National Game of India: Is it Hockey or Cricket?

Although it’s a common misconception, no sport is formally recognised as India’s national pastime. This kind of designation encourages physical activity and emphasises how important sports are to the general public. When a nation designates one sport as its national sport, it affects how its citizens engage with and participate in that sport.

There is no official national sport in India, but some sports, like kabaddi and hockey, are frequently wrongly considered to be the nation’s sports. Continue reading to find out more about the significance of India’s national sport.

The official sport of India

A country’s culture and history are represented by a variety of symbols and signs. For instance, India’s national animal is the tiger. In a similar vein, hockey is widely acknowledged as India’s national sport.

India’s hockey players established a winning streak by winning six straight Olympic gold medals for their nation between 1928 and 1956. However, no specific sport is acknowledged by India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as the nation’s national sport.

What is the reason why India does not have an official national game?

In order to find out if hockey was the national sport of India or not, a teacher in the Indian state of Maharashtra’s Dhule district filed an RTI with the government in 2020. India does not have a specific sport designated as its national sport, the Ministry of Youth Affairs retorted. All sports should receive equal support from the government.

What makes Hockey the National Sport of India?

Since hockey is one of the oldest sports, the Indian Hockey Federation recognised it as India’s national sport in 1925. India competed in its first international hockey tournament against New Zealand, winning 18 of the 21 games that were played.

The hockey team from India gained attention thanks to their victories, which encouraged more people to take up the sport. Hockey was very popular from 1928 to 1956; this time period is referred to as the “golden era” because India won six straight Olympic gold medals during this time. Because of this, hockey is regarded as India’s national sport.

Successes of the Indian Hockey Team at the Olympics

Famous field hockey players from India include Dhyan Chand, Dhanraj Pillai, and Balbir Singh Sr. Let’s look at the Indian hockey team’s accomplishments:

Olympics Name	Year of Olympics Name	Medal Won
Amsterdam Olympics	1928	Gold
Los Angeles Olympics	1932	Gold
Berlin Olympics	1936	Gold
London Olympics	1948	Gold
Helsinki Olympics	1952	Gold
Melbourne Olympics	1956	Gold
Rome Olympics	1960	Silver
Tokyo Olympics	1964	Gold
Mexico City Olympics	1968	Bronze
Munich Olympics	1972	Bronze
Montreal Olympics	1976	Placed 7th
Moscow Olympics	1980	Gold
Los Angeles Olympics	1984	Placed 5th
Seoul Olympics	1988	Placed 5th
Barcelona Olympics	1992	Placed 6th
Atlanta Olympics	1996	Placed 8th
Sydney Olympics	2000	Placed 7th
Athens Olympics	2004	Placed 7th
Beijing Olympics	2008	Could Not be Qualified
London Olympics	2012	Placed 12th
Rio Olympics	2016	Placed 8th
Tokyo Olympics	2021	Bronze

India’s Unofficial National Sports

Due to the team’s successes, hockey is regarded as India’s national sport. Additionally, the Indian Kabaddi team has won seven gold medals and has competed well in many international competitions, including the Asian Games and World Cup. As a result, many people believe Kabaddi to be India’s national sport.

Another misconception is that India’s national sport is cricket, but this is untrue. Even though India has excelled in each of these sports, it hasn’t formally proclaimed any of them as its national sport.

Questions Frequently Asked about the National Game of India