India is a vast country with a large population. It has several sports and games, and over half the population is addicted to sports. Many games and sports are enjoyed, watched, and played by Indian players and citizens. Below is the list of the most popular sports in India.
The most played and loved sports in India:
Cricket
Field Hockey
Football
Cycling
Badminton
1. Cricket
As the second favorite sport in the world, behind soccer, cricket is particularly popular in nations including India, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and the West Indies. It is quite well-liked, particularly in South Asian countries like India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, wherein the top players earn more than 3 billion a year.
The Globe Cup, which takes place every four years, is the most significant global cricket competition. Superstars that command an annual salary of hundreds of millions perform on a lavish stage in a stadium with 100,000 seats. With 1.56 billion TV viewers, it is the second-biggest single sport in history, just beaten by soccer.
The number of competitive athletes has skyrocketed, particularly among the younger generation, and nearly weekly events are organized nationwide.
2. Field Hockey
Said hockey is a sport that is comparable to “soccer played with a stick.” While players in soccer utilize their feet to direct the ball, hockey players use a stick, which resembles a cane, to handle a baseball-sized ball as they fight for points.
Hockey players need to have a cool head, good judgment, and a “heart” that constantly looks out for their opponent because the sport entails physical competition and the usage of a stick. That could be hockey’s most considerable appeal.
3. Football
Soccer is a ball game where players manage the ball with their feet and heads to try and put it into the opponent’s goal to score points. It is currently one of the most well-liked sports worldwide and in India, and it is used in every nation and location. With more than 200 member nations and territories, the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) is a sizable organization. Although it is often referred to as “football” worldwide, it is also known as “soccer” in nations like the United States.
Soccer’s history is lengthy. Its origins are the subject of numerous theories, and it was invented and became popular in different areas under different laws.
Most people believe that modern soccer began in England and that one of the game’s main rules, not using your hands, was adopted at a conference in London, England.
4. Cycling
As long as people have the necessities, such as clothes and a bicycle, anybody of any age can take up cycling, which can be a lot of fun and a popular sport in India.
In addition to being a practical mode of traveling daily, cycling is becoming more popular as a sport worldwide.
Anybody, regardless of age or gender, can appreciate the cycling activity.
Many individuals have taken up cycling as a casual exercise to maintain health and build physical strength, as it is only an athletic event if you are racing.
Cycling sports, or contests on bicycles, provide a range of cycling sports and methods to appreciate them. Road races comprise marathon, fast, and hill climbs limited to a climb within each category: road races, mountain biking, cyclocross, track races, and BMX. One of the main characteristics of mountain biking is that every category has several distinct events, such as downhill and cross-country. It is not a famous sport but has gained recognition abroad, particularly in Europe, where it is currently on a level with soccer in terms of popularity.
5. Badminton
Regarding the origins of badminton, there are two theories. When the Indian sport of “Bhuna,” in which participants use a racket to strike a leather ball against a net, was brought to England, “Badminton.”
The second theory originates from the game “Shuttlecock and Buddle Door.” The theory goes that before the above-mentioned Indian game was brought to England, a ball resembling a badminton shuttlecock was struck in a game called “buddle door and shuttlecock,” which is why the name “badminton” evolved from “buddle door and shuttlecock.”
