture in ancient India was fed by
a powerful fuel — religious rites. There were some well-defined values
like the mantra in the Atharva-Veda, saying," Duty is in my right
hand and the fruits of victory in my left". In terms of an ideal,
these words hold the same sentiments as the traditional Olympic oath:
".......For the Honour of my Country and the Glory of Sport."
The founders of the Olympic idea had India very much in mind when they
were deciding on the various disciplines. There is a fascinating link
between Greece and India which stretches back to 975 B.C. The zest for
chariot-racing and wrestling was common to both the countries.
Cricket:
Cricket is by far India's most popular
sport. In recent years, India achieved tremendous success in cricket,
winning the 1983 Cricket World Cup under the captaincy of Kapil Dev,
and finishing as runner-up in 2003 World Cup under the captaincy of
Sourav Ganguly. Domestic cricket in India has major tournaments like
Ranji or Duleep trophy.
Football:
Football is very popular in India.
Indian football team ranks 128th in the world. In spite of this, Indians
claim to be a big fan of this game. In recent years, the broadcast of
the FIFA World Cup and foreign leagues such as the English Premier League
and the Spanish La Liga have increased the popularity of football in
urban areas. The sport is most popular in Goa, Kerala, Manipur and West
Bengal.
Hockey:
Hockey is India's national game. However
the current state of the sport in no too good with the governing authorities
India was once the best international team in the world. The team had
won many medals and had many great players. India has won 8 Olympic
Golds and the World Cup in 1975 and runners-up in 1973. India is currently
ranked 8th in the world.
Tennis:
Tennis is popular among Indians in
urban areas. However India's fortunes in the Grand Slams singles have
been unimpressive. The best result in Tennis for India has been placed
2nd in the Davis Cup (default as they refused to play against apartheid
South Africa).
Chess:
Chess originated in India. It is quite
a popular sport, but players lack sponsors. India has produced one of
the all-time great chess players of the world Vishwanathan Anand. Other
grandmasters are emerging from different states, including Parimarjan
Negi, world's youngest International master.
Kabaddi:
Kabaddi originated from Punjab and
Haryana states of India, agility and most importantly hand eye coordination.
This sport is played by a person called a "raider" goes to
one side where four teammates will be holding hands in a semi-circle.
The raider has to try to touch one of the teammates and run back to
his line. But the teammates holding hands can grab the raider and knock
him down, which will earn his team a point. These are just the simple
rules, there are more complex rules. India bagged gold at the Asian
Games 2006 men's event and won a gold in kabaddi world cup held in India.
Other sports that are played in India
are:
(i) Formula One (ii) Badminton
(iii) Boxing (iv) Basketball
(v) Rugby (vi) Golf
(vii) Billiards and snooker (viii) Volleyball
(ix) Table Tennis (x) Squash
(xi) Bowling (xii) Polo
(xiii) Horse Racing & Equestrian (xiv)
Sailing
(xv) Gymnastics (xvi) Throwball
(xvii) Baseball & Softball (xviii)
Extreme Sports (Adventure Sports)
(xix) Whitewater Kayaking (xx) Rock
Climbing
