Sport in India

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Former Indian men's cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni while batting. Under his captaincy, India have won their highest number of ICC trophies.[a][1]
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi during the opening ceremony of 2010 Commonwealth Games

India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period, with Western sports having been imported during British rule.[2] Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity,[3][b] with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the Groupstage of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship.[5][6][7][8] Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport.[9] India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.[10]

India's diverse culture and people have influenced the wide variety of sports, with indigenous sports such as fighter kite and boat racing being popular in some regions. Other indigenous sports include chess, kho kho, cycling, polo, snooker and rugby, subject to location. Water sports, like scuba diving, boating, surfing, and kiteboarding, frequently appear in coastal areas.[11] Professional wrestling and mixed martial arts (MMA) are popular among young audiences,[12] with some Indian wrestlers achieving international success.[13][14] India has hosted the Cricket World Cup three times and won it twice.[c] Field hockey is the most successful sport for India at the Olympics, with the Indian 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.[17]

Domestic professional commercial sports leagues in the country include Premier Handball League, the IPL and Women's Premier League, Indian Super League, I-League (football),[18] Pro Kabbadi, Hockey India League, Premier Badminton League (Badminton), Ultimate Table Tennis league, Prime Volleyball League (Volleyball) and Ultimate Kho Kho (Kho–kho). The major international sporting events that are annually organised in India include the Indian Open, India Open, and India Open. Kabaddi, an indigenous sport, is widely regarded as one of the fastest growing sports in India, following the launch of the Indian domestic Pro Kabaddi League. The sport has garnered substantial television viewership, contributing to its popularity and elevating its monetary value.[19] Women's sports have also grown in India, with professional leagues including the Women's Premier League and Women's Kabaddi League.[20]

India has hosted several international sporting events, including the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games; the 1987, 1995, and 2016 South Asian Games; the 2010 Commonwealth Games; the 2014 Lusofonia Games; the 1987, 1996,[d] 2011, 2016, 2021,[e] 2023 Men's Cricket world cups; and the 1978, 1997, 2013, and 2016 Women's Cricket World Cups. India has hosted editions of the SAFF Championship in 1999, 2011, 2015, 2023; SAFF Women's Championship in 2016, and junior FIFA world cups including the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup of football. India will host the 2026 T20, 2031 ODI Cricket World Cup,[f] and 2025 Women's World Cup of Cricket.[22][g]


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  3. ^ "Viewership record".
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  13. ^ Ghosh, Pratyay (15 March 2019). "MMA in India: All eyes on the cage". The Hindu.
  14. ^ "All India Mixed Martial Arts Association: Giving An Identity To MMA In A Country Obsessed With Cricket". 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  15. ^ "ESPN".
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  17. ^ Sudevan, Praveen (July 2022). "Pedalling for pleasure: How cycling is becoming an increasingly popular recreational fitness activity in India". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  18. ^ मध्यप्रदेशवर महाराष्ट्राची दणदणीत मात, संतोष ट्रॉफी राष्ट्रीय फुटबॉल स्पर्धा [Maharashtra defeated Madhyapradesh, Santosh trophy National football competition]. Lokmat Jalgaon. 8 January 2023. p. 4.
  19. ^ Sudevan, Praveen (27 October 2022). "How Pro Kabaddi made kabaddi the most-watched sport in India after cricket". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  20. ^ "Outlook India - India's Best Magazine| Find Latest News, Top Headlines, Live Updates". Outlook India.
  21. ^ a b c "ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 to move to UAE and Oman". www.icc-cricket.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021.
  22. ^ "...2024-31 men's tournament hosts confirmed". www.icc-cricket.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2022.