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India has ahistory of sports dating back to theVedic period, withWestern sports having been imported duringBritish rule.[2]Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highesttelevision viewership, with theIndian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed sports league in the country.Football has also gained popularity,[3][b] with theIndian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at theAsian andSouth Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the group stage of the1960 Olympics, qualified for the1950 FIFA World Cup, and won theSAFF Championship.[5][6][7][8] India has also had success infield hockey, winning theWorld Cup and multiple medals in theOlympic Games. Other popular sports includekabaddi,badminton,tennis,athletics andkho-kho. Sports such asgolf,rugby,wrestling,boxing,motorsport, andbasketball are also featured throughout the country.[9]
India's diverse culture and people have influenced the wide variety of sports, withindigenous sports such asfighter kite andboat racing being popular in some regions. Other indigenous sports includechess,kho kho,polo andsnooker, subject to location.Water sports, likescuba diving,boating,surfing, andkiteboarding, frequently appear in coastal areas.[10]Professional wrestling andmixed martial arts (MMA) are popular among young audiences,[11] with some Indian wrestlers achieving international success.[12][13] India has hosted theCricket World Cup three times and won it twice.[c] Field hockey is the most successful sport for India at the Olympics, with theIndian men's team winning thirteen Olympic medals—eight of which were gold. Although it is not considered a professional sport,cycling is a recreational activity and exercise in India.[16]
Domestic professional commercial sports leagues in the country includePremier Handball League (Handball), theIndian Premier League (Cricket)Women's Premier League (Cricket),Indian Super League (Football),I-League (Football),Pro Kabbadi (Kabbadi),Hockey India League (Hockey),Premier Badminton League (Badminton),Ultimate Table Tennis League (Table Tennis),Prime Volleyball League (Volleyball) andUltimate Kho Kho (Kho–Kho). The major international sporting events that are annually organised in India include theIndian Open (Golf),India Open (Badminton), andIndia Open (Table Tennis).Kabaddi, an indigenous sport, is widely regarded as one of the fastest growing sports in India, following the launch of the Indian domesticPro Kabaddi League. The sport has garnered substantial television viewership, contributing to its popularity and elevating its monetary value.[17] Women's sports have also grown in India, with professional leagues including theWomen's Premier League andWomen's Kabaddi League.[18]
India has hosted several international sporting events, including the1951 and1982 Asian Games; the1987,1995, and2016 South Asian Games; the2010 Commonwealth Games; the2014 Lusofonia Games; the1987,1996,[d]2011,2016,2021,[e]2023 men's and the1978,1997,2013, and2016 women's world cups. India has hosted editions of theSAFF Championship in1999,2011,2015,2023;SAFF Women's Championship in2016, and juniorFIFA world cups including the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup,2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup of football. India will host the2025 Women's World Cup,[20][f] the2026 T20 and the2031 ODI Cricket World Cup.[g]
The world's oldest stadium with terraced stands was constructed inDholavira,Gujarat, during the third millennium BCE. Two stadiums have been identified at the ancient site: one is considered a ceremonial ground, and the other a small stadium.[21][22][23]
Sports were evident during theVedic era.[2]Physical culture in ancient India was fuelled by religious rights.[specify] A well knownmantra in theAtharvaveda says, "Duty is in my right hand and the fruits of victory in my left."
The modern game ofbadminton developed from an English children's game known asbattledore and shuttlecock, a game that was most prominent in ancient India. The battledore was a paddle and the shuttlecock was a small feathered cork, colloquially called abird.[24]
India has a rich heritage ofmartial arts. In theMahabharata andRamayana,Bhima andHanuman were the greatestGadadhari (transl. One who fights with Gada (the Mace weapon)) and were skilled in wrestling. LordKrishna's brotherBalarama was a greatGadadhari. During the era of the Mahabharata, which is a tale of warring cousins (Pandavas andKauravas)[25] ,Pandava princeArjun andEkalavya were expert archers. It was believed that this book contained all aspects of Indian life, and whatever was said which was not in the book was not true. Going back to the history of sports, martial arts was one of the earliest sport used for military purposes. This too was limited to only the warrior caste, theKshatriya. Ancient India restricted their sports to only men, just like Ancient Greece, as the patriarchy was very strict.[26]Kalaripayattu, an ancient traditional martial art from South India, is still practised to this day by many.
Board games, includingchess andsnakes and ladders, originated from the ancient Indian gameschaturanga andgyan chauper respectively; these were later brought to foreign countries, where they would be modernized.[27][28] Chaturanga taught ancient Indians how to strategise for war, and the other board games often imparted spiritual values.[29][30]
Several Indianvariations of tag, such askabaddi andkho-kho, originated in prehistoric times, with kho-kho being played as far back as the fourth century BCE.[31]Atya-patya, a variant of tag, was mentioned in theNaṟṟiṇai (written in 300 CE).[32][33][34] Kabaddi and atya-patya in particular were used for military training purposes.[34][35] During the rule of theMughal Empire,pehlwani, a form of wrestling, was developed by combining nativemalla-yuddha with the Persianvarzesh-e bastani.[36]
Several other activities were partaken in for recreation, such as hunting, gambling in dice-games, etc.[37]
During thecolonial period, British India[h] competed at sixOlympic Games, winning medals infield hockey.[i]British sports were introduced into India during that period. Some Indians were variously participating in British sports to rise up the social hierarchy by imitating their colonisers[40] as well as aiming to achieve victory against the British in their sports.[41] The British also aimed to spread their sports among Indians as a way of spreading British values.[26][42] Efforts were made to develop thenative games of India during this time period; this led to the successful standardisation of games such as kabaddi and kho-kho,[43][44] as well as theirdemonstration in the1936 Summer Olympics.[45] However, the economic struggles prevailing at the time limited people's overall ability to participate in sport.[46]
In the early days, the British began clubs, which only whites could join. These clubs were a place where men could gather together to drink, socialize, and play sports. British soldiers would play British sports as a way of maintaining fitness, since the mortality rate for foreigners in India was high at the time, as well as to maintain a sense of Britishness; in the words of a contemporary writer, playing British sports was a way to "defend themselves from the magic of the land". The different games played in the clubs would be cricket, badminton,rugby,golf, androwing.[26]
Snooker originated in the late 19th century amongBritish Army officers stationed in India.[47] Modernpolo originated in British India in the 19th century[j] inManipur, where the game was known asSagol Kangjei,Kanjai-bazee, orPulu. The namepolo is the anglicized version of the lattermost term. The first polo club was established inSilchar,Assam, in 1833. The oldest polo club still in existence is theCalcutta Polo Club, which was established in 1862.[48][49][50]
Dorabji Tata, with the support of Dr. A.G. Noehren, the then-director ofYMCA, established theIndian Olympic Association in 1927.[51]
One of the world's earliest football clubs, theMohun Bagan was established in 1889. The club was formed whenThe Football Association began making standard rules for football. BeforeFIFA, the international governing body of football[clarification needed] was founded.
India had been under direct British colonial rule since 1858, and showed constant political, social, and cultural resistance throughout history. Though theBritish Raj had attained direct control over the subcontinent, there was a perspective that theNative Indians were able to cultivate their own form of national empowerment and a sense of implicit sovereignty through means of sport.
The British used sport as another conduit of transferring British socio-political ideas, culture, and beliefs into the fabric of India's system. As Australian authorBrian Stoddart writes in his article on British sports and cultural imperialism, “Colonial governors were especially important in emphasizing cricket as a ritual demonstration of British behavior, standards, and moral codes in both public and private.”[55] Despite many Indians being a part of white-dominated sports teams, there was an inevitably constant re-emphasis of the superior and inferior race ideology within the teams. During this era, there was a prevailing mindset amongst the British colonizers, being the fact that they viewed the Indians through a lens of superiority, which was reflected through socio-political events, specifically through sports. The British believed that the Indians were the inferior and effeminate race, taking the opportunity of sport as a mission to mold, reshape and therefore improve the Native race into a stronger, more physically capable race.[56] However, unsurprisingly, the native Indians were not keen on giving up their traditions to follow their colonizers, as author Subhadipa Dutta emphasizes through the quote of “the colonized were not always fascinated to ‘mimic’ the manly gestures and leisure pursuits of their white masters.” To illustrate this, in his book,Ramachandra Guha has delved deep into the political aspect of religion, race and caste within sports teams, especiallycricket. Guha successfully highlights the significance of the socio-cultural factors that are entwined in cricket, and how it encouraged theindigenization of the sport.[57]
Consequently, a strong desire stemming from frustration arose from the Indians; a desire to essentially reclaim their country that has been controlled by Europeans. The theory that Indians resistedBritish colonialism through sports to regain power over their country has been evident in various scholarly articles, books, and monographs. Specifically, in the 1963 memoirBeyond a Boundary, Trinidadian Marxist intellectualC. L. R. James compares Indians on the field to Greek drama plays: “selected individuals played representative roles which were charged with social significance.”[58] The author explains that there is irony between the English origins of the sport and the means of which Indians use it as a way to express their national identity – an identity which they feel was stolen from them as a result of the British Raj rule. This is further evident through the quote “... Social and political passions denied normal outlets, expressed themselves so fiercely in cricket precisely because they were games.”[58]
Furthermore, emphasizing and delving deep into its meanings, the memoir offers crucial points regarding the concept of native Indians expressing sovereignty within the games that they play. The memoir leads the reader to speculate beyond the meaning of cricket being a game for pleasure to view Englishness as an inherent and leading force within the actual sport. Through the lens of James’ memoir, the sport evolves into a nuance where Englishness intersects withWest Indian identity formation, both in and beyond the field.[59] Indians used sports as a gateway or an opportunity to regain national pride and identity, ultimately fighting against the British narrative. The colonized therefore developed their own physical strength and power while confronting and rejecting the components of imperial ideology. They developed proud self-image throughout time as a significant step for achieving freedom and establishing popular sovereignty, which underscores the revolutionary power of resistance amongst Indians against their British colonizers through harvesting strength and national self-determination and identity.
