What Is The National Sport Of India?

Since we are small, we are taught that the tiger, the peacock, and the Jana Gana Mana are India’s national animal, the national bird, and national anthem, respectively. We are also often taught that hockey is the national sport of India. However, the last information is false. In fact, India has no national sport at all!

Why Was Hockey Regarded As The National Sport Of India By Many?

According to some, the great success of the Indian hockey team in the past could have made us believe that it deserves the title of India’s national sport. Since the debut of hockey events in the Olympic Games in 1928, India played the game brilliantly and won eleven Olympic gold medals until 1980. After that, the performance of the Indian team fell and it has been a major source of disappointment for hockey fans in India. Thus, the grand success of the hockey team could have led to the popular belief that it is our national game. 

So, How Do We Know That India Does Not Have A National Sport?

The fact that India does not have a national sport became clear only recently after Aishwarya Parashar, a 12-year-old girl, filed an RTI request to get certified copies of orders declaring the national sport, bird, animal, flower, etc., of India. The query about the national sport was also forwarded to the concerned ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The ministry got back by confirming that no sport in India has been declared as a national game of the country.