Which is the National Game of India – Hockey or Cricket ?

A game became the national game once it gains acclaim which relates the game to the history of a particular country. If a game retains the historical connection, it is eventually being accepted as the life-breath of any particular country. Every country has its own national game. The national games encourage people to know the importance of physical activities and help them to fall in love with any of the games. The national games evoke a feeling of nationalism in the blood of its citizens. National games are of utmost importance. If you are an aspirant who is preparing for any of the competitive exams, you need up to know more about the popular national game of India. Now, are you interested in games and sports? Are you an Indian? If so, how can you skip the national games? Binge on and learn.

People outside India always consider cricket as the national sport of Indicatives of India are taught from an early age that Hockey is the national sport. Hockey is declared the official sport of India. It is the historically strong and dedicated sport of India.  the cricket teams are nowadays attracting the attention of most of the audience and there might be chances for cricket to be the national sport. In the highly competitive sporting world, cricket and hockey occupy the major share.

Is Hockey National Game of India?

Hockey is considered the old game of India. Indian Hockey Federation came into being in the year 1925. The first Indian hockey competition was against New Zealand. The first match involved 21 matches. Out of the 21 matches, India won 18 matches and lost 1 match. This victory made the country famous for the hockey team. Hockey soon became a part of Indian history as the national game. The first victory triggered the people in India to engineer themselves in hockey. The game became popular from 1928 to 1956. India won 6 succeeding gold medals in the Olympic games for hockey and the nation considers this time as the golden period of India

National Game of India 2021

The national game of India name is none other than Field Hockey. Based on the popularity of the game and the historical connection of the game with the country, field hockey is regarded as the national game of India. Hockey players are the proudest citizens. They could represent our nation in the name of national games. The national game, namely hockey has a rich legacy. Hockey can evoke a sense of pride in the hearts of the citizens. Grass field or turf is the game ground for hockey. At various International Forums, the performance of the Indian hockey team became remarkable and this is one of the major reasons why hockey is regarded as the national game of India.

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Indian Hockey

• The Hockey Federation was established in India in the year 1925. The first game the Indian hockey participated in was with New Zealand.
• The Indian hockey team played 21 matches and lost one match. Dhyanchand arose as the legendary hockey player through this game.
• Indian Hockey team won a gold medal for the country India in the year 1928 Olympic.
• Indian Hockey Team won six consecutive Olympic Gold Medals between the years 1928 and 1956. Scoring 178 goals, they won 24 matches. They have conceded only 7 in their half of the game.
• Richard Allen, Rex Norris, Broome Pinninger, Michael Rocque, Frederick Seaman, Dhyan Chand, Michael Gately, William Goodsir- Cullen, Leslie Hammond, Feroze Khan, Santosh Manglani, George Marthins Shaukat Ali, Jaipal Singh, Kher Singh Gill were the members of the prestigious Indian hockey team.
• After losing 0-1 to the Pakistan Hockey team in the finals of the 1960 Rome Olympics, the Indian Hockey team winning streak ended.
• In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1980 Moscow Olympics, the team again won the gold medal.
• Indian Men’s Hockey team was the winner of the Hockey World Cup in 1975 held in Kualalampur, Malaysia.
• The Indian Women’s Hockey team won a Gold medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England.

National Game of India: Rules

• the game was once played in two halves,
• 35 minutes each were provided for teams
• Many changes were made in 2014
• The game is divided into 4 halves
• 15 minutes is now provided for the teams.
• There is a 2-minute break for every period
• There is a total of 11 players on each side
• There are a total of 10 players on the field
• one person is the goalkeeper.
• The player should have a hockey stick
• The hockey game consists of a 150 to 200 cm long slender shaft
• ending of the shaft consist of the blade.
• the hockey stick should have a maximum of 737 grams.
• The ball is made of hard plastic and small.
• The stick is flat on the playing side
• The stick is made of hickory wood or mulberry wood.
• The gamers should hit, dribble and push the ball around the field
• They should attempt to shoot it past the goalkeeper into the opposite goal post.
• Holding, kicking or carrying the ball is not allowed for the players
• The game should begin with a center pass
• the sides should be revered after the first half.
• When the scoring shot is taken from within the striking circle, it can be considered a goal
• the match will be officiated by two umpires on the field
• The umpires on the field will monitor the play closely
• any misconduct or rule breaking will not be entertained.