Until the 1970s, poverty limited Indians' ability to play ball sports;[60] however, when India won the1983 Cricket World Cup, cricket rose to popularity[61] while the former favorite sport, field hockey, was declining.[62] International sports and sporting leagues quickly grew after theeconomic liberalisation of the 1990s, which allowed more money to be invested into sports.[63] TheIndian Premier League (IPL), which started in 2007, quickly became the most dominant league in the country and is highly influential in global cricket;[64] by 2022, it was only behind America'sNational Football League in terms of being the most valued league in the world on a per-match basis.[65] Several other sports leagues quickly popped up after the IPL, with theIndian Super League becoming one of the biggest leagues and playing a significant role in Indian football.[66] Other leagues (such as thePro Kabaddi League,Ultimate Kho Kho, and thePro Panja League) also contributed to the modernisation of indigenous sports.[67][68][69] Kabaddi has become an international sport, with countries such as South Korea and Iran playing it.[70]
Several factors have explained India's lack of success in international sport, such as economic hardship, lack of emphasis on sports other than cricket in Indian culture, corruption, and a lack of investment in sports.[71][72] Indians seeking to become professional athletes are often encouraged to instead pursue higher-paying professions and help themselves and their families economically; surveys indicate that Indians also spend substantially less time playing sports than people inOECD countries.[73] In recent decades[when?], theGovernment of India andMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports have tried to promote sports in the country by launching and organising new national sports events such as theKhelo India Youth Games (KIYG), theKhelo India Winter Games (KIWG), and theKhelo India University Games (KIUG), which are all competitions under theKhelo India sports development programme, in various cities across the nation.[m] The first Khelo India School Games was held in 2018.[n] KIYG and KIUG are set up as annual events for children and teenagers, who represent their states and universities in them respectively.[75][76] The Indian government has also tripled its sports budget from 2014 to 2023, and is looking to host the2036 Olympics.[77]
India founded theAsian Games, which is considered to be the world's second-largest sporting event behind theOlympic Games,[78] as a way to make itself relevant in the new post-colonial world order.[18][79] It hosted the Games in New Delhi for the inaugural edition in1951 and again in1982. The currentMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports was initially set up as the Department of Sports in 1982 at the time of organisation of the Games in New Delhi. Its name was changed to the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports duringInternational Youth Year in 1985.[80] India has also hosted and co-hosted several international sporting events, including the1987,1996 and2011 Cricket World Cups, the2003 Afro-Asian Games, the2010 Hockey World Cup, and the2010 Commonwealth Games. Major international sporting events annually held in India include theChennai Open, theMumbai Marathon and theDelhi Half Marathon. The country hosted the firstIndian Grand Prix in 2011.[81] The largest stadium in the world, theNarendra Modi Stadium, is in India.
TheMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports is a ministry of theGovernment of India for sport in the country.Anurag Thakur is the incumbent sports minister of India.[82]
The ministry is run by a Secretary to the Government of India, and is usually headed by aMinister of State.[83] A ministry-recognised National Sports Federation Of India (NSFOI) represents each Olympic and non-Olympic sport—the only major exception being theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is not an NSFOI.[84][o] As of 2019[update], 56 NSFs are recognised by the ministry.[86] The presence of politicians at the helm of many such federations has been criticised for causing inefficiency and corruption.[84]
For each sport, India has a separate governing body. These include theAll India Football Federation for football, theNational Rifle Association of India for shooting, and theBoxing Federation of India forboxing.
TheIndian Olympic Association (IOA) is responsible for the Indian contingent's participation in theOlympic Games,Commonwealth Games,Asian Games (outdoor, indoor and beach),South Asian Games,Lusofonia Games,World Games andMilitary World Games. The selection of the national teams is done by the respective national federations and then recommended to the IOA for official sponsorship for participation in those games.[51] TheParalympic Committee of India is responsible for the Indian participation in theParalympic Games andAsian Para Games. The All India Sports Council for the Deaf is responsible for India's participation in theDeaflympics Games, and theSpecial Olympics Bharat is responsible for India's participation in theSpecial Olympics.
TheAssociation of Indian Universities is responsible for India participating in theUniversiade Games, while the School Games Federation of India is responsible for India's participation in theGymnasiade Games.
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The following is a list of international sports events held in India:
AthleteNorman Pritchard represented India in the1900 Olympics, winning two silver medals. India sent its firstnational team to the Olympics in 1920 and has participated in everySummer Olympic Games ever since. India has also competed at severalWinter Olympic Games since 1964.
As of 2024[update], India has won a total of 41 Summer Olympic medals and 60 Summer Paralympic medals. India won its first gold medal in men'sfield hockey at the1928 Olympic Games. On winning the10m air rifle event at the2008 Olympics,Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games. In 2021, Neeraj Chopra won the men's javelin throw gold medal at theTokyo 2020 Olympics.[101][102]
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India has competed in all but four editions of theCommonwealth Games since thesecond Game in 1934. India has hosted the Commonwealth Games in2010 at Delhi. India has won a total of 504 medals, including 181 gold medals.
India has participated in every edition of theAsian Games, and has hosted the Games in1951 and 1982 in New Delhi. As of 2018[update], India has won 671 medals, of which 139 are gold. India has won at least one gold medal in each tournament; its performance in the Asian Games has improved significantly in recent years.[103]
India has participated in every edition of theWorld Games (where they won five medals) and theSouth Asian Games (where they ranked first place). India has also participated in theLusofonia Games.
India was in theDeaflympics Games,Special Olympics Games,Military World Games,Universiade Games,Gymnasiade Games, andParalympic Games.
National Games of India are conducted by theIndian Olympic Association and are meant to identify athletes who would later go for the Olympics. The first National Games (formerly called the Indian Olympic Games), were held inLahore in 1924, while the first modern Games were held inNew Delhi in 1985.[104]
Historically,archery was played and practiced by royals. Modern archery in India began in the early 1970s before its introduction as an Olympic event in 1972, and it was formalised in 1973 when theArchery Association of India (AAI) was established. Since its inception, AAI has been creating and maintaining the rules of the sport.
TheAthletics Federation of India (AFI) is the national governing body of athletics in India. India is not a major competitor in athletics. Very few Indian athletes have won medals and championships at international competitions. As of 28 October 2022[update], India has won three medals in the Summer Olympics.
Norman Pritchard was the first Indian Olympic athlete. He won an Olympic medal for India as a sprinter and won two silver medals in the 200msprint and 200m hurdletrack and field event at the1900 Summer Olympics.[105][106]Neeraj Chopra won the first Olympic gold medal in track and field for India at the2020 Summer Olympics, also winning a medal in thejavelin throwevent.[107]
Anju Bobby George won the bronze medal in thewomen's long jump at the2003 World Championships in Athletics in Paris. She became the first Indian athlete to win a medal in aWorld Championships in Athletics, jumping 6.7 m (22 ft) in 2010. For 52 years,Milkha Singh was the only athlete to win an individual gold medal at aCommonwealth Games; however, at the2010 Commonwealth Games,Krishna Punia won thewomen's discus throw gold medal for India and was the first Indian woman to be a gold medalist in athletics at the Commonwealth Games.[108] At the2014 Commonwealth Games,Vikas Gowda won theMen's Discus Throw gold medal.
Hima Das is the only Indian track athlete to win a medal at anyWorld Athletics global event. She won the gold medal inWomen's 400 metres at the2018 IAAF World U20 Championships inTampere, Finland, on 12 July 2018, clocking at a time of 51.46 seconds.[109][110] She is the second gold medalist in athletics at theIAAF World U20 Championships after Chopra, who wonmen's javelin throw gold at2016 IAAF World U20 Championships by setting theworld junior record with a throw of 86.48 m (283.7 ft). Chopra later won gold in themen's javelin throw at the2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2020, at the Tokyo Olympics, he became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's javelin throw.[p] At the2016 Summer Olympics,Lalita Babar became the first Indian athlete since 1984 to reach the Olympics finale in the event of theWomen's 3000 metres steeplechase.[111] Before her,P.T. Usha reached the finale of theWomen's 400 metres hurdles at the1984 Summer Olympics.
P.T. Usha won multiple gold medals[quantify] in different editions of theAsian Games andAsian Athletics Championships.Lavy Pinto was the first Indian to win a gold medal in the Asian Games. Pinto also won a gold medal in the first Asian Games held at New Delhi in 1951 in the 100- and 200-meter categories.[112]Christine Brown,Stephie D'Souza,Violet Peters, andMary D'Souza won the first gold medal in women's athletics for India in the 4 × 100 m relay in the1954 Asian Games.Kamaljeet Sandhu was the first female Indian athlete to win an individual gold medal at any Asian games in the400m track event at the1970 Asian Games.[113]Sunita Rani holds the currentAsian record in the1500 m track event winning at theBusan2002 Asian Games at a time of 4:06.03.
Madhurjya Borah, an Indiantriathlete, holds the silver medal for the South Asian Triathlon Championship. TriathleteAnu Vaidyanathan was the first Asian to compete inUltraman.[114] In May 2016,Arunaabh Shah became the first Indian male and the youngest Indian to finish Ultraman at Ultraman Australia.[115]
Neeraj Chopra became the first India athlete to win theDiamond League trophy inZürich, Switzerland, in2022[116] by throwing a javelin 88.44 m (290.2 ft).[117] On 24 July 2022, he won the silver medal in the2022 World Athletics Championships inOregon; he is the only athlete from India to have done so.[118]
In the2022 Commonwealth Games,Avinash Sable andPriyanka Goswami won the first silver medals for India in the games' history and in any major multinational events in the 3000msteeplechase and 10,000mracewalking events respectively.[119]
Badminton is a popular sport in India, specifically inSouth India; people often play it as a recreational activity. The region has multiple badminton academies and coaching facilities.
TheBadminton Association of India (BAI) is the national governing body of badminton in India. It organises multiple national tournaments.
