Sport in India

India has a history of sports dating back thousands of years. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it
generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed
league in the country. Football has also gained popularity,[2][b] with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the
highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South
Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the semifinal of the 1960
Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship.[4][5][6][7] Other sports
include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport.[8] India
has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports
such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured Former Indian men's cricket team captain
throughout the country.[9] Mahendra Singh Dhoni while batting. Under his
captaincy, India have won the most ICC
India's diverse culture and people have influenced the wide variety of sports, with indigenous sports such as trophies.[a][1]
fighter kite and boat racing being popular in some regions. Other indigenous sports include chess, kho kho,
cycling, polo, snooker and rugby, subject to location. Water sports, like scuba diving, boating,
surfing, and kiteboarding, frequently appear in coastal areas.[10] Professional wrestling and
mixed martial arts (MMA) are popular among young audiences,[11] with some Indian
wrestlers achieving international success.[12][13] India has hosted the Cricket World Cup three
times and won it twice.[c] Field hockey is the most successful sport for India at the Olympics,
with the Indian men's team winning twelve Olympic medals—eight of which were gold. Kerala Blasters FC fans in Kaloor Stadium during an ISL match
Although it is not considered a professional sport, cycling is a recreational activity and exercise
in India.[16]

Domestic professional commercial sports leagues in the country include Premier Handball League, the IPL and Women's Premier League, Indian Super League, I-
League (football),[17] Pro Kabbadi, Hockey India League, Premier Badminton League (Badminton), Ultimate Table Tennis league, Prime Volleyball League
(Volleyball) and Ultimate Kho Kho (Kho–kho). The major international sporting events that are annually organised in India include the Indian Open, India Open,
and India Open. Kabaddi, an indigenous sport, is widely regarded as one of the fastest growing sports in India, following the launch of the Indian domestic Pro
Kabaddi League. The sport has garnered substantial television viewership, contributing to its popularity and elevating its monetary value.[18] Women's sports have
also grown in India, with professional leagues including the Women's Premier League and Women's Kabaddi League.[19]

India has hosted several international sporting events, including the 1951 and 1982 Asian Games; the 1987, 1995, and 2016 South Asian Games; the 2010
Commonwealth Games; the 2014 Lusofonia Games; the 1987, 1996,[d] 2011, 2016, 2021[e] Men's Cricket world cups; and the 1978, 1997, 2013, and 2016
Women's Cricket World Cups. India has hosted editions of the SAFF Championship in 1999, 2011, 2015, 2023; SAFF Women's Championship in 2016, and
junior FIFA world cups including the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup of football. India will host the 2023 ODI, 2026 T20,
2031 ODI Cricket World Cup,[f] and 2025 Women's World Cup of Cricket.[21][g]

History

Ancient and medieval period

The world's oldest stadium with terraced stands was constructed in Dholavira, Gujarat, during the third millennium BCE.
Two stadiums have been identified at the ancient site: one is considered a ceremonial ground, and the other a small
stadium.[22][23][24]

Sports were evident during the Vedic era. Physical culture in ancient India was fuelled by religious rights. The mantra in
the Atharvaveda says, "Duty is in my right hand and the fruits of victory in my left.". This resembles the Olympic Oath:
"For the Honour of my Country and the Glory of Sport."[25]
A team tackle occurring in the
The modern game of badminton developed from an English children's game known as battledore and shuttlecock, a game ancient Indian game of kabaddi.
that was most prominent in ancient India. The battledore was a paddle and the shuttlecock was a small feathered cork,
colloquially called a bird.[26]

India has a rich heritage of martial arts. In the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, Bhima and Hanuman were the greatest Gadadhari (transl. One who fights with
Gada (the Mace weapon)) and were skilled in wrestling. Lord Krishna's brother Balarama was a great Gadadhari. During the era of the Mahabharata, Pandava
prince Arjun and Ekalavya were expert archers. Kalaripayattu is practised by some as a traditional martial art in South India.

