Sports

Unanimously cricket is the most popular sport in India. Cricket, the gentleman game, is the unofficial national game of India. It is one of those sports that were introduced by the British. The surging popularity of this game has inspired several youngsters to take up this sport seriously. 

Indian athletes have made their mark in the world of sports through their achievements. Athletics is a collective term for several outdoor and indoor games. While some of these games fall under the category of traditional sports, the others games also witness proficient representation from India. With proper infrastructure and opportunities Indian athletics is sure to attract more participation from the country. 

The origin of Indian hockey dates back to the days of the Imperial rule. It was introduced in India by the British. Today the popularity of the game has made hockey the national sport of India. The impressive performance of the national team in various tournaments has boosted the popularity of Indian hockey. 

India is truly the land of traditional sports. Jallikattu, Kho-kho, Kabaddi, Wrestling, Boat racing, Pachisi and several other traditional games are played in several parts of the country. Most of these games have their roots in ancient India. Such is their popularity that these interesting games are played even today. 

Indian Football has a massive fan following. Next only to cricket, this outdoor sport is quite popular in the Indian sub-continent. The national team is composed of players who hail from different regions of India. Proper infrastructure can really do wonders for this Indian sport. The rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal supporters is epical in stature. Perhaps as an obvious deviation from trends across the country, Bengal has been the seat of Indian Football through many years 

Contributions from leading tennis players like Vijay Amritraj, Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have aided Indian tennis to find a respectable place in the world of sports. Several academies have also cropped up to guide the amateur tennis players. 

It would not be wrong to define chess as an Indian traditional game. Better known as Chaturanga in the Gupta period, this game was further modified by the Persians. They called it ‘Shatranj.’ Even today a game of chess is as engrossing for the Indians as it was for their ancestors. In fact after the success of Vishwanathan Anand more and more youngsters are showing interest in this indoor sport