In 2022, the Indian Badminton team won for the first time in theThomas Cup, which is a badminton multinational tournament.[120]
P. V. Sindhu,Srikanth Kidambi, and pairSatwiksairaj Rankireddy andChirag Shetty are ranked amongst the top ten in the current BWF world rankings.Prakash Padukone was the first player from India to achieve the number one spot. He was the winner of theAll England Open Badminton Championships in1980, which was later won byPullela Gopichand in2001.Srikanth Kidambi became the second male player to make it to the top spot in April 2018.[121] In 2015,Saina Nehwal achieved the world number one BWF ranking, and she is the first ever Indian badminton player who won a medal at the Olympics, doing so in2012.[122][123]
Sindhu is the first Indian to become theBadminton World Champion, which she achieved in2019, and is the only badminton player from India to win two consecutive medals at the Olympic Games. In2016, she won a silver medal, while in2020, she won bronze.[124][125]
Doubles playerJwala Gutta is the only Indian to have been ranked in the top 10 in two categories: at number 6 withValiyaveetil Diju in mixed doubles, and number 10 withAshwini Ponnappa in women's doubles.[126] Other successful players includeAparna Popat,Syed Modi,Chetan Anand,Parupalli Kashyap,Prannoy Kumar,Sameer Verma,Lakshya Sen,Ashwini Ponnappa, andN. Sikki Reddy.
India has also won twelve medals at theBWF World Championships, with Sindhu being the only Indian badminton player to have won gold in2019. At theBWF World Junior Championships, Nehwal is the only gold medalist for India, winning in2008. At theBadminton Asia Junior Championships, Sindhu andLakshya Sen are the only gold medalists for India, winning in2012 and2018 respectively.
TheBoxing Federation of India is the national governing body of the sport. India regularly wins medals inboxing at theAsian Games andCommonwealth Games. In November 2007,Mary Kom won the title of best boxer, securing ahat-trick. During the2008 Beijing Olympics,Vijender Singh won a bronze medal in themiddleweight division, andAkhil Kumar andJitender Kumar qualified for the quarterfinals. Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, A.L. Lakra, and Dinesh Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2008 World Championship. Kom won the bronze medal at the2012 London Olympic Games.[127]
Cricket has a long history in India, having been introduced in the country duringBritish rule. It is the most popular spectator sport in India.[128] India is a cricket powerhouse, having won theICC ODI World Cup and theICC T20 World Cup twice. The governing body for this sport in this nation is theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It is the richest cricket board in the world.[129] Cricket is played at the local, national, and international level, and has huge fan following from people in most parts of the nation. Cricket has officially been approved by theInternational Olympic Committee for inclusion in the2028 Olympics.[130] BCCI controls professional level, hard ball cricket But amateur cricket does not have any governing body, which usually played with rubber ball.
India national cricket team represents India in international cricket. It is colloquially known as "Team India". It played its first Test againstEngland atLord's in 1932, led byC. K. Nayudu. It is one of the top teams in this sport.[131]Indian women's national cricket team represents India in women's international cricket.
Themain rival of Team India isPakistani cricket team.[q]
This sport generates high TV viewership during international andIndian Premier League (IPL) matches. India does not have a national game.[132] The governing body for cricket in India, the BCCI, was formed in December 1928 and is based in Mumbai.[129] IPL is the richest cricket league in the world.[r] Top players around the world annually come to India to participate in it. BCCI annually organises IPL in Summer across the country.[s] There are many cricket broadcasting television channels in India such asStar Sports 1,Sony Ten 1, Star Sports 2 etc. and mobile, TV applications such asDisney+ Hotstar,Sony Liv, Fancode, Voot.
India will host the 2031ICC ODI Cricket World Cup.[134]
India has a plethora of cricket stadiums. The country has the biggest stadium in the world, theNarendra Modi Stadium, which has 132,000 seats for viewers.[t]
India has hosted or co-hosted many major international cricket tournaments, including the1987 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Pakistan), the1996 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Pakistan andSri Lanka), the2006 ICC Champions Trophy, the2011 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Sri Lanka andBangladesh), and the2023 Cricket World Cup. TheIndia national cricket team has won major tournaments, including the1983 Cricket World Cup in England, the2007 ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, the 2011 Cricket World Cup (which they won by beatingSri Lanka in the final at home), and the2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and has shared the2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka.[u] It had also held the position of the top team inTests.[135] In 2021, Team India reached to the final of the inauguralICC World Test Championship and remained runner-up after losing against New Zealand.[136]
TheIndia women's cricket team remained runner-up in2005 and2017 ICC women's cricket world cup.[v][137]
The biggest domestic competitions includeRanji Trophy,Duleep Trophy,Deodhar Trophy,Irani Trophy,Vijay Hazare Trophy and theNKP Salve Challenger Trophy. BCCI organised IPL generates atmosphere like acarnivals–fair annually in April - May in summer season. Most of the fans prefer to witness games of the ICC tournaments, IPL. But the domestic cricket games of Ranji trophy, Vijay Hazare trophy and Duleep Trophy etc. do not get audience on TV or in stadiums.
Field hockey, until the mid-1970s, was dominated by theIndia men's national field hockey team, winning Olympic gold medals and the1975 Men's Hockey World Cup. Field hockey declined within the country due to changing rules, the introduction ofartificial turf, and internal politics in Indian field hockey bodies. In 2008, the men's team failed to qualify for the2008 Olympics and finished last in the2012 Olympics.
However, the men's team were second place at the2014 Commonwealth Games and won gold infield hockey at the 2014 Asian Games. Losing at the quarter final stage of the2016 Rio Olympics following a loss toBelgium, India would win the2017 Men's Hockey Asia Cup. India, at the2020 games in Tokyo, won a bronze medal. Currently,[needs update] the Indian men's team is fifth inthe rankings of the Fédération Internationale de Hockey sur Gazon (FIH, English:International Hockey Federation), the international governing body of indoor and outdoor field hockey.[138]
Thewomen's national field hockey team first participated at the Summer Olympics in1980, achieving fourth place. At the1982 Asian Games for field hockey, the team won gold. In the2016 Summer Olympics, the Indian women's team qualified for the Summer Olympics and they went on to win the2017 Women's Hockey Asia Cup. However, the India Women's team did not win any medals in theWomen's Hockey World Cup. The present team is rankedtenth place by theFédération Internationale de Hockey.[138] India has hosted three Men's Hockey World Cups—the first in1982 inMumbai, second in2010 in Delhi—where the country finished fifth and eighth place respectively—and the third in Bhubaneswar in2018. India also hosted the annualHockey Champions Trophy in 1996, 2005, 2014, and 2016.
Until 2008, theIndian Hockey Federation (IHF) was the apex body for hockey in the country. However, after corruption and other scandals in the IHF, the federation was dissolved, and a new apex body for Indian hockey calledHockey India (HI) was formed on 20 May 2009, with support from theIndian Olympic Association (IOA) and former hockey players. HI, recognized by theInternational Hockey Federation (FIH), has the sole mandate to govern and conduct all activities for bothmen's andwomen's field hockey in India. Although the IHF was reinstated in 2010,[139] it is not recognised by the FIH. The IHF conducts a franchise-based tournament calledWorld Series Hockey (WSH), with its first season conducted in2012. However, it is not approved by the HI or the FIH.
HI also conducts a franchise-based tournament called theHockey India League (HIL). Its first season was held in2013. It is recognised by the FIH, which has also decided to provide a 30-day window for the forthcoming seasons so all top players can participate.
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The game ofSquash is not well known in the country. It have less exposure and has no countrywide infrastructure, although some Indians have achieved success at international levels.Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) is the national federation of Squash in India. SRFI annually organise 'SRFI National Squash championship', its 78-season has held as of 2022. SRFI also organiseda tour tournament.Joshna Chinappa is 18 time nationals winner in NSC.[140]
Thewomen's andmen's Squash team represents India in international tournaments. In2016 South Asian Games India men and women team won gold medals.
In Squash world cup 2023, the India team reached semifinal but lost to Malaysia 3–0, before that they defeated Hong Kong and South Africa each with 4–0. Joshna Chinappa andSaurav Ghosal, alongsideTanvi Khanna and Abhay Singh was part of Indian team.[141]
In 2013 Ghoshal became the first Indian to get in top 20 ranking, he reach his career best rank 15.[142] In 2012Dipika Pallikal achieved the top 10 ranking in the world.[143]
Sourav Ghoshal is among the brilliant athletes of the sport in India.[144] Indian men's team won their maiden gold medal at Asian championship in 2022 andAsian Games 2022 .[145]Ramit Tandon and Ghoshal defeated team of Kuwait 2–0 in the final.[146]
Indian Squash Academy ofChennai is the leading academy of the Squash in the country.
Football was introduced to India during the British colonial period. TheAll India Football Federation (AIFF) is the national governing body for football in India. It is affiliated withFIFA, the international governing body of football, and theAsian Football Federation (AFF). Football is the second most popular sport in India after cricket. In states such asWest Bengal andKarnataka, both football and cricket are equally popular, while football is the dominant sport, more popular than cricket, inKerala,Goa,Jammu and Kashmir andNortheast India.
Although India has never played in anyFIFA World Cups, India qualified for the1950 FIFA World Cup inBrazil. However, the country did not participate because the team was not allowed to play barefoot. Another excuse that was cited was that the AIFF did not have money to travel to Brazil that time.[147][148] The barefoot excuse was false, according to a 19 July 2011Los Angeles Times article.[148] FIFA was ready to give money to the Indian team to travel to Brazil for the World Cup, thus invalidating the money excuse. The barefoot excuse was a "historical blunder" done by AIFF according to the bookBox to box: 75 years of the Indian football team, authored by sports journalistJaydeep Basu. In his book, he revealed that the Indian football team did not play 1950 FIFA World Cup because of "ignorance, short-sightedness, lack of confidence, and misplaced priorities on behalf of the All India Football Federation".[148][149]
In the1948 Summer Olympics, India went againstFrance, losing 2–1.[w][148] During the 1950s and 1960s, known as the golden era, India was the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals in an Olympic football tournament at the1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, andNeville D'Souza became the first Asian and Indian to score ahat-trick in an Olympic match.[150] The men's team have won two gold medals at theAsian Games in1951 and1962,[151] and finished in second place at the1964 AFC Asian Cup.
India currently ranks 102nd in theFIFA rankings as of 26 October 2023. It has won multiple editions ofSAFF Championships.[152] In 2023, it won theIntercontinental Cup by defeatingLebanon in the final round.
