Sports in India

Unlike other countries, India is not a major sporting power. The lackadaisical attitude of the government results in just a medal or two in the Olympics and no trophies to boast of in sports other than cricket. Here are the status of sports in India. The mystery of the missing medals — India’s performance in Olympics: an in-depth study published in The Sportstar.

Cricket

Cricket is by far India’s most popular sport. It outstrips all other sports played in India combined, in terms of viewership, media coverage and money involved. The rise in cricket’s fortunes started in the early 90’s after sponsorship of top players. By the turn of the century, it has become a billion dollar industry making it the country’s unofficial pastime.

Although the Indian cricket team has won a sole Cricket World Cup, cricket is like a religion in the country. Victories over arch rivals Pakistan and World Champions Australia in their home have propelled India to #2. But recently the team has been going through tough times. It lost to Australia and Pakistan at home(India). Cricket is played throughout India except in the North East states.

Football

Football (soccer) is a very popular sport in India. Although the Indian football team is ranked 127 in the latest(Dec2005)FIFA rankings, the team had better days reaching the semifinals in the Olympics way back in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Most Indians keenly follow local clubs as well as South American and European club matches. The sport is most popular in Goa, West Bengal and Kerala.The National Football League(NFL) is the premier football league in India.East Bengal and Mohun Began are the most famous football clubs in India.

Field Hockey

Although India’s national sport, Hockey has fallen into decline due to Cricket. From being an invincible team upto the 80’s, the team has fallen on hard times. Recent victories haven’t changed that perspective much, although it remains to be seen if India can reproduce its past magic and win trophies again.

India’s domestic circuit is dominated by the recently constituted Professional Hockey League, which is governed by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).

Lawn Tennis

Tennis is popular among Indians. Many people do watch the Grand Slams. However India’s fortunes in the Grand Slams are nil. The best result in Tennis for India has been placed 2nd in the Davis Cup (default as they refused to play against apartheid South Africa). However India have won quite a few doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam trophies along with a bronze Olympic medal in 1996.

Chess

The board game of Chess originated in India in thousands of years ago. India’s first Grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand helped popularise the sport en masse. After him there have been a further 10 more GM’s from India. Chess today is a very popular sport all over India.

Kabaddi

Kabaddi originated from Punjab and requires strength, stamina, agility and most importantly hand eye cordination. This sport is played by a person called a “raider” goes to one side where 4 teamates will be holding hands in a semi-circle. The raider has to try to touch on of the teamates and run back to his line. But the teamates holding hands can grab the raider and knock him down, which will earn his team a point. These are just the simple rules, there are more complexed rules.

F1

The Formula One motor racing sports is catching up all over urban India. It is one of the fastest growing sports as far as viewship is involved. Beginning in 2005 - the current F1 season - has Narain karthikeyan driving for team Jordan. Though no F1 circuits are in India at present, a F3 circuit is being planned.

Badminton

Badminton is supposed to have originated in India. Although India is not among the top teams, it does consistantly produce players of high international ranking.Prakash padukone and Gopichand have won the prestigious All England Badminton Championship. Badminton is a popular recreation sport all over India.

Boxing
Boxing is one of the lesser profiled sports in India. Boxing does have school and national championship matches. However India is yet to produce a heavyweight champion.

Basketball

Basketball is primaraly a school sport in India. The game is popular in most urban schools. However at higher levels, the sport has a very poor profile.

Rugby

The British introduced Rugby to India. However it is not very popular in the country. It is mostly played in schools. Rugby is club based and national championships (South Asia) are held every year at the Bombay Gymkhana, Bombay in August.
See also: Indian Rugby Team

India right now has a rugby union team. This is India’s main rugby team. India has lost 14 matches in rugby, won 2 and tied 1. But India still doesn’t have a sevens rugby team nor it does have a women’s rugby team. There have been some evidence of women being trained for rugby. It is not confirmed till now that whether India has a rugby league team.

Golf

Golf is a sport that is becoming popular in India. There are numerous golf courses all over India. However, the sport is expensive and mostly corporates and the rich play the sport. There is an Indian Golf Tour. Many Indian professionals have competed on the Asian Tour and a few have made the top level European and PGA Tours.

Billiards and Snooker

Billiards and Snooker are popular club sports in India. India has produced players of international ranking, Geet Sethi and Michael Ferreira to name some.

Volleyball

Volleyball is a sport played all over India, both in rural as well as urban India. It is a popular recreation sport but India does not have a world class team as yet.

Table Tennis

A popular indoor club sport, Table Tennis is a popular recreation sport all over the country.

Squash

Squash is an recreation sport, played in clubs in urban areas. Over the last few years due the the efforts of Mr N. Ramachandran, Secretary General of the Squash Raquets Federation of India, a world class facility has been constructed in Chennai, India. If not for petty squabbles with factions in the North (New Delhi) and the West (Maharashtra) Mr Ramachandran’s legacy would indeed have been a fabulous one.

However, unaffected by the politics the juniors in the country are forging ahead. Led by Saurav Goshal and Joshna Chinappa who have both won the British Junior Open (the Wimbledon of squash). Ever more players are now playing on the international circuit. Over the next few years it is expected that we should have a player in the top 25.

Some of the leading Indian_Squash_Players

Indian Squash Professionals (ISP) is a Non-Profit making Organization, formed in 1993, with the sole aim of promoting this game in India. The idea of forming ISP was born in 1993 by its Founder Director Mahendra Agarwal. It was in January 1993 that we first had first ever squash tournament (since 1947 ) only for the Professionals or markers as they are known in India.

Between January 1993 till date, we have organized 63 tournaments, 25 free coaching camps all over India (including Rajkot, Jodhpur and Mussorie), adopted 5 players (Arif Paul, Deepali Anvekar, Priyanka Yadav, Abhishek Pradhan and Ankita Sharma), are publishing a India’s leading news magazine “PROSQUASH” which is being distributed to 3000 squash players and read by 15000 squash lovers throughout the country at no cost. We also have our own website www.ispsquash.com which is the only active squash website in India, updated daily.