World Magazine 2024
Those of you reading this article are probably familiar with the fact that India is the most inhabited country in the world. Having so many people, the spectrum of popular sports is really wide, as is their culture. How can one assess which sport is the most popular one? Well, this is measured by how many people participate in a sport, and by the amount of money they generate. It is never measured by an individual’s success, or the overall success of a certain team, in a certain sport, as most people like to think.
Sports infatuation goes hand in hand with sports betting, which is still an activity that generates huge revenue in the gambling industry. The market data show there has been a significant increase in betting on online platforms like Rajabets, for various reasons, the commodity being the most common one.
Speaking of India, most of you already know about the popularity of cricket. This sport holds the title of the most popular one. Its popularity was maintained and increased by the leading sports channels, enabling this huge population to watch its biggest events, and through regular television appearances of its stars, and promotions. As was explained earlier popularity is connected to the great interest of people, which makes it worth watching and playing, but it keeps rising due to India’s impressive results on international stages such as cricket tournaments.
However, this is not the only popular sport in this country, as the list is surprisingly long. If you’re interested to learn more about popular sports in India, we have narrowed down the list to the 7 most loved sports. Read below, and find out what they are…
Table of Contents
1. Soccer
It comes as no surprise at all to see soccer being the second most popular sport in terms of games watched by fans. Although it is the most popular sport in the world, in this country soccer had to fight quite a war to win the position of cricket. Therefore, despite the popularity it is gaining, the sport is actually played by only a few people in the country. Soccer is becoming more of a spectator sport, as most of the popularity it gets is from people who watch European teams compete. An interesting fact is that the biggest European soccer teams have fan clubs in India.
2. Basketball
It will always be a part of their sports culture. One of the most popular sports that is regularly played in schools. And yet, given the participation in extracurricular activities; Indian basketball athletes have not been involved in the sport in the international arena. However, India has shown significant success in basketball in the last few years. Indian women’s basketball players have qualified for the A division of the FIBA Women’s Asian Cup.
3. Hockey
Did you know that this sport is accepted as India’s national sport? Well, now you do. It has produced great teams with historically successful records. Athletes received numerous medals at various international tournaments. This made them stand out from other countries. Their success is so great that it is recognized as one of the most successful Olympic hockey teams ever made. This country definitely has a way of producing great hockey players.
4. Kabaddi
This is the most ingenious and oldest traditional Indian sport. It started out as an outdoor activity people in the villages liked to play, but has grown into an international sport. As a result, this country won gold medals in the Asian Games as well as six Kabaddi World Cups.
But who would have guessed that it is back at the center of this county’s sports attraction because it was once ignored? The sport is definitely back in the mainstream due to the unexpected rise of the Pro League which is held every year in various cities throughout the country.
5. Badminton
A lot of you already knew this is a popular sport and as the second-ranked, it has taken second place on the most popular chart, right after cricket. The main reason for its growing popularity is the talented athletes who make their country proud by winning various international tournaments. The growth of winning in this sport is on the rise as we speak. Badminton will always be a sport of great interest to the Indian public, so, it is not shocking to see the success of this sport in India rising.
6. Tennis
It has been a popular sport for a long time on this soil. Unfortunately, in the singles category, India was not that strong, but they are much better in the doubles and mixed doubles categories. India, therefore, has produced tennis players who have gained international attention, they attended some top tennis tournaments and grand slams. Tennis has received global recognition in the doubles circuit.
7. Wrestling
It is one of the oldest and most watched sports. It gained popularity over time, bringing a number of medals to India from many major tournaments. Since 2008, Indian wrestlers have taken national wrestling to the next level by winning medals at every Olympic Games. At the Asian Games, the national team won two gold medals and one bronze. This sport has achieved and created a strong international image.
Determining the most popular sports in any country is no easy task. There is no completely correct way to accurately measure the popularity of something as ubiquitous as sports. However, with a combination of survey data and event viewership statistics, we can give a broad picture of how popular a particular sport is. That’s exactly what we did to rank sports by popularity on a national scale. These sports gather the largest audience and usually bring the most money to both players and clubs. However, it is important to emphasize that it is not only about money. These activities have become the most popular sports in India because they are simply fun to play.