History of National Game of India

Hockey is one of the most ancient games in the world. As it is connected to the history of India it is deemed as the national game. Guiding a ball with the help of a stick is the major attraction of hockey. The process of the play has been in circulation around 1200 years before. This play was popular among people before the start of the ancient games of Olympia in Greece. There are various variations for the same game practised by almost all the people belonging to different clans and races.

Field Hockey was developed by the British. In 1921, the London Hockey association was established. The rules of the games were consolidated in 1921 itself. In 1924, the International Hockey Federation was founded. The British game came to the limelight’s British Raj introduced the game in India. The Indian citizen took extra interest in the games and arouse it to the heights of honour. In India, the first hockey club was established in Calcutta. It happened in 1885. The first hockey association in India was Bengal Hockey which was founded in the year 1908. During the Olympics held in Amsterdam Indians had competed for the first time in 1928.

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Indian Hockey: Achievements

Indian hockey team withstood all the adverse effects and won many awards and recognition in the Olympics. Let’s have a quick glimpse of it.

Cricket and India

The selection of the national games is not a simple Task. The recognition of national games involves various criteria. The national game should represent the culture. It should be a vehicle to understand the true value of our culture and values for outsiders. The national games can teach the team spirit, which in turn shows the spirit of the nation itself. National games are regarded as the intrinsic part of the culture. The national games hold such high prestige and honour by the law-abiding particular nation.

National games are having historical significance and enhance the participation spirit of the citizens across the country. Hockey is known as India’s favourite game. While Cricket has helped greatly in gaining popularity. It has succeeded in collecting as many fans as possible through single matches. All these games have provided a new generation of first-class talents to the entire world. Cricket is the game that provides the best infrastructure and backing for the growth and development of these areas.

India plays a pivotal role in investing in the popularity of the game. Board of Control for Cricket in India sets the best example which is worthy enough to be followed by the governments of other nations. The support and the and system helped in gaining popularity and produced many good playing teams across India. The Indian cricket team has its shining armour and shield to win. According to the survey, the India Men’s National Cricket Team brought 157 test wins, two ODI World Cups, and a Twenty20 World Cup to its crown. The Women in Blue has also won five tests and an ODI World Cup to make tithe Indian citizens proud.

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Why Cricket is Significant?

As technology is stronger and the internet facilitates the worldwide connection of people across the globe, new games are always occupying the scene. But cricket and hockey continue to enjoy the same popularity as usual. Indian cricket team got more fans by the increasing technology boom. Cricket has withstood the adverse times and became an all-time favourite game.

Using smartphones or computers, any citizen can have access to the Best Cricket Betting Sites in India. This very act on the part of the citizens shows the level and popularity of the games. Indian cricket fans are enthusiastic about utilizing the nuisances of the games by using the popular cricket games. Cricket fans are huge in India. It has its integrity and popularity to be known as the best game of India.

Cricket or hockey?

• Cricket became a household name in India
• hockey has been a popular sport for Indians for almost a decade.
• The Indian Hockey Team has long been considered one of the best in the world.
• A well established hockey team for India that dominated hockey at the international stage.
• in 1928, India has won a record eight gold medals.
• The cultural impact of hockey in the country is worth noting
• The strong legacy of hockey attracts people
• If cricket is regarded as the national game, it can hurt the sentiments of the players
• it can even discourage the inclination towards other games.

Now you know the relevance of cricket in the field of Indian sports and the significance of Hockey in the Indian soil. Check out more interesting facts and general knowledge about India in Entri App.

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