TheIndia national football team andIndia women's national football team represent India in FIFA,Asian Football Federation, and international, friendly tournaments in men's and women's football respectively.[clarification needed] TheIndian Super League andI-League are deemed as top-tier football leagues in India.
In June 1937, at the Army Headquarters inShimla, the AIFF—the governing body for football in India—was formed during a meeting of the representatives of football associations from six regions where the game was popular at the time. Other major domestic competitions for men's football include the I-League second division in theIndian League System and the annual knock-out styleFederation Cup. For women's football, there is theIndia women's football championship.
European leagues, such as the EnglishPremier League, SpanishLa Liga, and theUEFA Champions League, are popular among Indian football fans, especially inmetropolitan cities.[citation needed] Other European top leagues, such as theUEFA Europa League, Germany'sBundesliga, Italy'sSerie A, and France'sLigue 1 are broadcast ontelevision in India.
The nation has hosted the2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup; this was the first FIFA junior football world cup held in India.[153] The matches were held from 6 to 28 October in arenas inNew Delhi,Kolkata,Kochi,Navi Mumbai,Guwahati, andMargao.[154]
In club football, a rivalry betweenMohun Bagan andEast Bengal FC ofWest Bengal known as theKolkata Derby attracts many viewers, generating interest in fans. As of 2021[update], in ISL teams, 25% of players were from the states of Mizoram and Manipur inNortheast India. Most of the players of the India national football team are from these northeast states, where there are football clubs such asAizawl FC,Shillong Lajong FC, andNeroca FC, who all play in the I-League.[155]
TheIndia national beach soccer team represents India in international level tournaments. TheAIFF is responsible to govern and develop the game in the nation.[156] The AIFF is the governing body offutsal in India. TheIndia national futsal team represents the country in international level tournaments and games.[157]
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Golf is played among the wealthier classes. The most successful Indian golfers areJeev Milkha Singh andAnirban Lahiri. Singh won three titles on theEuropean Tour, four on theJapan Golf Tour, and six on theAsian Tour. His highest world ranking was on 28 March 2009. Singh has won the Asian TourOrder of Merit twice. Meanwhile, Lahiri has two European Tour wins and seven Asian Tour wins, qualifying for the2015 Presidents Cup.
Other Indians who have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit areJyoti Randhawa in 2002 (the first Indian to do so), andArjun Atwal, who went on in 2010 to become the first Indian-born player to become a member of the US-basedPGA Tour and win the 2010Wyndham Championship.
Ingolf at the Asian Games, the India's men's golf team won gold at the1982 Asian Games and silver at the2006 Asian Games.Lakshman Singh won the individual gold at the 1982 Asian Games.
There are numerousgolf courses around India as well as aProfessional Golf Tour. The main tournament is theHero Indian Open, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
At theTokyo 2020 Olympics,Aditi Ashok finished fourth place in the women's golf competition.
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In India, gymnastics is not as prominent due to the lack of facilities, exposure, encouragement, championships, sponsorships, and coaching. However, the sport gained national attention after the performance ofDipa Karmakar at the2016 Summer Olympics inRio de Janeiro, where she reached fourth place in the final round during her debut. Karmakar's success made her well known in India and encouraged new girls and boys to participate in gymnastics.[158]
TheGymnastics Federation of India is the official governing body for gymnastics sport in India. It organises various tournaments throughout the year, and it is recognised by theMinistry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India.[159]
Ashish Kumar won the first medal in gymnastics for India, which was bronze at the2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won a silver medal in themen's vault in that edition.[160]
At the2014 Commonwealth Games inGlasgow, Karmakar won bronze in thewomen's vault final. Her second vault, theProdunova vault—known as thevault of death due to how dangerous it could be—was executed with a score of 15.1 (D-7, Ex- 8.1).[161] With this attempt, she became the fifth gymnast to ever execute the Produnova just after gymnastOksana Chusovitina. In October2015, Karmakar became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for a final stage at theWorld Artistic Gymnastics Championships. In 2016, when she qualified for the Rio Olympics, she became the first Indian gymnast to do so. Hours after her qualification at the2016 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, she won a gold medal in thewomen's vault event.[162] On 6 July 2016,FIG honored Dipa by naming her World Class Gymnast.[163] At the Rio Olympics, she achieved fourth place in vaults. After a long hiatus from injury, she ran for vaults and won gold at theWorld Challenge Cup series.[164]
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Lacrosse is a relatively new sport in India, introduced in 2006. The governing body for lacrosse in India is theIndian National Lacrosse Federation. It is now being played by schools inShillong, Meghalaya, while being basically nonexistent in the rest of the country. No traces ofLacrosse in India can be found on the Internet.[citation needed]
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Tennis, in urban areas, is a popular sport among Indians after the success ofVijay Amritraj. He was India's firstsingles player who reached the quarterfinals of theWimbledon Championships. Amritraj was a notable player in the 1960s and 1970s. He is the first Indian singles tennis player who was in the top 50 of theWTA rankings and was the number 16 world singles player.[165]
TheAll India Tennis Association, is the national governing body for tennis in India. It is affiliated with theInternational Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body for tennis in the world. TheATP 250Maharashtra Open was organised inPune until 2022.[x]Stan Wawrinka was its most successful player, whileRafael Nadal participated in it.
InGrand Slams, India has won multipleTennis Grand Slams inmen's doubles andmixed doubles.Leander Paes won a singles bronze medal at the1996 Olympics, achieving the world record for the number of mixed doubles in Wimbledon. Since the late 1990s, Paes andMahesh Bhupathi have won many men's doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.Sania Mirza was an Indian woman tennis player who won aWTA title, was in the Top 30WTA rankings, and won three Grand Slam doubles events, the first at Wimbledon in 2015. In singles,Yuki Bhambri is a top player at theATP Tour; Bhambri was the Australian Open junior singles champion in 2009. Women tennis playersAnkita Raina andKarman Kaur Thandi were in the top 200 in 2018.[166][167]
TheNational Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded in 1951 with a view to promote and popularize theshooting sports in India. It is the governing body for shooting sports in the country. India has won many international medals in various forms of this sport.
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Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won the first Olympic medal in shooting for India. Rathore won silver in the2004 Summer Olympics indouble trap and has won 3 Commonwealth gold medals, one silver medal, and a silver and bronze medal in the Asian Games.[168]
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Abhinav Bindra won the first Olympic gold medal in shooting at the2008 Beijing Olympics. It was the first individual Olympic gold medal by an Indian in Olympics.[169]
Gagan Narang won a bronze medal at the2012 Summer Olympics in the 10 meter air rifle shooting event. He won four gold medals in the2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne; among these two he won with Abhinav Bindra in team event.[170]
Karnam Malleswari won abronze medal at the2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, making her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.[171] The headquarters of theIndian Weightlifting Federation is in New Delhi. The federation is affiliated with the Indian Olympic Association (Delhi), and is also a member of theAsian Weightlifting Federation (Tehran) andInternational Weightlifting Federation (IWF,Budapest).
In 2021,Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won silver medal in 49 kg category in 2020 Summer Olympics held inTokyo,Japan. In 2022, she won Gold inweightlifting atBirmingham Commonwealth games.
Considered one of the most ancient and oldest sports in the world,wrestling in India has a glorious past. The sport of wrestling began its journey in India several centuries ago, during theMiddle Ages. Wrestling is among the most prestigious and oldest events in theOlympic Games. It was included in the Olympics in 708 BC. In ancient times, wrestling in India was mainly used as a way to stay physically fit. It was also used as amilitary exercise without any weapons. Wrestling in India is also known asdangal, and it is the basic form of a wrestling tournament.
In India, wrestling is mostly known asMalla-Yuddha. Wrestling was mentioned in ancient times, found in theSanskrit epic ofIndian history,Mahabharata. One of the premier characters in Mahabharata,Bhima, was considered a great wrestler. Other great wrestlers includedJarasandha,Duryodhana, andKarna. Another Indian epic,Ramayana, also mentions wrestling in India, describingHanuman as one of the greatest wrestlers of that time. The 13th-centuryMalla Purana references a group ofGujaratiBrahmin wrestlers known asJyesthimallas.
Table tennis is a popular indoor recreation sport in India, which has caught on in states including West Bengal andTamil Nadu. TheTable Tennis Federation of India is the official governing body of the sport. India, which is ranked 30th in the world, has produced a single player ranked in the top 50,Sharath Kamal.[172]
TheSwimming Federation of India is the national governing body foraquatic sports in India. Legally, it is anon-profit association registered under theWest Bengal Societies Registration Act, 1861.[173] The Federation holds elections for its office bearers every four years.[174] The SFI currently oversees competition in the sports ofswimming,masters swimming,synchronized swimming,diving,high diving, andwater polo. It is affiliated toFINA[175] andAsia Aquatics.[176]
Sajan Prakash and Srihari Natraj became the first-ever Indian swimmers to qualify for the Olympic Games (2020 Olympics) by breaching the A standard time.
People in urban India follow the sport, probably played in almost every urban private school, although very few people follow it professionally. In rural India nearly all the people are not aware of it. India has bothmen's andwomen's national basketball teams. Both teams have hired head coaches who have worked extensively withNBA players and now aim to popularise the game in India.[177]Satnam Singh Bhamara officially marks the first player from India to be selected in theNBA by being drafted by theDallas Mavericks as the 52nd pick of the2015 NBA draft, as well asthe first player to be drafted straight out of high school as a postgraduate.
TheYoung Cagers, as the national team is nicknamed, made one Olympic appearance in basketball and appeared 20 times in theAsian Championship. India is currently ranked 58th in the world in basketball. The India national team had its best result at the1975 Asian Championship, when the team finished ahead of teams including thePhilippines, one of Asia's basketball strongholds. Internationally, one of the most recognised Indian basketball players has beenSozhasingarayer Robinson.[178] TheBasketball Federation of India (BFI) is the governing body forbasketball in India. Affiliated to theInternational Basketball Federation (FIBA) since 1936, India has one of Asia's longest basketball traditions.[179]
India's women had their best result at the2011 FIBA Asia Championship for Women when they finished sixth. The team has several internationally known players includingGeethu Anna Jose, who was invited to tryouts for theWNBA in 2011.[180]
Sports18 air NBA in the nation andDD Sports air its old game highlights.Indian National Basketball League operates here.
