Hockey vs Cricket in India
Hockey the National Sport of India not Cricket
Well, if asked some Indians about what they thought was the National Sport of India his answer would most probably be Cricket. Even though most people will agree but, the truth is the National Sport of India actually is Field Hockey. The thing is actually the hockey team deserves little better treatment and higher praise than cricket. But, do we treat both games equally in India and do we have any special attachment for our national game? Even though Hockey is the national sport of India, and its glorious days, but how Cricket has become the so called national sport of India. Also, we Indians get angry at the slightest insult to our national flag, national anthem; why not care for the national sport then? (“Chak de India-Hockey vs. Cricket."). My intention towards writing this article is not to say that Indians don’t know about their country. Instead my purpose is to refer to the part of population who actually don’t know or care about our nation. I am pretty sure most of the people who read this article are not included in this part of the population.
Hockey has been played in India way before Cricket was, Hockey became India’s national game in 1928 and was played for the first time in the Olympics that year. The Indians won the gold medal without conceding a single defeat in all the matches they played. From then on until 1980 India virtually dominated the sport winning 8 gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the Olympics. Once it trounced USA by margin of 24-1 goals. Such was its glory. 1980’s scripted the decline of Indian hockey, and heralded the rise of Indian cricket as popular sport. In 1983 India won the Cricket World Cup and instantly its charm reverberated throughout the country. It was in this decade that Indians were introduced to Televisions as a large-scale that helped the cause. It is not surprising that hockey’s loss was cricket’s gain.
The reason for this is
Well, if asked some Indians about what they thought was the National Sport of India his answer would most probably be Cricket. Even though most people will agree but, the truth is the National Sport of India actually is Field Hockey. The thing is actually the hockey team deserves little better treatment and higher praise than cricket. But, do we treat both games equally in India and do we have any special attachment for our national game? Even though Hockey is the national sport of India, and its glorious days, but how Cricket has become the so called national sport of India. Also, we Indians get angry at the slightest insult to our national flag, national anthem; why not care for the national sport then? (“Chak de India-Hockey vs. Cricket."). My intention towards writing this article is not to say that Indians don’t know about their country. Instead my purpose is to refer to the part of population who actually don’t know or care about our nation. I am pretty sure most of the people who read this article are not included in this part of the population.
Hockey has been played in India way before Cricket was, Hockey became India’s national game in 1928 and was played for the first time in the Olympics that year. The Indians won the gold medal without conceding a single defeat in all the matches they played. From then on until 1980 India virtually dominated the sport winning 8 gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the Olympics. Once it trounced USA by margin of 24-1 goals. Such was its glory. 1980’s scripted the decline of Indian hockey, and heralded the rise of Indian cricket as popular sport. In 1983 India won the Cricket World Cup and instantly its charm reverberated throughout the country. It was in this decade that Indians were introduced to Televisions as a large-scale that helped the cause. It is not surprising that hockey’s loss was cricket’s gain.
The reason for this is
Cited: Conversation: Philip, Bobby(JCC, Sophomore); Cunnapuzha, Ajish(Eastern High School, Senior); K.J. George(Employee UPS, spent 30 years in India); George, Gibin(Myself) 03/31/2008 Internet Sources: “Chak de India-Hockey vs. Cricket.” The Hindu 10/05/2007 http://indiancricketleaguenews.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/chak-de-india-hockey-vs-cricket/ Visual Sources: Chak-De-India, Farah Khan, RC Studios, 09/11/2007