What’s the first sport you think of when someone mentions the national sport of India? Hockey! Chess! Kabaddi! Cricket! Well, most people are going to answer hockey. Right? What if your answer isn’t right. What if India doesn’t have any national sports? Yes, you read it right. India doesn’t have any national sport, just like it doesn’t have a national language. Read on to know the reasons behind it.
The Government of India (GOI) has opted several elements as representatives that defines its heritage, identity, legacy, and culture. Example: tiger is the national animal of India, lotus is the national flower, and Ganges River dolphin is the national aquatic animal. Most of the Indians know that. Similary, when asked about national sport, there is a common misunderstanding that hockey is our national sport.
What is the national game of India?
India may have won 8 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze medals in the Olympics, numerous World Titles in kabaddi and cricket but yet it doesn’t have a game that the nation can term as its very own.
Why Hockey Isn’t India’s National Game?
In 2020, a curious school teacher from Dhule in Maharashtra set off a thought-provoking debate when she filed a Right to Information (RTI) request. She wanted to know when hockey was officially recognized as India’s national game. The government’s reply was straightforward: “No sport has been declared the national game. We aim to promote all sports equally.”
Despite this clarity, the idea of having a national game has gained momentum, especially after India’s impeccable performance at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. In Tokyo Olympics, men’s hockey team brought home a bronze medal, the first Olympic medal in hockey for the country in 41 years. Meanwhile, the women’s team came so close to a medal, losing in a nail-biting match for third place.
On the other hand, men’s team repeated the feat, winning bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024.
The resurgence in hockey’s popularity even led a lawyer to file a public interest litigation (PIL), asking the Supreme Court to declare hockey as the national sport, hoping to reignite its former glory. However, the court dismissed the petition.
So, the question remains: in a country with such rich sporting traditions, why hasn’t a national game been designated?