Volleyball is a popularrecreation sport played all over India, both in rural and urban areas.[dubious –discuss]India is ranked fifth in Asia, and 27th in the world. In the youth and junior levels, India came in second in the 2003 World Youth Championships. The Indian senior men's team is ranked 46th in the world. A major problem for the sport is the lack of sponsors.[181]
India has won two bronze medals in canoeing at theAsian Games. TheIndian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA) is the governing body for canoeing andkayaking in India.[182]
Indian flat waterkayakers are an emerging powerhouse on the Asian circuit. Outside of professional flat waterkayaking, there is very limited recreational kayaking. The potential to generate interest in flat water kayaking is held by leisureresorts located near the sea or other water bodies. Indian tourists tend to consider kayaking a one-time activity, rather than a sport to be pursued.
Enthusiasts ofwhitewater kayaking are concentrated in the north towards theHimalayas, with some in the south in Bangalore inKarnataka. Most of these enthusiasts are or were whitewater raft guides who took to the sport of whitewater kayaking. Some of the prominent whitewater kayakers include Abhinav Kala, Shalabh Gahlaut, and John Pollard. Many of them have notched first descents (similar to climbing ascents) on rivers in India and Nepal.
"Bangalore Kayakers" or "Southern River Runners" are India's first amateur group of white water kayakers. Based out of Bangalore, they explore rivers aroundWestern Ghats.[183] The lure for most of these participants is adventure. Whitewater kayaking in India allows for exploration of places where, literally, no human has been before.
Gear availability is a problem that plagues kayakers. While the global designs for whitewater boats and paddles change annually, Indian kayakers have to pay high fees if they want to import any kind of gear, or they have to buy used gear in Nepal. More often than not, one will see Indian kayaking guides riding down the river in a Perception Amp, Piroutte or Dancer designs, while the kayakers from abroad ride the river in their new design, planing hull, centred-volume kayaks from Riot, Pyranha, or Wave Sport.
Kayaking India groups on Facebook are good resources for kayakers in India.
India's history in rowing dates back to the British era. The country's first rowing club, theCalcutta Rowing Club was founded in 1858. TheRowing Federation of India administers the sport in the country. India's first everAsian Games gold medal was won byBajrang Lal Takhar in 2010[184] but the country has never won anOlympic medal in the sport.
Sailing as a sport in India can be traced back to the first recorded race being sailed on 6 February 1830 in the western city ofBombay. Till the time theBritish left India in 1947, there were five active sailing clubs located atBombay,Madras,Bangalore,Barrackpore andNainital.[185] Today, there are clubs located inKerala,Pune,Goa,Hyderabad, andBhopal.[186] TheYachting Association of India is the governing body for sailing, windsurfing and motorboating in India. The Yachting Association of India was formally constituted on 15 May 1960.
The history of cycling in India dates back to 1938, and theCycling Federation of India governs the sport. Though cycling is unknown as a professional sport in India, it is popular as a common recreational sport and a way to keep fit. Children's and younger people do cycling as recreational activity and as play. Some adults use bicycles to travel. Presently cycling is not considered as a commercial professional sport in the nation.
Mountain biking is becoming a popular sport in India. Uttarakhand tourism development annually organiseUttrakhand Himalyan MTB tournament in which 50 mountain bikers participate in 884 km long race, which runs for a week. It is Asia's longest mountain bike race, bikers around the world take part in this mountain race.[187]
For the last six years,Mtb himachal, a hardcore endurance event, has been organised regularly by Himalayan Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), a non-governmental organisation (NGO). A number of national and international riders participate, including Indian Army,Indian Air Force,Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and a number of young and energetic mountain biking individual riders from cities includingPune, Bangalore, Delhi andChandigarh. Last year[when?], theGovernment of Sikkim (Department of Tourism) introduced its own mountain biking race, with Southeast Asia's biggest prize money. The second edition saw 48 professional participants from around the globe.[citation needed]
TheTour of Nilgiris is a major non-competitive and non-commercial touring event in South Asia that covers 1,000 kilometres in under 10 days.[188] The Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), India's first Day Touring Cycle Ride, was born in December 2008 with the twin objectives of promoting bicycling as an activity and spreading awareness about the bio-diversity, flora and fauna of the Nilgiris.
It soon grew into something a lot more, with an eclectic riding community in 2008 wanting to participate. The community soon assembled, made plans, chose a route and realised they would need a framework to support such a large group of people. So they recruited sponsors to mitigate costs as well as popularise the Tour and the cause of popularising cycling as a viable and sustainable means of travel. Ever since its first edition, the TfN has stayed true to the Community of Cyclists in India by being a Tour for the Community, Of the Community and By the Community. It has grown in size, stature and visibility. From 40 riders in the first edition, it has grown to 100 cyclists in 2013.[tone]
The tour has grown bigger and the routes tougher, allowing cyclists to test their endurance, enjoy the biodiversity of the Nilgiris covering the southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For the racing aficionados, there are racing segments on the tour with colour coded jerseys, recognition and prizes. TfN as it is lovingly called is pushing cycling to new frontiers with more and more interested cyclists, applying for the tour. The tour has acquired quite a name, and currently about 25% of registrations are selected for the tour by the organisers.[citation needed][tone]
India has a wide following in variousequestrian sports, includingshow jumping,eventing,dressage,endurance riding andtent pegging. Supported by the Equestrian Federation of India, eventing is the most popular of the five, with teams representing the country at mostAsian Games, winning a bronze medal in the 2002 and 2006 games. India has been represented at the Olympics twice, by Wing Commander I.J. Lamba, and Imtiaz Anees.
Judo is played by few in India. It is not widely known. The first written record about judo in India inKodokan is about demonstrations and coaching of Judo by Shinzo Tagaki arranged atShantiniketan in 1929 byRabindranath Tagore.[189] TheJudo Federation of India was formed in 1965.[190]
As of 31 October 2022, India have 11 commonwealth games medals in Judo. Indian JudokaTulika Maan and Sushila Devi each won a silverVijay Kumar Yadav won a Bronze in the2022 Commonwealth Games.[191][192][193]
Taekwondo in India is administered by theIndia Taekwondo which was constituted in July 2019 consisting of a five-member ad hoc committee with Namdev Shirgaonkar as chairman with a mandate to carry out the election procedures within a stipulated time-frame.[194] Surendra Bhandari won a bronze medal intaekwondo at the 2002 Asian Games. Taekwondo is not widely played in India. Bollywood actorsNitu Chandra,Akshay Kumar,Tiger Shroff,Ajay Devgn andIsha Koppikar have black belts in this sport.[195]
Indian athlete performed well at2019 South Asian Games, they won total six medals including 3 golds inTaekwondo event, Rudali Barua (over 73 kg), Jarnel Singh (under 74 kg) and Latika Bhandari (under 53 kg) won gold medals each, Ganjot won silver in 86 kg category.[196] Some open events are also held.[197]
Fencing started in India with the foundation of theFencing Association of India in 1974.C. A. Bhavani Devi claimed a spot in the women's sabre in the2020 Olympics as one of the two highest-ranked fencers vying for qualification from Asia and Oceania in the FIE Adjusted Official Rankings and became the first Indian fencer to qualify for Olympic games.[198]
Karate in India is administered by theKarate India Organization. India's notable karate participants includeAniket Gupta, Deepika Dhiman,Sunil Rathee,Supriya Jatav, andGaurva Sindhiya. The2015 Commonwealth Karate Games were held in Delhi, India.
TheHandball Federation of India (HFI) manages handball in India.[199] The HFI establishedPremier Handball League.Handball is played locally, not nationally. India'shandball team was formed and began playing on 27 April 1989.
Baseball has gained popularity in India, whilesoftball is played in school and at the university level. Two Indianpitchers were selected by the "Million Dollar Arm" competition to play in the United States. A talent hunt-style competition conducted byMajor League Baseball to find baseball talent in India found teenagersRinku Singh andDinesh Patel, who were taken to the US and received professional coaching.[200] These two players were selected to play forPittsburgh Piratesminor league organisations. Rinku Singh played for theCanberra Cavalry of theAustralian Baseball League for the competition's inaugural2010–11 season.
Rugby union in India is a minor sport. However, it is a fast-growing sport as some Indian sporting clubs are beginning to embrace the game.Rugby union was the second most popular winter sport afterassociation football inIndia, but now it is played in the shadow of the football team.
As of October 2024, India was ranked 89th in theWorld Rugby Rankings. As of 2016, India had 57,000 registered players, up from 24,010 in 2012, 7,160 of whom were female.
The governing body isRugby India.
The game is quite popular inTamil Nadu,Calcutta manyGrandmasters have been emerged from earlier region, former World ChampionViswanathan Anand is the most popular among them, he is first grandmaster from the country, first time he becameWorld chess champion in2007, also won it later twice. India is currently ranked World No. 2 in average rating of top 10 players, at 2710 narrowly behind theUnited States, and ahead of Russia, China, and Azerbaijan.[201][202]
TheIndian Chess Championship was held first in 1955, since 1971 it played annually. It is widely believe that the sport is originated in India. India's top players have included former World Champion Viswanathan Anand, current World Champion and 2024 Candidates winnerGukesh D, prodigies R. Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi, and Pentala Harikrishna.[202][201]
On 12 June 2023Divya Deshmukh, the current national champion won gold medal at theAsian Continental Women's chess championship.[203] As of 25 February 2022, India has 73 grandmasters and 7 players in top hundred in the world. As perAll India Chess Federation, the national federation of the game, there are 50 thousand registered players and over one million play it in the country. Many Indian players have own tournaments internationally.[202]Koneru Humpy is most prominent women player who holds rank 3 in the world. India has also won two Chess Olympiads in both men and women category[201]
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It is a popular format of cricket played in India. In India, the game is called asBat ball , while inEngland andAustralia it is called as 'Backyard cricket'. Kids play it with a plastic or rubber ball. The game has a variety of rules. Due to the unavailability of large grounds, kids play it in small spaces such as the road, in backyard, in front of house. The game does not have fixed rules or a fixed number of players. The participants decide the rules before the start of the play. If there is no ball available for the game, players often play with a plastic bottle, and if they do not have a bat, then they play with a wooden stick. Some usual rules of this game in India : Batman is out if he hits a six, outside the backyard, outside the compound, on someone's roof etc. Sometimes one-bounce catch given out, if the players agree to it before initiating the game.
