If we talk about rising sports in India, kabaddi has taken place of the winner. However, the dynamics are changing and other games are getting the limelight.
Sports are an important part of the Indian culture and have a great tradition of sports, which by the way is greatly influenced by the British presence in the 18th and 19th century. Cricket is undoubtedly very popular in India, but in such a large and populous country there are many other sports that are played by a lot of people.
Here is a list of 10 sports which are rising in India :
1. Kabaddi
- Kabaddi is originated in ancient India
- India has won 9 gold in Asian games, 7 by men and 2 by women.
- India won the Kabaddi World Championship in 2007, beating Iran 29-19
- India is also the host to the world’s first kabaddi league
- In 2013, India had bagged the Kabaddi World Cup held at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhiana (Punjab) India
- India also won the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016
2. Football
- Indian National Football team does not have much success at International level
- The Indian national football team ranks 97th in FIFA rankings
- There are two top-level leagues in India – ISL (Indian Super League) and i-League.
3. Field Hockey
- Field Hockey was considered to be the national sport of India but has recently been denied by the Government of India
- Men’s hockey team has made India a successful country in hockey
- India has won 8 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals
- In 1975, they won the world cup tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Badminton
- After Cricket, it is the second most played sport in India
- Badminton in India is managed by Badminton Association of India
- India has a good success rate at International level in badminton
- Saina Nehwal was ranked second in the world in the year 2010
- Saina is also the Indian badminton player to have won an Olympic medal at the 2012 Olympics
5. Tennis
- It is counted among the most popular sports in India, but is limited to urban areas.
- India has produced a number of tennis players, who have achieved international recognition
- India has often done very well in the doubles and mixed doubles category
- Sania Mirza, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi are the real inspiration for Indian youth
6. Chess
- Chess has risen in popularity in India in the last few decades
- India has a good following in chess due to former World Champion Viswanathan Anand
- Anand is considered a hero by many Indians.
- His rise in the world chess stage has inspired a whole generation of young Indians to take up the game of Chess
7. Athletics
- The Athletics Federation of India is the apex body for running and managing athletics in India and affiliated to the IAAF, AAA and Indian Olympic Association
- Anju Bobby George, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, Milkha Singh, Norman Pritchard, P.T. Usha, and T.C. Yohannan are some of India’s most successful athletes
- India participates in Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.
8. Wrestling
- Teenagers and youngsters in India mostly follow wrestling
- Is one of the most ancient and oldest sports in the world
- Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav brought bronze in 1952
- Sushil Kumar brought bronze in 2008, silver was brought by Sushil Kumar in 2012, Sakshi Malik brought bronze in 2016
9. Table Tennis
- States like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have captured this game really well.
- The Table Tennis Federation of India is the official sports body to control table tennis in India
- India’s Sharath Kamal ranks 48th in the world as of 2018
10. Basketball
- This game is growing amongst youngsters in the country
- College, Schools, and universities give priority to this sport
- Its played by both men and women of all age.
- Indian Basketball follows FIBA International Basketball Federation rules for organizing basketball championships
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