The Mahabharata is a tale of warring cousins, composed over several years. It was believed that this book contained all aspects of Indian life, and whatever was
said which was not in the book was not true. Going back to the history of sports, martial arts was one of the earliest sport used for military purposes. This too was
limited to only the warrior caste, the Kshatriya. In ancient Greece, the patriarchy was very strict, and likewise ancient India restricted their sports to only men.[27]

Board games, including chess and snakes and ladders, originated from the ancient Indian games chaturanga and gyan chauper respectively; these were later
brought to foreign countries, where they would be modernized.[28][29] Chaturanga taught ancient Indians how to strategise for war, and the other board games
often imparted spiritual values.[30][31]

Several Indian variations of tag, such as kabaddi and kho-kho, originated in prehistoric times, with kho-kho being played as far back as the fourth century
BCE.[32] Atya-patya, a variant of tag, was mentioned in the Naṟṟiṇai (written in 300 CE).[33][34][35] Kabaddi and atya-patya in particular were used for military
training purposes.[35][36] During the rule of the Mughal Empire, pehlwani, a form of wrestling, was developed by combining native malla-yuddha with Persian
varzesh-e bastani.[37]
Several other activities were partaken in for recreation, such as hunting, gambling in dice-games, etc.[38]

British Colonial period

During the colonial period, British India[h] competed at six Olympic Games, winning medals in field hockey.[i] British
sports were introduced into India during that period. Some Indians were variously participating in British sports to rise up
the social hierarchy by imitating their colonisers[41] as well as aiming to achieve victory against the British in their
sports.[42] The British also aimed to spread their sports among Indians as a way of spreading British values.[27][43] Efforts
were made to develop the native games of India during this time period; this led to the successful standardisation of games
such as kabaddi and kho-kho.[44][45]

In the early days, the British began clubs, which only whites could join. These clubs were a place where men could gather
The Indian Hockey team at the 1936
together to drink, socialize, and play sports. British soldiers would play British sports as a way of maintaining fitness, since
Berlin Olympics, later going on to
the mortality rate for foreigners in India was high at the time, as well as to maintain a sense of Britishness; in the words of
defeat Germany 8–1 in the final.
an anonymous writer, playing British sports was a way for the British to "defend themselves from the magic of the land".
The different games played in the clubs would be cricket, badminton, rugby, golf, and rowing.[27]

Snooker originated in the late 19th century among British Army officers stationed in India.[46] Modern polo originated in British India in the 19th century[j] in
Manipur, where the game was known as Sagol Kangjei, Kanjai-bazee, or Pulu. The name polo is the anglicized version of the lattermost term. The first polo club
was established in Silchar, Assam, in 1833. The oldest polo club still in existence is the Calcutta Polo Club, which was established in 1862.[47][48][49]

Dorabji Tata, with the support of Dr. A.G. Noehren, the then-director of YMCA, established the Indian Olympic Association in 1927.[50]

One of the world's earliest football clubs, the Mohun Bagan was established in 1889. The club was formed when The Football Association began making standard
rules for football. Before FIFA, the international governing body of football was founded.

Post-Independence

When India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, cricket rose to popularity,[51] while field hockey was declining.[52]
International sport and sporting leagues quickly grew in India after the economic liberalisation of the 1990s, which allowed
more money to be invested into sports.[53] The Indian Premier League (IPL), which started in 2007, quickly became the
most dominant league in the country and is highly influential in global cricket;[54] by 2022, it was only behind America's
National Football League in terms of being the most valued league in the world on a per-match basis.[55] Several other
sports leagues quickly popped up after the IPL, with the Indian Super League becoming one of the biggest leagues and
playing a significant role in Indian football.[56] Other leagues (such as the Pro Kabaddi League, Ultimate Kho Kho, and
the Pro Panja League) contributed to the modernisation of indigenous sports.[57][58][59][60] Kabaddi has become an The Eden Gardens in Kolkata,
international sport, with countries such as South Korea and Iran playing it.[61] established in 1864, is the oldest
cricket stadium in India. It has been
Several factors have explained India's lack of success in international sport, such as economic hardship, lack of emphasis part of several historic cricket
on sports in Indian culture, corruption, and a lack of investment in sports.[62][63] In recent decades, the Government of matches.[k][l]
India and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have tried to promote sports in the country by launching and organising new
national sports events such as the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), Khelo India Winter Games, and Khelo India
University Games (KIUG) of Khelo India games in various cities across the nation.[m] The first Khelo India School Games was held in 2018.[n] KIYG and KIUG
are set up as annual events for children and teenagers, who represent their states and universities in them.[65][66]

India founded the Asian Games, which is considered to be the world's second-largest sporting event behind the Olympic Games[67] as a way to make itself
relevant in the new post-colonial world order.[68][69] It hosted the Games in New Delhi for the inaugural edition in 1951 and again in 1982. The current Ministry
of Youth Affairs and Sports was initially set up as the Department of Sports in 1982 at the time of organisation of the Games in New Delhi. Its name was changed
to the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports during International Youth Year in 1985.[70] India has also hosted and co-hosted several international sporting
events, including the 1987, 1996 and 2011 Cricket World Cups, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Major international sporting events annually held in India include the Chennai Open, the Mumbai Marathon and the Delhi Half Marathon. The country hosted the
first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.[71] The largest stadium in the world, the Narendra Modi Stadium, is in India.