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It is a popular children's game in India. It is similar to cricket. In India it is called as 'Catch Catch' or 'Bat ball', while in Australia it is called as 'French cricket'. Kids often play it in the backyard, in front of a house, on the road etc. In it, the batsman holds his bat nearly horizontally, and pointing towards the bowler. As per the rules, the bowler must bowl full tosses (non-bouncing deliveries) onto the batsman's bat, with the batsman required to hit the ball in the air, and the bowler and fielders then trying to catch the ball. If the ball is caught, whoever caught it gets the chance to bat. In the game, there are no stumps, and kids play with a plastic or rubber ball. Usually there is no limit on the number of overs and the batsman can bat until he gets out.
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Catch, Catch-Catch or playing catch, is one of the most basic children's games. It is a popular game among children in India. It is a game often played between children or between a parent and child, wherein the participants throw a ball, flying disc or similar object back and forth to each other. The game improves the hand-eye coordination of a child.
Kabaddi is an indigenous sport in India. Traditionally played on rough grounds. ThePro Kabaddi League is a notable Kabaddi league in India. It is organised annually in various spots of the nation.Star Sports,Disney+ Hotstar airs it on TV and online respectively.
India has won gold in kabaddi in allAsian Games, excluding the 2018 Asian Games, where they won bronze. The four forms of kabaddi recognised by the Kabaddi Federation in India areAmar,Sanjeevni,Gaminee and Punjabi rules Kabaddi. India won the Kabaddi World Championship in 2007, beatingIran 29–19.[204][unreliable source?]
Ten-pin bowling, popularly known asBowling is a quite known sport here but not widely played or talked about and considered as leisure activity instead of a sport.[205] The sport is administered by Banglore-basedTenpin Bowling Federation (India) TBF (I), it organisesNational Bowling Championship for amateur players and corporate teams. In 2008 Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, India recognised TBF (I) as national federation of the game, in 2010 they provided funds to train India's core team. Indian Bowlers do not get payment and sponsorship to play the sport is one of many issue the sport facing in the country.[206][207] Bowling alleys are usually found at Malls in India.[208] In 2008 India's team participated in theWTBA World Tenpin Bowling Championships atBangkok and in the Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships,Belfast.[209] At theAsian Indoor Games 2017 four time national champion of Bowling, Dhruva Sarda won Bronze.[205]
Lawn bowling, Bowls or Bowling is a new sport in India, and was not known to commoners, until Indian women's team won historic gold medal in this sport at2022 Commonwealth Games in 'women's four event', by the team ofNayanmoni Saikia,Lovely Choubey,Rupa Rani Tirkey andPinki Singh. They won against South Africa. Due to the win, the game came into the spotlight.[210] Indians have also participated in the sport at the2010 Commonwealth Games. Lawn bowling was included at the2007 National Games inGuwahati, and the first bowling ground which is called the Green, was installed. India does not have many Greens, due to player often practice on hockey grounds. The next Green was installed in Ranchi, Jharkhand for2011 National Games of India. Now New Delhi and Kerala also have Bowling Green, ground. In the country Jharkhand state is powerhouse in this sport, many players for India national team was selected from there.Jharkhand Bowling Association is the governing body for this sport in Jharkhand state.[211][212][213] TheBowling Federation of India (BFI) is the governing body for bowling in India.[212]
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TheCycle Polo Association of India was officially created in 1966 it has its office inJaipur,Rajasthan. The first men's nationals were played in 1970 inNew Delhi, with the team from Rajasthan emerging victorious. TheCalcutta Cricket & Football Club (CC&FC) hosted the first Merchant's Cup Cycle Polo tournament in 1973. Currently, the CC&FC plays host to the March Mug, the Swaroop Bhanjdeo Memorial Tournament and the CC&FC Trophy. Since 2015 onwards,CC&FC has been hosting the CC&FC All India Invitation Cycle Polo Cup which is organised jointly by the CC&FC along with the Cycle Polo Association of Bengal.
India has won 8 medals, including record 6 Gold atInternational Bicycle Polo Championships.
India has been a force in worldbilliards competitions. Champions includingWilson Jones,Michael Ferreira,Geet Sethi and now the domination ofPankaj Advani have underlined the powerhouse status of the country. TheBilliards and Snooker Federation of India, the apex body, plays a proactive role in popularising the game. Many efforts have been made by the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India in the recent past to enhance the popularity of the game in the country. Several training camps for developing budding talent and providing them with regional and state sponsorship have been organised by the Billiards and Snooker Federation in various parts of the country.[citation needed]
Motorsport is a popular spectator sport in India, although there are relatively few competitors compared to other sports, due to the high costs of competing.Coimbatore is often referred to as the "Motor sports Capital of India" and the "Backyard of Indian Motorsports".[217]S. Karivardhan, spearheadedmotor racing, making Coimbatore the country's motor racing hub when he designed and built entry level race cars. BeforeBuddh International Circuit was constructed, the country's only two permanent race ways were theKari Motor Speedway,Coimbatore andMadras Motor Racing Track, Chennai.[218] MRF built the firstFormula 3 car in 1997.[219] MRF in collaboration withMaruti established theFormula Maruti racing, a single-seater, open-wheel class motorsport racing event for race cars made in India.[220]MRF Challenge is aFormula 2000 open-wheel motorsport formula based series organised byMadras Motor Sports Club in association with MRF.Narain Karthikeyan andKarun Chandhok are the only drivers from to represent India inFormula 1.
On 1 February 2005,Narain Karthikeyan became India's firstFormula One racing driver. In March 2007, he also became the first-ever Indian-born driver to compete in aNASCAR Series. He debuted in the NASCARCamping World Truck Series in theKroger 250.[221]Force India F1 was aFormula Onemotor racing team. The team was formed in October 2007, when a consortium led by Indian businessmenVijay Mallya andMichiel Mol bought theSpyker F1 team for €88 million.[222] After competing in 29 races without a point,Force India won their first Formula One World Championship points and podium place whenGiancarlo Fisichella finished second in the2009 Belgian Grand Prix.[223] New Delhi hosted theIndian Grand Prix from 2011 to 2013 atBuddh International Circuit inGreater Noida, 50 km from New Delhi.Karun Chandhok was the test driver forTeam Lotus &Narain Karthikeyan raced forHRT during the first half of the2011 Formula One season. Karun Chandhok participated in Friday's[when?] practice session and Karthikeyan (stepping in forDaniel Ricciardo) raced at the2011 Indian Grand Prix; it was the first time two Indian drivers associated with the sameFormula One Grand Prix directly.
Mahindra Racing is an Indian constructor competing in theFormula E Championship since the inaugural season in2014.Alexander Sims andAlex Lynn are the team's current drivers. The team formerly competed inMotoGP, fielding a team in the juniorMoto3 (125cc) category between2011 and2015. Mahindra later refocused on being a bike and engine supplier, ultimately pulling out of the sport in2017.
Team MRF'sGaurav Gill the first Indian rally driver to win FIAAsia-Pacific Rally Championship in 2013.[224]
Jehan Daruvala drives under the Indian flag in theFormula 2 Championship. He currently races forMP Racing. Daruvala has three wins in the series so far.
Boat racings are popular in southern India. InKerala many boat races are organised annually,champakulam moolam baot race, Kumarakom boat race,Payippad Jalotsavam, President's Trophy boat race, Aranmula boat race,Champions Boat League,Vallm kali,Nehru Trophy Boat Race are organised in July.[225]
In March 2004Mumbai hosted the first everF1H2O (Formula 1 Powerboat) Grand Prix of India[226] From 16 to 18 November 2018 Amaravati hosted the second F1H2O World championship Grand Prix of India. The event brought wide media attention especially after one of the team took the color and the name of Andhra Pradesh Capital, making it the first Indian branded team in the history ofF1H2O. Team Amaravati led by Swedish drivers Jonas Anderson and Eric Edin. During Grand Prix of France held inEvian-les-Bains Jonas Anderson took the first place and Indian flag waved on the highest step of the podium.[227] Since then many states are considering hosting Formula One Powerboat event considering the fact that no stadium is required to be built and the event is usually free for spectators.[228]
Mobile gaming is very popular in India. As per analytics firmSensor tower, by app downloads India is biggest gaming market in the world, as of March 2022, the country have 916 million installs, which is 19.2 percent of world games installed on smartphones.[229] Fantasy gaming became a big thing, there are many fantasy gaming apps running in India. Due to rapid growth of gaming in the country, many foreign firms investing-partnering with Indian firms.PUBG was a popular game here.[230] As of 27 Aug 2022, online gaming space is worth of US$290 million.[231] Some people play on gaming consoles, personal computer offline as well as online, but most of these plays on mobile phones.https://www.xploresports.comhttps://www.xploresports.comhttps://www.xploresports.com
According to Chinese legends, it is said that an Indian monkBodhidharma, traveled to ancient China. He createdKung-fu martial art atShaolin Temple and createdZen branch ofBuddhism. He is regarded as a great monk in China.[232]
Fan base forMixed Martial Arts (MMA) are growing rapidly in India. Several international promotions are trying to build a strong presence in the country, with TV viewership rising.[233]There are at least two organisation in India promote themselves as nationalMixed Martial Arts (MMA) federation or promoter: Mixed Martial Arts Federation, India and All India Mixed Martial Arts Association.[234][235]
Matrix Fight Night considered as biggest MMA promotion in India, it frequently organises live events across India. It was founded by Bollywood actorTiger Shroff and operated by his motherAyesha Shroff.[236]
Bharat Khandare became the first fighter from India who signed toUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC). UFC is the world's biggest MMApromotion. He debuted on 24 November 2017 againstSong Yadong of China.[237] UFC is a popular MMA promotion in this country. In 2023,Anshul Jubli won US tournament,Road to UFC and gained UFC contract. He defeatedJeka Saragih of Indonesia in the final of lightweight decision. As of 12 February 2023, Jubli is undefeated with 7 win winning streak.[238]
Professional wrestling is a popular sport in India.Dara Singh was a notable pro wrestler from India, who won titles internationally. In the 1950s, he won world championship againstEmile Czaja, popularly known by hisring name King Kong. He also defeated world champion wrestlerLou Thesz of USA[239] Singh participated in almost 500 professional fights and remained undefeated in all of them, he wrestled againstGeorge Gordienko of Canada,John da Silva of New Zealand and others.[240] In 2018, WWE honoured Dara Singh by inducting inWWE Hall of Fame Legacy.[241]Tiger Joginder Singh,Arjan Singh Das was best professional wrestlers from India, who worked in promotions in Singapore, Japan, USA in the 1940s and 1950s.[239][242]
Dalip Singh Rana, who is widely known by hisring name,The Great Khali was theWWEWorld heavyweight champion in 2007. On 7 April 2021, WWE honoured The Great Khali by inducting in theWWE Hall of Fame. Thus he became first professional wrestler from India who received this honour.[243][y] Currently, wrestlers such asSaurav Gurjar,Rinku Singh andShanky are in WWE.[z] After WWE, Khali moved back to India and started a pro wrestlingpromotion,Continental Wrestling Entertainment (CWE), by which he provide training to the budding wrestlers and organise wrestling events. WWE has organised some live events in the India so far.[244][245]
Sepak takraw, though not very well known in India, was a demonstration sport at the Delhi Asian Games in 1982.[246] TheSepaktakraw Federation of India, with its headquarters inNagpur, Maharashtra, was founded on 10 September 1982. It is recognised by theIndian Olympic Association and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports since 2000.[247] So far, the federation has conducted 14 senior, seven junior, and six sub-junior national championships in different cities, and is conducting Federation Cup Tournaments and zonal National Championships.
