India’s Top 20 Most Popular Sports – Dive into Diversity (2024)

Motorsport is a very popular form of sport amongst the Indian youth. The development of the sports took off in India only post the 2000s, with two popular Indian drivers, Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok the flag-bearers.

From 2011 to 2013, the Buddh International Circuit in Sector 25 along the Yamuna Expressway in the Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh State hosted the Indian Grand Prix, a race in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

Also Read | A Complete Guide to Motor Sports | Know What Is Auto Racing

Table Tennis is an immensely popular indoor sport in India. However, it is most famous in states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. The Table Tennis Federation of India is the sports’ official governing body.

TT’s popularity grew significantly only in the last few years.India has talented players playing for the country as a singles player and ranked in the top 50 both in Men’s and Women’s categories. Some of them are Sharath Kamal, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra.

In India, Boxing did not interest a large audience but had a significant fan following. The reason behind the lack of attention to the game was the lack of international victories. However, the sport now is gaining huge popularity.

Boxing came into the limelight after Indian wrestler Vijender Singh brought home a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Games. The sport’s popularity reached new heights after famous pugilist Mary Kom became the first woman athlete to win a boxing medal. Kids often confuse boxing with WWE. In reality, boxing is a professional sport whereas WWE is a combat-based entertainment show.

Also Read | Top 10 Greatest Lightweight Boxer of All Time

Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world and enjoys a considerable following in India. India has had many tennis players who have achieved international recognition and have made their presence in some of the top tennis tournaments and grand slams.

Who doesn’t know Sania Mirza? She is Indian former professional tennis player & former world No. 1 in the doubles discipline. She won six major titles – three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles. She was ranked by the WTA as India’s No. 1 player in both categories. Mirza has established herself as the most successful female Indian tennis player ever. The governing body of tennis in India is the All India Tennis Association established in 1920.

During the era of the British Raj, athletics was introduced in India. The governing body for the sport at the national level is the Athletics Federation of India, established in 1946. Milkha Singh, famously known as “The Flying Sikh,” became India’s first globally successful athlete. Some of the notable Indian athletes in the history of athletics include Praveen Kumar, T. C Yohannan, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Neeraj Chopra, Sriram Singh, etc. Among the contemporary female athletes, noteworthy names include P T Usha, Swapna Singh, Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, Krishna Poonia, Saraswati Saha, Soma Biswas, and Anju Bobby George.

Also Read | Types of Events in Athletics | Complete List of Track and Field Events

Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in the world and also has a long history in India. The sport has gained popularity over time and has brought India a number of medals from many major tournaments.

Indian wrestlers have taken Indian wrestling to a greater level with at least a medal at every Olympics since the 2008 Beijing Games. Some of the popular wrestlers in India include Bajrang Punia, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Geeta Phogat, etc. The sport has gained even more popularity after the Bollywood hits like Sultan and Dangal.

Also Read | Top 10 Greatest Wrestlers of All Time | Legends of Wrestling Sport

Badminton is a very popular sport in India and is managed by the Badminton Association of India. The reason behind badminton’s growing popularity is the talented Indian shuttlers making their country proud at various international tournaments.

Prakash Padukone was the first-ever Indian shuttler to achieve world no.1 spot in the game. India has witnessed the rise of numerous talented badminton players who have garnered popularity both nationally and internationally. Some of the most popular badminton players in India include Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, etc.

Hockey is the national sport of India. It is among the popular sports in the country.
Indian hockey shares a golden history with numerous medals bagged by the Indian hockey team at various international tournaments. The country has the distinction of producing legendary players like Dhyan Chand, Udham Singh, and Dhanraj Pillay.

However, after the last gold medal at the 1980 Olympics, the team’s performances have declined through the last three decades. Later in 2016, after 36 years of struggle, the Indian men’s team won a silver medal in Champions Trophy and reached the knockout stage of the Olympics. In CWG 2022, India won silver in men’s hockey after losing 0-7 to Australia in the final.

Also Read | Top 10 Greatest Hockey players of all time

Kabaddi is a contact sport that originated in ancient India. It is one of the most popular sports in India. This traditional sport was mainly played in villages but now has turned into an international sport. There are four forms of Kabaddi played in India namely Amar, Siranjeevi, Huttuttoo, and Gaminee. Siranjeevi is the form used in international matches generally.

India won gold medals at the Asian Games in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 in this discipline. The Pro Kabaddi League has a vast audience taking an interest in it. It was introduced in 2014 in India based on the Indian premier league with Bollywood stars owning different teams.

Also Read | Top 10 Kabaddi Players in India and Abroad

Football is the most popular sport in the world and has great fame in India as well. Traditionally, Football enjoys immense popularity among states like Kerala, West Bengal, Goa, and north-eastern India which consists of Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim.

Sunil Chhetri is the Indian national team’s present captain. India ranks at 101 among the FIFA World Rankings. Indian football leagues are gaining traction, showcasing homegrown talent and attracting international stars. As the roar of the crowd grows louder, football’s popularity soars, transcending boundaries and uniting people from diverse backgrounds.

Cricket is by far the most-watched sport in India. The popularity of cricket in the country is due to the large interest of the citizens in this particular sport and sportspersons. India’s great performances in International cricket tournaments have a huge role to play in it’s increasing popularity. Also, various sports channels and brands promote the sport thereby grabbing the attention of the masses.

The country has produced some of the best cricketers that the world has ever seen in the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, MS Dhoni, and many more. Currently, Virat Kohli is the most popular cricketer with the greatest fan base.

Cricketers today, have become role models and famous personalities. They have always remained in the limelight due to their personal and professional lives.

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