Despite the rising prominence of cricket and historical accomplishments in hockey, India does not have a recognized national game. To its credit, India has won 8 Olympic gold medals in hockey and 6 world cups in Kabaddi. Numerous people wonder if cricket should be recognized as India’s national sport, but none is. Nevertheless, India’s national game day will be observed on August 29, 2022.
Aside from Game, India has chosen a variety of emblems to represent the country’s culture, tradition, and heritage. The national animal, for example, is the tiger, the national flower is the lotus, and the national bird is the peacock.
Why is Hockey Considered the National Game of India?
One of the most frequently asked questions about sports in India is “Is Hockey the national game of India?”, and the answer to it is, “No”, it is not. An RTI request in 2020 forced the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to clarify that the Government has not designated any game as the nation’s “national game.”
The request was made by a school teacher from Maharashtra’s Dhule district who wanted to learn if common conceptions about hockey were correct. And the response for the same explicitly stated that the government has not recognized any sports or game as the nation’s National Game.
Hockey is among the earliest sports in which India earned prominence worldwide. Having been recognized by the Indian Hockey Federation in 1925, the game has brought many laurels to the nation during its lifetime.
India’s debut professional hockey visit to New Zealand, they won 18 of the 21 matches and had established a name for themselves in the global arena.
The successes elevated the Indian hockey team and inspired Indian civilians to participate in hockey. From 1928 through 1956, hockey was a major game. This was regarded as a golden age for India since it won six straight gold medals at the Olympic Games. This is the reason hockey was designated unofficially by the masses as India’s national game.
Other Sports in Line
Whilst hockey was first thought to be the national game, Kabaddi followed next to get the title after the Indian team’s supremacy in the world arena, sweeping all World Cup tournaments thus far and 7 gold medals at the Asian Games.
Cricket became the next game to take the spot owing to the Indian team’s success, winning 2 world cups and offering recognition to ambitious young athletes. However, following the achievement of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, there have been appeals for the game to be proclaimed the national game.
Nonetheless, the government deliberately has left the spot open because they believe that each and every sport should be fostered equally.
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