The game is very popular in the northeastern state of Manipur, and some of the best players came from there. In the 22nd King's Cup International Sepak Takraw Tournament held inBangkok, the India men's team lost in the semi-finals and claimed bronze in the team event. In the doubles event, the women's team lost in the semi-finals, but earned bronze medals.[248]
On 21 August 2018, at the2018 Asian Games, the national men's team won a bronze after losing 2–0 to Thailand. It was Indian's first medal in Sepak takraw in Asian games.[249]
Netball, derived from early versions of basketball, is a popular sport in India, especially among Indian women. India'snational team is ranked 25th in the world and has played only a few matches. The team has failed to qualify for any of theWorld Netball Championships. They played 18 matches in total.[250] In the2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, netball was included as a medal sport. However, the Indian team failed to win a medal.
Winter sports are common in India in the Himalayan areas.Skiing tournaments take place every winter inGulmarg, andManali. Winter sports are generally more common in the northern states and territories ofJammu and Kashmir,Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Sikkim, andArunachal Pradesh. Skiing,snow rugby, snow cycling, and snow football are some of the common winter sports played in India. Skiing is more popular, although India has taken part inluge inWinter Olympics since 1998.Shiva Keshavan is the only Indian to have won medals in international meets in winter sports (Asian Gold 2011, Asian Silver 2009, Asian Bronze 2008, Asian Silver (doubles) 2005, Asian Bronze (singles) 2005), and to have participated in six Olympic Games. He is the Asian speed record holder at 134.4 km/h, making him the fastest man in Asia on ice. Luge is practised in a big way by the mountain residents in an improvised form called "reri".
TheBandy Association of Indians governs bandy in India. Its headquarters are inAurangabad.[251] Bandy, a team winter sport played on an ice rink the size of a football field, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal, is generally played in northern India, where there is snow and ice. India is one of seven countries in Asia and out of a total of 27 to be a member ofFederation of International Bandy. The national federation planned to send a team to the2011 Asian Winter Games in Astana-Almaty, but ultimately did not.[252] In July 2023, there was an Indian visit to Moscow andKrasnogorsk,[253] including the national junior team practicing[254] and playing matches[255] on an ice hockey rink with large goal cages (the Czech invention "short bandy"[256]). The 6th Annual national bandy championship is held in November of 2024.[257]
Incurling India is an emerging country. Its first ever international appearance was in 2022, when they took part in the World Mixed Curling Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland, recording three victories on the way.[258]
Ice hockey is played in the colder parts of India, including Kashmir, Ladakh, and parts of Himachal Pradesh.[259] TheIce Hockey Association of India is the governing body for this sport in India. It affiliated toInternational Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the world governing body of Ice hockey.
India men's national ice hockey team andIndia women's national ice hockey team represents India in international ice hockey events. The sport is not popular due to less television, media coverage, and sponsorships.
Skiing is a recreational activity that is popularly indulged in at many Himalayan Hill stations in India. Tourists enjoy skiing at places such asManali,Jammu and Kashmir,Kasauli,Nainital,Shimla,hung in Sikkim,Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh,Manali,Kufri,Chamba,Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh,Pahalgam andGulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, Mundali,Munsiari, andAuli in Uttarakhand etc.[260]
Mountain climbing sport has a long history in India. Many climbers from India have climbedMount Everest.Avtar Singh Cheema was the 1st Indian mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest in 1965, and in the same year,CaptainMS Kohli also climbed it.Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest, she did this feat in 1984. In 1993, Santosh Yadav became the first woman of India who climbed it twice. In 2014,Malavath Purna became the youngest Indian mountaineer who climbed Everest.Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu has gone up on it 7 times.[261][262]
India has few government institute or schools that provide training in Mountaineering :Himalayan mountaineering institute ofDarjeeling,Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS)Manali, both are founded by then prime ministerJawaharlal Nehru in 1954 and 1961 respectively. ABVIMAS institute also provide training in other adventure sports such as skiing, aero-sport, water sport.[aa][263]
Rock climbing is popular among some enthusiasts of adventure sports. India has a lot of mountains; amateur and professional climbers often visitMiyar Valley ofHimachal Pradesh, Shey Rock inLeh, andSar Pass of Himachal Pradesh for rock climbing.[264] Places such asMalshej Ghat in Maharashtra,Paithalmala inKannur district of Kerala,Rajsangam, andBadami in Karnataka are popular rock climbing destinations.Bangalore has manyclimbing gyms which provide training.Ramnagara, Karnataka has a lots of rock and crags, as well as terrain features where people often dotrekking and rock climbing. Spots such as MadapuraBetta,Motherwall,Achalu,Senapathy,Ravugodlu,Karekallu, and Gethnaa Area crags are best for climbing. It is named afterGethnaa Government Institute for climbing.[265]
Adventure sports enthusiasts dobouldering inHampi of Karnataka. It is frequently visited by adventure seekers, because the place has infinite largeboulders. It is known as a world class bouldering destination.[266] Some bouldering spots have become well-known and frequently visited in the country. But the adventure sports do not have exposure, sponsorships, training facilities and coaching in the entire country.[267]
Gambling is illegal in most of the states exceptGoa,Mizoram,Sikkim,Nagaland states andDaman, where land based gambling and casinos are legal under the Public Gambling Act, 1976 ofIndian Penal Code. Gambling is illegal inMaharashtra state, under the Bombay Prevention of Gambling Act 1887, but it is still widely played underground in various spots of Maharashtra state. Although there are laws against gambling in most of the states, gamblers still find a way to gamble throughout India. Many play theSeven Eight,Rummy,Teen patti,Seven on Seven,Blackjack,Bluff,Bridge,Mendikot, andThree to Five variants ofPoker. These games are widely considered to be gambling.[268] India has a plethora of onlineFantasy gaming apps which the masses spend money to play. In these fantasy games, players make teams using mobile phones and get online whatsapp ID. Often questions are raised that these fantasy online games are gambling, but these apps advertise themselves as being legal and not forms of gambling, but rathergames of skills. Some states have banned these apps.[269][270] Betting is illegal in India, but the nation does not have a proper law againstonline gambling. Manygambling platforms and mobile apps advertise themselves during the IPL, international, and domestic cricket matches on television throughsurrogate advertisements in India, Some of these apps are1xBet, Fairplay,PariMatch,Betway and Wolf 777, with most of these websites and apps operating from outside of India.[271] Betting on horse racing is legal, whilematka gambling is illegal.[272]
Lottery gambling is legal and allowed to be played in 13 states while the rest of the states have banned it, but lottery selling and buying happens in every state. Even in the states where it is banned, they do not have stringent laws and police do not enforce the existing laws. In some states such asMizoram,Kerala,Nagaland andSikkim, it is legal and hugely popular. 13 states that allows lotteries are: Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab,West Bengal,Assam,Arunachal Pradesh,Meghalaya,Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland and Mizoram. It was very popular in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, but now it is totally banned. In the states where it is banned, the ban is not effective and lotteries are conducted actively through apps and online websites.[273]
Pranab Bradhan andShibhnath Sarkar have won gold medals at the2018 Asian Games inbridge game atJakarta. This was the first time the game was played in such a major international event. Indians also won one silver and two bronze medals inBridge at the Asian Games. TheBridge Federation of India (BFI) is the governing body for bridge game in India. BFI nominated Bradhan and Sarkar's names for theArjuna Award in 2020.[274]
It was part of theNational games of 2022.
Board Games such asCarrom,Ludo,Snakes and ladders andTick-Tack-Toe are widely played as pass time, mostly by kids. These games also played online on mobiles.
