write an article on future of sports and games in india
Sports in India are an integral feature of the culture of the seventh largest country in the world. A range of sports is played across the nation and they are kho kho, kabbadi, gilli-danda, pehlwani, rugby union, football, golf, cricket, squash, field hockey, basketball, tennis, boxing, motorsports, badminton, volleyball, polo, cycling, archery, billiards, and snooker.
During the British regime, a number of popular sports were introduced in the country. The introduction of the Indian Premier League or IPL is a landmark event in the history of sports in India. The first edition of IPL took place in 2008. BCCI or the Board of Control for Cricket in India is the 2nd wealthiest sporting authority across the globe after FIFA or the International Federation of Association Football.
What is the national sport of India?
The formal national sport of India is field hockey. However, the most watched sport in India is cricket.
In the arena of field hockey, India is the winner of eight Olympic gold medals. New Delhi, the national capital of India, was the venue for the prestigious Asian Games in 1982. New Delhi currently houses state-of-the-art infrastructure for sports and same type of infrastructure is being built in other states and provinces of the nation. Other than games and sports featured in the global sporting schedule, there are a number of native sports that have grown and become quite famous.
Popular regional sports in India
Many regional games and sports have gained fame in the country such as atya patya, air sports, carrom, bridge, fencing, cycle polo, judo, gymnastics, Gatka, karate, mallakhamb, kho-kho, rowing, roller skating, soft tennis, shooting ball, swimming, squash, ten-pin bowling, taekwondo, tug of war, tennikoit, yoga and yachting. These sports have committed followers and admirers and are regulated by the individual countrywide sports bodies.
What is the future of sports in India?
India’s performance in games like field hockey has been commendable so far. The country has lifted the world cup in 1975 and achieved gold medals in the Olympics. In cricket, India is two-time champion of the World Cup – in 1983 and 2011. The Pakistan Cricket Team is its archrival. It also won the Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka in 2002 and 2007 ICC World Twenty20 title. India is doing well in cricket but its performance in football has been lackluster for a significant period of time. At present, the rank of India in the FIFA ratings is 154 which is quite disheartening. Comparatively, the performance in basketball is satisfactory. In tennis, Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes have been winners in a number of Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Vijender Kumar is a known name in the boxing circuit, enjoying the top rank in the middleweight category. In badminton, Saina Nehwal is the fourth best player in the world. The popularity of golf is also on the rise. In chess, Vishwanathan Anand has glorified India and he is enjoying the fourth rank worldwide. Games like motorsports are still in the nascent stage in the country and India is lagging behind in terms of infrastructure and other facilities that are essential to make India a prominent name in world sports. Financing is also a major issue which hinders the growth of sports in India.