India is home to a diverse population playing many different sports across the country. Cricket is the most popular sport. Football is a popular sport in some of the Indian states. The country has won eight Olympic gold medals in field hockey. Kabaddi, an indigenous sport is popular in rural India. Several games originated in India including chess, snooker and other regional games. India has won medals in badminton, kabaddi, hockey and many other sports and disciplines.
India is also one of the few countries that have retained the popularity of their indigenous games among its people. Games like gilli-danda, kabaddi, pehlwani and kho kho. India is also where some of the oldest forms of martial arts originated like musti yuddha, kalerippayattu, silambam as well as marma adi. India also have a few board games, most popular of which is the chaturanga, believed to be the origin of modern chess. This is further reinforced with the rise of a number of chess grandmasters from the country.
History
The history of sports in India dates back to 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.” In terms of an ideal, these words hold the same sentiments as the traditional Olympic Oath: “For the Honor of my Country and the Glory of Sport.[1]” Badminton probably originated in India as a grownup’s version of a very old children’s game known in England as battledore and shuttlecock, the battledore being a paddle and the shuttlecock a small feathered cork, now usually called a “bird.” Games like chess (chaturanga), snakes and ladders, playing cards, originated in India, and it was from here that these games were transmitted to foreign countries, where they were further modernized.
District Level Sports Department
The District sports Department office is engaged in three prime areas vis-a-vis: the creation of sports infrastructure at the district headquarters, sub-division, block level and village level, secondly to impart free training to young and upcoming boys & girls and to provide free playing sports equipment. This office also provides technical, Infrastructural and equipment support to various State/District Sports Associations.
Benifits
Games and sports help us in overall development which has 6 different section of development which includes physical development, Mental development, neuro- muscular development, social development, health development, emotional development.
It helps in our wellbeing Lifestyle which promotes 11 components- Such as cardiovascular fitness, body composition, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, Balance, reaction time, reaction time, agility, coordination & energy to the human body.
Statergies
- In order to develop sports in all state there must be infrastructural development. Funds must be raised.
- Sufficient numbers of employees should be employed in district level. In block level Sports Selector should be appointed to identify students from grassroots level so that the students would be provided training from the early time of their career.
- In district headquarters there must be separate sports hostel for boys and girls.
- Sports complex should be established in every district wherein gymnastic, gymnasium and weightlifting facilities must be available in order to prepare the students for Olympic and Common Wealth Games.
- Those who are deprived of school education and drop out students should also be selected by the block sports selector for further sports career.