Administration
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is a ministry of the Government of India for sport in the country. Anurag Thakur is the incumbent sports minister of
India.[72]

The ministry is run by a Secretary to the Government of India, and is usually headed by a Minister of State.[73] A ministry-recognised National Sports Federation
Of India (NSFOI) represents each Olympic and non-Olympic sport—the only major exception being the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is
not an NSFOI.[74][o] As of 2019, 56 NSFs are recognised by the ministry.[76] The presence of politicians at the helm of many such federations has been criticised
for causing inefficiency and corruption.[74]

For each sport, India has a separate governing body. These include the All India Football Federation for football, National Rifle Association of India for shooting,
and Boxing Federation of India for boxing.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is responsible for the Indian contingent's participation in the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games
(outdoor, indoor and beach), South Asian Games, Lusofonia Games, World Games and Military World Games. The selection of the national teams is done by the
respective national federations and then recommended to the IOA for official sponsorship for participation in those games.[50] The Paralympic Committee of India
is responsible for the Indian participation in the Paralympic Games and Asian Para Games. The All India Sports Council for the Deaf is responsible for India's
participation in the Deaflympics Games, and the Special Olympics Bharat is responsible for India's participation in the Special Olympics.
Olympics

Athlete Norman Pritchard represented India in the 1900 Olympics, winning two silver medals. India sent its first national team to the Olympics in 1920 and has
participated in every Summer Olympic Games ever since. India has also competed at several Winter Olympic Games since 1964.

As of 2021, India has won a total of 35 Summer Olympic medals. India won its first gold medal in men's field hockey at the 1928 Olympic Games. On winning
the 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Olympics, Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games. In 2021, Neeraj
Chopra won the men's javelin throw gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[91][92]

Commonwealth Games and Asian Games

India has competed in all but four editions of the Commonwealth Games since the second Game in 1934. India has hosted the
Commonwealth Games in 2010 at Delhi. India has won a total of 504 medals, including 181 gold medals.

India has participated in every edition of the Asian Games, and has hosted the Games in 1951 and 1982 in New Delhi. As of 2018,
India has won 671 medals, of which 139 are gold. India has won at least one gold medal in each tournament; its performance in the
Asian Games has improved significantly in recent years.[93]

Other appearances

India has participated in every edition of the World Games (where they won five medals) and the South Asian Games (where they
ranked first place). India has also participated in the Lusofonia Games.

India was in the Deaflympics Games, Special Olympics Games, Military World Games, Universiade Games, Gymnasiade Games,
and Paralympic Games.

The National Games of India

The National Games of India are conducted by the Indian Olympic Association and are meant to identify athletes who would later
go for the Olympics. The first National Games (formerly called the Indian Olympic Games), were held in Lahore in 1924, while Tennis player Sania Mirza
the first modern Games were held in New Delhi in 1985.[94] has won multiple medals,
including in various Grand

Olympic sports Slam

events,Commonwealth
Games, and Asian Games.

Archery

Historically, archery was played and practiced by royals. Modern archery in India began in the early 1970s before its introduction as an Olympic event in 1972,
and it was formalised in 1973 when the Archery Association of India (AAI) was established. Since its inception, AAI has been creating and maintaining the rules
of the sport.

Athletics

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) is the national governing body of athletics in India. India is not a major competitor
in athletics. Very few Indian athletes have won medals and championships at international competitions. As of
28 October 2022, India has won three medals in the Summer Olympics.