Kho kho is atag sport played by teams of twelve players who try to avoid being touched by members of the opposing team, only nine players of the team enter the field.[281] It is one of the two most popular traditional tag games played in schools, the other beingkabbadi.[282]Kho Kho Federation of India oversees the sports in the country. In2022, the first season ofUltimate Kho Kho, a domestic franchise Kho-kho competition, took place in India.[283]
Lagori is played by children of all ages throughout India. In this there are usually 12 players, 6 in each time. A ball and 9 flat rocks are need to play this game. The rocks are piled in the center on top of each other from the largest to the smallest flat rock. Then both the teams alternatively hit that pile by a ball. The team which hits the pile first and manages topple the pile of rocks gets the chance to hold the ball and hit the player of opposite team with that ball. The task of the opposite team is to re-arrange the pile of rock without getting hit by the ball. Whichever players get hit by the ball is out and the task is taken further by remaining player of his team. If the team with the ball succeeds to out all the players before they could re-arrange the pile they win. If the team manages to re-arrange the pile then the team with the ball loses.[284]
Kancha is played by usingmarbles. Marbles are glass balls which are very popular among children. It is popular in small Indian cities and villages, among small children only as a gully sport. The participant has to hit the marble kept in a circle. If he hits the target properly, he wins. The winner gets the kancha of the other participant boys.[285]
Gilli-danda,Karra billa orViti Dandu inMarathi is a game played by using one small stick (gilli) and a large stick (danda) likecricket, with the ball replaced bygilli. It is still played in villages ofAndhra Pradesh,Karnataka,Kerala (kuttiyum kolum - കുറ്റിയും കോലും),Tamil Nadu,Rajasthan,Uttar Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh,Bihar,Punjab,Maharashtra andGujarat in India only as a recreational game among children.
Kite-flying is pursued by many people in India, in cities as well as villages. The festival ofMakar Sankranti features kite-flying competitions. It is festival which is a passion among Indians.
Arm wrestling (also known aspanja)[286] is a popular pastime in India, and is played professionally in India in thePro Panja League.[287]
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Pola race is traditional bull race organised in rural areas ofMaharashtra state. People in villages organise it annually on the day ofPola festival. Usually owners of the Bulls run along with them in predefined distance of 100–150 metres approximately. In August 2017 and again on 6 September 2021, Government of Maharashtra banned it.[288]
It is a rural traditional race, villagers in Maharashtra organiseBullock cart race. In 2017Bombay High Court passed an interim order to restraining Maharashtra government to give permission to this race in anywhere in Maharashtra.[289] This type of bullock carts races are also organised in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state.People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other activists field petitions opposing these races.[290]
Buffalo fights are organised in some areas of this nation on rural festivals annually. In Assam state, it organised onMagh Bihu orBhogali Bihu. Many people think these fights are cruelty to animals, animal suffer, die and fatally injured during them. Some field petitions against them in court. In 2014,Supreme court of India banned any kind of animal fights or races instructedAnimal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and state government to stop inflicting pain and suffering on animals. But still the fights are ill-legally organised in India.[291] InShahapur andBhopal ofMadhya Pradesh buffalo fights are organised annually. "It is sad that these animals are made to suffer in the name of entertainment",as per PETA India campaign coordinator, Sachin Bangera. In these illegal fight many buffalo bulls dies.[292][293] Buffalo fights are also organised in village of Purulia district,West Bengal, Padarahi and Rampur villages of Muzaffarpur district, Bihar.[294]
Jallikattu is a popular bull-taming sport practiced particularly duringPongal festival. Jallikattu was a popular sport since theTamil classical period.[295][296] It is a controversial sport and is deemed as cruel by manyAnimal rights national as well as international activists and organisations. Some support by announcing that the game is played with a bull which is usually slaughtered because of it being a less useful monetary animal,but through this game, many bulls are raised by people.[297]
Kambala race is a traditional race sport of coastal area ofKarnataka state inSouth India. It is an animal-man race in which man run with his two buffalos in mud, 132m or 143m long distance. Kambala, which roughly translates to "paddy-growing mud field" in the that area localTulu language. It is a controversial race and has been criticised by international animal rights organisations.[297]
Rekla race is a type of bullock cart race.[298] In May 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned it citing animal welfare issues.[299]
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Children play this game annually duringRang Panchami festival inMaharashtra.[300] Many participants play Water fights usingwater gun amidRangpanchami annualHindu festival. The game is played mostly by Kids, yong boys-girls and children. In it they color each other with different kind of colors, spray water, water colour by Water gun.[301] During the festival kids play with each other and try to wet, in a playful manner. Youngsters try to colour each other during this festival.[302][300]
Uriyadi involves smashing a small earthen pot with a long stick, usually with a cloth wrapped around the eyes to prevent the participants from seeing the pot.[303] Seasonal sports such asDahi Handi also have a following.
Other regional sports include Ilavatta kal where huge spherical rocks are lifted,[304][305] andNondi, which is ahopscotch game played by folding one leg and hopping squares. Other regional games such asatya patya,hide-and-seek,Top,Lagori,Sack race,Blindfold-game, Nimbu Chamcha,Chase,langdi,surr,gatka,mallakhamb,chor police andDhaba Kuti have dedicated followers, with kids playing most of these games. Indoor games includePallanguzhi involving beads,Bambaram involving the spinning of a top,Dhayakattai which is a modified dice game,Aadu puli attam, Nungu vandi and Seechangal.[306]
Other sports and games includingAir sports,Water sports,Triathlon,Pentathlon,Arm Wrestling,Ball Hockey,Soft tennis,Australian rules football,Darts,Frisbee,Fistball andTennikoit have dedicated followers and their own national sports federations.[307]
India has achieved success in some of these games. They have won a silver medal at2019Ball Hockey World Championship. They have won five medals, including two gold at Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championships. They have won two medals atAsia-Pacific Fistball Championships.
| Sport | National Team | Association |
|---|---|---|
Badminton | (M & W) | BAI |
Squash | (M,W) | SRFI |
Tennis | (M,W,Mixed) | AITA |
Baseball | (M,W) | ABFI |
Softball | (M,W) | SBAI |
Cricket | (M,W) | BCCI |
Field hockey | (M,W) | HI |
Ice Hockey | (M,W) | IHAI |
Roller hockey | (M & W) | RSFI |
Basketball | (M,W) | BFI |
Korfball | (Mixed) | KFI |
Netball | (W) | NFI |
Volleyball_pictogram.svg) | (M,W) | VFI |
Water polo | (M,W) | SFI |
Handball | (M,W) | HFI |
Football | (M,W) | AIFF |
Beach soccer | (M) | AIFF |
Futsal | (M) | AIFF |
Rugby league | (M) | IRFU |
Rugby sevens | (M,W) | IRFU |
Rugby union | (M) | IRFU |
Kabaddi | (M,W) | AKFI |
| (M,W) | KKFI |
| Event | No of games | Participation | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Games of India | 36 | 38 (29 states + 7 Union territories + 2 Others) | 36 (Summer) 5 (Winter) |
| Khelo India Youth Games | 25 | 36 (29 states + 7 Union territories) | 4 |
| Khelo India University Games | 17 | 176 universities from 20 states/Union territories | 2 |
| Khelo India Winter Games | 17 | District, state, union territories | 3 |
| Khelo India Para Games | 1 | ||
| North East Games | 8 State ofNortheast India | 3 |
Masters and Traditional
Major sports television networks includeStar Sports,Sony Sports,Eurosport India,DD Sports,Sports18,1Sports. Historically,Doordarshan was the only broadcaster of multinational sports events and cricket in the country. In 1992, the government began giving licences for private television channels to be started.Star Sports is the first 24 hours sports channel in the country, with many foreign and Indian organisations starting dedicated sports channels later on. In recent years after 3G and 4G networks launched and became widespread in India,OTT (online streaming) apps became a big thing and the OTT market became very competitive. Indian sports broadcasters spend more on cricket then other sports. According toGroupM ESP's Sporting Nation report, in 2021, 444 endorsement deals happened, with 318 of them being signed by cricketers. In 2020, Indian sports industry spent 9,500 crore rupees, which it superseded in 2021 by a growth of 62%. Various companies spend a huge amount of money on advertising by signing various sports players for themselves such as Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli etc.[308]
| Conglomerate | Channel(s) | Commentary Language | Digital streaming platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney Star | Star Sports 1 (SD & HD) | English | Disney+ Hotstar |
| Star Sports 2 (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports 3 (SD) | |||
| Star Sports Select 1 (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports Select 2 (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports 1 Hindi (SD & HD) | Hindi | ||
| Star Sports 2 Hindi (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports Khel (SD) | |||
| Star Sports 1 Tamil (SD & HD) | Tamil | ||
| Star Sports 2 Tamil (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports 1 Telugu (SD & HD) | Telugu | ||
| Star Sports 2 Telugu (SD & HD) | |||
| Star Sports 1 Kannada (SD) | Kannada | ||
| Star Sports 2 Kannada (SD) | |||
| Sony Pictures Networks | Sony Sports Ten 1 (SD & HD) | English | SonyLIV |
| Sony Sports Ten 2 (SD & HD) | English | ||
| Sony Sports Ten 3 (SD & HD) | Hindi | ||
| Sony Sports Ten 4 (SD & HD) | Tamil and Telugu | ||
| Sony Sports Ten 5 (SD & HD) | English | ||
| Warner Bros. Discovery India | Eurosport (SD & HD) | English | Discovery+ |
| Prasar Bharati | DD Sports, DD Sports 2.0[ad] (SD) | English and Hindi | Prasar Bharati Sports YouTube channel |
| Conglomerate | Network |
|---|---|
| Dream Sports | Fancode |
| Reliance | Jio TV |
| Shrachi Sports[309][310] | SSEN |
| DAZN Group | DAZN |
| GXR Group[311][312] | GXR.World |
In India, the schools and colleges normally have a sports teacher who manages, trains and coaches students in various sports for inter-school tournaments. To become a sport teacher in a school, one needs to have a sports diploma or degree, such as aBachelor of Physical Education (also known by the abbreviation, B.P.Ed).[318]
The nation has a lot of firms that manufacturesport equipment. Some notable Indian brands areSanspareils Greenlands (SG),[ah] BDM andTYKA. According to a report, sports equipment businesses of India were worth ofUS$20bn in 2020. It is estimated that in 2027, the industry will be worth US$100 bn.[321]Jalandhar is a sport goods hub, and as perThePrint, it is worth US$241,569,000.Meerut is another sports good industry hub in India, which exports sports goods around the world.
The leading sports equipment manufacturing brands in India areNivia,Cosco,Provogue (manufactures sportswears and apparels),Seven (footwears, casuals and sportswears), SIX5SIX (sportswears, equipment),SS.
Nivia is the official ball partner of ISL and theBasketball Federation of India.[322][323]
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| States with limited recognition | |
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