Many sports are played in South Asia, with cricket being the most popular of them; 90% of the sport's worldwide fans live in South Asia.[1] Football is followed passionately in some parts of South Asia, such as Kerala and Bengal.[2][3][4] Field hockey was popular for several decades, with some of South Asia's greatest sporting accomplishments having taken place in this sport.[5] Some native South Asian games are played professionally in the region, such as kabaddi and kho-kho, and also feature in regional competitions such as the South Asian Games and Asian Games.[6][7]
History
Ancient and medieval period
Some martial arts were practiced during this time period, such as kalaripayattu.[8] Several variations of tag were played at the time, with kho-kho having been mentioned in the fourth century BCE,[9] and atya-patya around 300 CE; some of them were used for military training purposes.[10][11] The board game chaturanga formed the foundation of the modern game of chess, and was also used as strategic training for war.[12][13]
Colonial period
British colonisation of South Asia introduced several British sports into the subcontinent, such as cricket, football, and hockey.[14][15] Several native South Asian sports began to be standardised during this period in Maharashtra.[16][15][17] Some South Asian board games were transmitted overseas, such as the game now known as snakes and ladders.[18][19]
Modern period
Field hockey was popular for several decades after the colonial era.[5] After India's victory in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, cricket started to grow in the subcontinent.[20] The introduction of Twenty20 cricket, a format that greatly reduced playing time, as well as the advent of the Indian Premier League, which made cricket a strong economic force in the region, further grew the popularity of the sport.[21] Cricket also grew in Afghanistan with the return of refugees who had learned the sport in Pakistan.[22]
One of the most important sports rivalries within the subcontinent is the India–Pakistan sports rivalry, due to the history of conflict between the two nations after their partition in 1947.[23][24]
Various traditional sports have had professional leagues started for them in the 21st century (largely propelled by the economic liberalisation of the 1990s that took place in India that increased investing into sports),[25] such as the Pro Kabaddi League, which has significantly grown kabaddi,[26] as well as Ultimate Kho Kho and the Pro Panja League for arm wrestling.[27][28] Kabaddi in particular has begun to spread globally,[29] with non-South Asian countries becoming successful at the sport.[30][31] The growth of these traditional sports has been aided by changes to their appearance and rule sets, such as a shift from playing on mud surfaces to matted surfaces.[32][33][34] Some national and sub-national initiatives have also been undertaken to promote sports in South Asia, such as Khelo India and the Chhattisgarhiya Olympics.[35][36]
Women's sports have grown in South Asia with the advent of women's sporting leagues such as the Women's Kabaddi League and the Women's Premier League (cricket).[37]
Competitions
Major sporting leagues or competitions
See also
References
- ^ "Explained snippets: Cricket has 1 billion fans, 90% of them in subcontinent". The Indian Express. 2018-06-28. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Bastian, Ron (2022-11-13). "For football-crazy Kerala, FIFA World Cup is its biggest festival". thefederal.com. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Why Bengal is obsessed with football?". The Indian Express. 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "50 years of Victory: What has Bangladesh achieved in the field of sports?". The Business Standard. 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ a b History of hockey in India: Taught by the British, India conquered the world https://olympics.com/ Rahul Venkat
- ^ Taneja, Nidhima (2023-01-27). "Pro kabaddi, kho-kho leagues chase IPL viewership. India rediscovering regional sports". ThePrint. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "OCA » Ancient tag game of kho kho catching on fast". ocasia.org. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Sunder, Kalpana (2021-05-31). "What is kalari? The world's oldest martial art from India is making a comeback". The National. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "The Evolution Of Kho Kho Mats In India: A Historical Overview". English Jagran. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Arasu, S. T. (2020-07-04). "Galah Panjang and its Indian roots". On the sport. Be part of it. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Myths surrounding the origin of the ancient Indian game kabaddi". HT School. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ Wiley, Melissa. "The fascinating history of chess, from attempts to ban the game to the rise of supercomputers". Insider. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Shah Mat! The Global Origins of Chess in War and Diplomacy". History Hit. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "'The Revenge of Plassey': Football in the British Raj". LSE International History. 2020-07-20. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ a b Sen, Ronojoy (2015). Nation at Play: A History of Sport in India. Columbia University Press. doi:10.7312/sen-16490.
- ^ Bromber, Katrin; Krawietz, Birgit; Maguire, Joseph (2013). Sport Across Asia: Politics, Cultures, and Identities. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-88438-9.
- ^ Kho Kho, a kabaddi-like sport linked with Indian epic Mahabharata - know all about it https://olympics.com/ Utathya Nag
- ^ "Who invented the board game Snakes and Ladders?". The Times of India. 2008-10-12. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "Monopoly, Senet and Game of Twenty: India Taught the World to Roll the Dice". News18. 2018-01-21. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ Subramanian, Samanth (2008-06-24). "1983 win started it, but cricket became big biz only after 1999". mint. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "The Indian Premier League is taking over global cricket". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "From refugee camps to Kabul: The story of Afghan cricket". BBC News. 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ AFP, Agence France-Presse- (2022-08-12). "'War minus shooting': Cricket rivalry of Pakistan and India". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "India vs. Pakistan: A complex rivalry hitting new heights – DW – 10/20/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ IANS (2014-12-29). "India, the new El Dorado for world sport?". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
- ^ "The rise and rise of kabaddi, an ancient Indian sport". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ IANS. "Ultimate Kho Kho takes a giant leap in viewership with massive 164 million reach". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "From Handball To Panja, Why Sports Leagues Are Taking Off In India". Forbes India. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "A home-grown Indian sport is winning fans far beyond the subcontinent". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ Garfinkel, Perry (2018-10-02). "Rugby Meets Red Rover: Kabaddi Has Captured the Heart of India". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "'Zouuu zouuu': Iran out to reclaim ancient sport of kabaddi". Yahoo News. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "The Evolution of Kho Kho Mats in India: A Historical Overview". News18. 2023-05-29. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "From Handball To Panja, Why Sports Leagues Are Taking Off In India". Forbes India. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ Taneja, Nidhima (2023-01-27). "Pro kabaddi, kho-kho leagues chase IPL viewership. India rediscovering regional sports". ThePrint. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ ANI (2023-02-10). "Khelo India has given platform to thousands of young players: Anurag Thakur". ThePrint. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ "CM Bhupesh Baghel inaugurates 'Chhattisgarhiya Olympic' in Raipur". Hindustan Times. 2023-07-17. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
- ^ After WPL, Now Pro Kabaddi League Plans To Launch Women's Version https://www.outlookindia.com/