Norman Pritchard was the first Indian athlete. He won an Olympic medal for India as a sprinte and won two silver medals
in the 200m sprint and 200m hurdle track and field event at the 1900 Summer Olympics.[95][96] Neeraj Chopra won the
first Olympic gold medal in track and field for India at the 2020 Summer Olympics, also winning a medal in the javelin
throw event.[97]

Anju Bobby George won the bronze medal in the women's long jump at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics in
Paris. She became the first Indian athlete to win a medal in a World Championships in Athletics, jumping 6.7 m (22 ft) in
2010. For 52 years, Milkha Singh was the only athlete to win an individual gold medal at a Commonwealth Games;
however, at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Krishna Punia won the women's discus throw gold medal for India and was
the first Indian woman to be a gold medalist in athletics at the Commonwealth Games.[98] At the 2014 Commonwealth
Games, Vikas Gowda won the Men's Discus Throw gold medal.

Hima Das is the only Indian track athlete to win a medal at any World Athletics global event. She won the gold medal in Neeraj Chopra is a 2020 Summer
Olympics gold medalist, Diamond
Women's 400 metres at the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland, on 12 July 2018, clocking at a
league 2022 champion, and a World
time of 51.46 seconds.[99][100] She is the second gold medalist in athletics at the IAAF World U20 Championships after
Athletics Championship 2022
Chopra, who won men's javelin throw gold at 2016 IAAF World U20 Championships by setting the world junior record
medalist in javelin throwing.
with a throw of 86.48 m (283.7 ft). Chopra later won gold in the men's javelin throw at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
In 2020, at the Tokyo Olympics, he became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's javelin
throw.[p] At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Lalita Babar became the first Indian athlete since 1984 to reach the Olympics finale in the event of the Women's 3000
metres steeplechase.[101] Before her, P.T. Usha reached the finale of the Women's 400 metres hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics.

P.T. Usha won multiple gold medals in different editions of the Asian Games and Asian Athletics Championships. Lavy Pinto was the first Indian to win a gold
medal in the Asian Games. Pinto also won a gold medal in the first Asian Games held at New Delhi in 1951 in the 100- and 200-meter categories.[102] Christine
Brown, Stephie D'Souza, Violet Peters, and Mary D'Souza won the first gold medal in women's athletics for India in the 4 × 100 m relay in the 1954 Asian
Games. Kamaljeet Sandhu was the first female Indian athlete to win an individual gold medal at any Asian games in the 400m track event at the 1970 Asian
Games.[103] Sunita Rani holds the current Asian record in the 1500 m track event winning at the Busan 2002 Asian Games at a time of 4:06.03.
Madhurjya Borah, an Indian triathlete, holds the silver medal for the South Asian Triathlon Championship. Triathlete Anu Vaidyanathan was the first Asian to
compete in Ultraman.[104] In May 2016, Arunaabh Shah became the first Indian male and the youngest Indian to finish Ultraman at Ultraman Australia.[105]

Neeraj Chopra became the first India athlete to win the Diamond League trophy in Zürich, Switzerland, in 2022[106] by throwing a javelin 88.44 m (290.2 ft).[107]
On 24 July 2022, he won the silver medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Oregon; he is the only athlete from India to have done so.[108]

In the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Avinash Sable and Priyanka Goswami won the first silver medals for India in the games' history and in any major
multinational events in the 3000m steeplechase and 10,000m racewalking events respectively.[109]

Badminton
P V Sindhu and Thomas Cup winning team
Badminton is a popular sport in India, specifically in South India; people often play it as a recreational
activity. The region has multiple badminton academies and coaching facilities.

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) is the national governing body of badminton in India. It
organises multiple national tournaments.

In 2022, the Indian Badminton team won for the first time in the Thomas Cup, which is a badminton Indian shuttler Indian shuttlers, after
multinational tournament.[110] Sindhu, Bronze, winning their first ever
Silver Olympic Thomas Cup 2022.
P. V. Sindhu, Srikanth Kidambi, and pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are ranked amongst medalist, world
the top ten in the current BWF world rankings. Prakash Padukone was the first player from India to achieve number one and
the number one spot. He was the winner of the All England Open Badminton Championships in 1980, winner of many
which was later won by Pullela Gopichand in 2001. Srikanth Kidambi became the second male player to international
make it to the top spot in April 2018.[111] In 2015, Saina Nehwal achieved the world number one BWF championships
ranking, and she is the first ever Indian badminton player who won a medal at the Olympics, doing so in Indian badminton players
2012.[112][113]

Sindhu is the first Indian to become the Badminton World Champion, which she achieved in 2019, and is the only badminton player from India to win two
consecutive medals at the Olympic Games. In 2016, she won a silver medal, while in 2020, she won bronze.[114][115]

Doubles player Jwala Gutta is the only Indian to have been ranked in the top 10 in two categories: at number 6 with Valiyaveetil Diju in mixed doubles, and
number 10 with Ashwini Ponnappa in women's doubles.[116] Other successful players include Aparna Popat, Syed Modi, Chetan Anand, Parupalli Kashyap,
Prannoy Kumar, Sameer Verma, Lakshya Sen, Ashwini Ponnappa, and N. Sikki Reddy.

