A commonly held belief is that India does not possess a declared national game. Hockey has been the sport declared national for decades, and well, that’s a popular fiction. There is neither any government order nor any document established by the constitution of India to support this statement. Though India had a very glorious past in hockey, especially its supremacy in Olympic games throughout the years 1920 to 1980, not a single game in India has ever been officially declared as “national game” status by the Indian government. Let’s embark on this myth and cultural importance of sports in India.
The Hockey Myth: How It Stood
For a long time, hockey has been the sport India is most proud of. India’s international successes, especially at the Olympics, where the Indian hockey team gathered more than one gold medal during the period between 1928 and 1980, sealed the association. Hockey then became the symbol of pride and athletic prowess of the country. It thus came as a fallacy that hockey was actually declared the national game.
Even though the sport remains very popular, this notion continued unchecked due to lack of government-sanctioned endorsement. Although India performed well in hockey, the sport was never bestowed with the official label of national game, although it enjoys an unchallenged position in Indian sporting tradition.

Why India Has No National Game
This somehow portrays how the game does not exist at national levels in India, showing the depth of diversity from sports to culture. While its more popular games include cricket, football, badminton, and wrestling, no single one supersedes over others. In fact, the government supports almost all athletic activities that create exclusivity.
Now, with cricket as a sport highly popular, particularly after the Indian win in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, it becomes very obvious that a single sport cannot epitomize an entire nation. Sporting preferences do vary so much that nomenclature for any one particular sport cannot be termed the national game.
Read more here- https://viralenews.com/ferrari-f80-the-1200-hp-hybrid-beast-breaking-new-ground/
The Rise of Cricket: India’s True National Addiction
While hockey enjoys deep-rooted history, cricket undoubtedly remains the most popular Indian sport. Cricket continues to find an ardent following of millions of fans across India. Cricketing issues lead media headlines. Stadiums all over the country are replete with people who throng these stadium for cricket matches. Sports-related conversations that I engage during social interfaces often start and end with cricket. The IPL has transformed the sport into a platform of global scale, hence inviting global talent and increased attention to the sport.

Cricket has become an integrating sport in India. Gully cricket in small areas or international games viewed by millions, cricket remains the special place in the hearts of Indians. However the government is not backing the idea of declaring it as a national game officially.
Other Sports and Their Importance in India
While cricket and hockey might very well hold the Limelight, India has several heroes in other sports. Badminton is coming up, wrestlers, and even footballers making their names known all across international fans. Indian shuttlers like P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal have brought Olympic medals while wrestlers like Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik do all the rest.
Moreover, the Government of India has encouraged other indigenous sports such as kabaddi and kho-kho. Kabaddi is fast becoming a sought-after game in India with the Pro Kabaddi League, but it requires an ecosystem like that of the league to spread and grow.
In a multicultural sporting environment like this, the government cannot fix on a specific national game; instead, it appears to be pushing forward the ideology of multiple representation instead of singular representation.
Conclusion: Multisport Country
The richness of the sport-loving culture of India with its varied land cannot be suppressed under any single national game. While hockey continues to be strong and cricket remains popular among millions, India flourishes on a multi-sport identity. Badminton, wrestling, football, and kabaddi are some of the games that add substance to the country’s athletic structure.
In the final analysis, India not declaring an official national game is evidence of this country wanting to support a diverse gamut of sports, because athleticism finds panacean expression across disciplines. Be it international appeal of cricket or the glorious victories of hockey in India’s past, the country’s sporting spirit brings variety together in perfect harmony. Click here for source