India has also won twelve medals at the BWF World Championships, with Sindhu being the only Indian badminton player to have won gold in 2019. At the BWF
World Junior Championships, Nehwal is the only gold medalist for India, winning in 2008. At the Badminton Asia Junior Championships, Sindhu and Lakshya
Sen are the only gold medalists for India, winning in 2012 and 2018 respectively.

Boxing

The Indian Boxing Federation is the national governing body of the sport. India regularly wins medals in boxing at the Asian
Games and Commonwealth Games. In November 2007, Mary Kom won the title of best boxer, securing a hat-trick. During the
2008 Beijing Olympics, Vijender Singh won a bronze medal in the middleweight division, and Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar
qualified for the quarterfinals. Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, A.L. Lakra, and Dinesh Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2008
World Championship. Kom won the bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Field hockey

Field hockey, until the mid-1970s, was dominated by the India men's national field hockey team, winning Olympic gold medals
and the 1975 Men's Hockey World Cup. Field hockey declined within the country due to changing rules, the introduction of
artificial turf, and internal politics in Indian field hockey bodies. In 2008, the men's team failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics
and finished last in the 2012 Olympics.
Mary Kom, Olympic
medalist, famous Indian
However, the men's team were second place at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won gold in field hockey at the 2014 Asian
amateur boxer
Games. Losing at the quarter final stage of the 2016 Rio Olympics following a loss to Belgium, India would win the 2017 Men's
Hockey Asia Cup. India, at the 2020 games in Tokyo, won a bronze medal. Currently, the Indian men's team is fifth in the
rankings of the Fédération Internationale de Hockey sur Gazon (FIH, English: International Hockey Federation), the international
governing body of indoor and outdoor field hockey.[117]

The women's national field hockey team first participated at the Summer Olympics in 1980, achieving fourth place. At the 1982 Asian Games for field hockey, the
team won gold. In the 2016 Summer Olympics, the Indian women's team qualified for the Summer Olympics and they went on to win the 2017 Women's Hockey
Asia Cup. However, the India Women's team did not win any medals in the Women's Hockey World Cup. The present team is ranked tenth place by the
Fédération Internationale de Hockey.[117] India has hosted three Men's Hockey World Cups—the first in 1982 in Mumbai, second in 2010 in Delhi—where the
country finished fifth and eighth place respectively—and the third in Bhubaneswar in 2018. India also hosted the annual Hockey Champions Trophy in 1996,
2005, 2014, and 2016.

Until 2008, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was the apex body for hockey in the country. However, after corruption and other scandals in the IHF, the
federation was dissolved, and a new apex body for Indian hockey called Hockey India (HI) was formed on 20 May 2009, with support from the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) and former hockey players. HI, recognised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), has the sole mandate to govern and conduct all
activities for both men's and women's field hockey in India. Although the IHF was reinstated in 2010,[118] it is not recognised by the FIH. The IHF conducts a
franchise-based tournament called World Series Hockey (WSH), with its first season conducted in 2012. However, it is not approved by the HI or the FIH.
HI also conducts a franchise-based tournament called the Hockey India League (HIL). Its first season was held in 2013. It is recognised by the FIH, which has
also decided to provide a 30-day window for the forthcoming seasons so all top players can participate.

Football

Football was introduced to India during the British colonial period. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the national
governing body for football in India. It is affiliated with FIFA, the international governing body of football, and the Asian
Football Federation (AFF). Football is the second most popular sport in India after cricket. In states such as West Bengal
and Karnataka, both football and cricket are equally popular, while football is the dominant sport, more popular than
cricket, in Kerala, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India.

Although India has never played in any FIFA World Cups, India qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
However, the country did not participate because the team was not allowed to play barefoot. Another excuse that was cited
Sayed Rahim Nabi of East Bengal
was that the AIFF did not have money to travel to Brazil that time.[119][120] The barefoot excuse was false, according to a
FC and Daniel of Chirag United SC
19 July 2011 Los Angeles Times article.[120] FIFA was ready to give money to the Indian team to travel to Brazil for the during I-League at Salt Lake
World Cup, thus invalidating the money excuse. The barefoot excuse was a "historical blunder" done by AIFF according Stadium.
to the book Box to box: 75 years of the Indian football team, authored by sports journalist Jaydeep Basu. In his book, he
revealed that the Indian football team did not play 1950 FIFA World Cup because of "ignorance, short-sightedness, lack of
confidence, and misplaced priorities on behalf of the All India Football Federation".[120][121]

In the 1948 Summer Olympics, India went against France, losing 2–1.[q][120] During the 1950s and 1960s, known as the golden era, India was the first Asian team
to reach the semi-finals in an Olympic football tournament at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and Neville D'Souza became the first Asian and Indian to
score a hat-trick in an Olympic match.[122][123] The men's team have won two gold medals at the Asian Games in 1951 and 1962,[124] and finished in second
place at the 1964 AFC Asian Cup.

India currently ranks 101th in the FIFA rankings as of 21 June 2023. It has won multiple editions of SAFF Championships.[125] In 2023, it won the
Intercontinental Cup by defeating Lebanon in the final round.

The India national football team and India women's national football team represent India in FIFA, Asian Football Federation, and international, friendly
tournaments in men's and women's football respectively. The Indian Super League and I-League are deemed as top-tier football leagues in India.

In June 1937, at the Army Headquarters in Shimla, the AIFF—the governing body for football in India—was formed during a meeting of the representatives of
football associations from six regions where the game was popular at the time. Other major domestic competitions for men's football include the I-League second
division in the Indian League System and the annual knock-out style Federation Cup. For women's football, there is the India women's football championship.

European leagues, such as the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, and the UEFA Champions League, are popular among Indian football fans, especially in
metropolitan cities. Other European top leagues, such as the UEFA Europa League, Germany's Bundesliga, Italy's Serie A, and France's Ligue 1 are broadcast on
television in India.

The nation has hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup; this was the first FIFA junior football world cup held in India.[126] The matches were held from 6 to 28
October in arenas in New Delhi, Kolkata, Kochi, Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, and Margao.[127]

In club football, a rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal FC of West Bengal known as the Kolkata Derby attracts many viewers, generating interest in
fans. As of 2021, in ISL teams, 25% of players were from the states of Mizoram and Manipur in Northeast India. Most of the players of the India national football
team are from these northeast states, where there are football clubs such as Aizawl FC, Shillong Lajong FC, and Neroca FC, who all play in the I-League.[128]

Beach soccer and futsal

The India national beach soccer team represents India in international level tournaments. The AIFF is responsible to govern and develop the game in the
nation.[129][130] The AIFF is the governing body of futsal in India. The India national futsal team represents the country in international level tournaments and
games.[131]

Golf

Golf is played among the wealthier classes. The most successful Indian golfers are Jeev Milkha Singh and Anirban Lahiri. Singh
won three titles on the European Tour, four on the Japan Golf Tour, and six on the Asian Tour. His highest world ranking was on
28 March 2009. Singh has won the Asian Tour Order of Merit twice. Meanwhile, Lahiri has two European Tour wins and seven
Asian Tour wins, qualifying for the 2015 Presidents Cup.

Other Indians who have won the Asian Tour Order of Merit are Jyoti Randhawa in 2002 (the first Indian to do so), and Arjun
Atwal, who went on in 2010 to become the first Indian-born player to become a member of the US-based PGA Tour and win the
2010 Wyndham Championship.

In golf at the Asian Games, the India's men's golf team won gold at the 1982 Asian Games and silver at the 2006 Asian Games.
Lakshman Singh won the individual gold at the 1982 Asian Games.

Jeev Milkha Singh at the There are numerous golf courses around India as well as a Professional Golf Tour. The main tournament is the Hero Indian Open,
2008 PGA co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Aditi Ashok finished fourth place in the women's golf competition.

Gymnastics

In India, gymnastics is not as prominent due to the lack of facilities, exposure, encouragement, championships, sponsorships, and coaching. However, the sport
gained national attention after the performance of Dipa Karmakar at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she reached fourth place in the final
round during her debut. Karmakar's success made her well known in India and encouraged new girls and boys to participate in gymnastics.[132]
The Gymnastics Federation of India is the official governing body for gymnastics sport in India. It organises various
tournaments throughout the year, and it is recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of India.[133]

Ashish Kumar won the first medal in gymnastics for India, which was bronze at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won
a silver medal in the men's vault in that edition.[134]

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Karmakar won bronze in the women's vault final. Her second vault, the
Produnova vault—known as the vault of death due to how dangerous it could be—was executed with a score of 15.1 (D-7, Ex-
8.1).[135] With this attempt, she became the fifth gymnast to ever execute the Produnova just after gymnast Oksana Chusovitina.
In October 2015, Karmakar became the first Indian gymnast to qualify for a final stage at the World Artistic Gymnastics
Championships. In 2016, when she qualified for the Rio Olympics, she became the first Indian gymnast to do so. Hours after her
qualification at the 2016 Gymnastics Olympic Test Event, she won a gold medal in the women's vault event.[136] On 6 July
2016, FIG honored Dipa by naming her World Class Gymnast.[137] At the Rio Olympics, she achieved fourth place in vaults.
After a long hiatus from injury, she ran for vaults and won gold at the World Challenge Cup series.[138]
Dipa Karmakar is India's first
gymnast, who participated in
Tennis the Olympics and finished in
fourth place at the Rio
Olympics on her Olympic
Tennis, in urban areas, is a popular sport among Indians after the success of Vijay Amritraj. He was India's firstsingles player
debut.
who reached the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships. Amritraj was a notable player in the 1960s and 1970s. He is
the first Indian singles tennis player who was in the top 50 of the WTA rankings and was the number 16 world singles
player.[139]
Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes

The All India Tennis Association, is the national governing body for tennis in India. It is affiliated with the International
Tennis Federation (ITF), the governing body for tennis in the world. The ATP 250 Maharashtra Open was organised in
Pune until 2022.[r] Stan Wawrinka was its most successful player, while Rafael Nadal participated in it.

In Grand Slams, India has won multiple Tennis Grand Slams in men's doubles and mixed doubles. Leander Paes won a
singles bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, achieving the world record for the number of mixed doubles in Wimbledon.
Since the late 1990s, Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have won many men's doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.
Sania Mirza was an Indian woman tennis player who won a WTA title, was in the Top 30 WTA rankings, and won three
First professional Leander Paes,
Grand Slam doubles events, the first at Wimbledon in 2015. In singles, Yuki Bhambri is a top player at the ATP Tour;
tennis player of 1996 Olympics'
Bhambri was the Australian Open junior singles champion in 2009. Women tennis players Ankita Raina and Karman
India, Vijay Amritraj, bronze
Kaur Thandi were in the top 200 in 2018.
he was a quality medalist,
singles player and multiple mixed
reached QF of doubles grand
Shooting
Wimbledon slams winner.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) was founded in 1951 with a view to promote and popularize the Legendary tennis players of India
shooting sports in India. It is the governing body for shooting sports in the country. India has won many international
medals in various forms of this sport.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore won the first Olympic medal in shooting for India. Rathore won silver in the 2004 Summer
Olympics in double trap and has won 3 Commonwealth gold medals, one silver medal, and a silver and bronze medal in
the Asian Games.[140]

Abhinav Bindra won the first Olympic gold medal in shooting at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was the first individual
Olympic gold medal by an Indian in Olympics.[141]

Gagan Narang won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 10 meter air rifle shooting event. He won four
gold medals in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne; among these two he won with Abhinav Bindra in team
event.[142] Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a
former rifle shooter, won a silver
medal, the first Olympic medal in
Weightlifting shooting.

Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, making her the first Indian woman to
win an Olympic medal.[143] The headquarters of the Indian Weightlifting Federation is in New Delhi. The federation is
affiliated with the Indian Olympic Association (Delhi), and is also a member of the Asian Weightlifting Federation (Tehran)
and International Weightlifting Federation (IWF, Budapest).

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, an Indian Abhinav Bindra, former air rifle

weightlifter, won silver at the 2020 shooter, won a gold medal in the
Summer Olympics. 10m air rifle shooting event at the
2008 Beijing Olympics.
In 2021, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won silver medal in 49 kg category in 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. In
2022, she won Gold in weightlifting at Birmingham Commonwealth games.

Wrestling