Being a nation sovast that it’s earned the moniker of ‘the subcontinent,’ India has become aglobal icon in many regards. Among the most prominent perceptions of thecountry from outside of India’s borders is that it’s also very much a sportingnation, enjoying a great many different competitions.
Every Indianschoolchild is taught that the peacock is India’s national bird, Jana Gana Manathe national anthem and hockey the national sport. However, hockey is not thenational sport of India. And the revelation comes straight from the UnionMinistry of Youth Affairs. The Ministry says that country does not have anational game as no game has been notified as such.
This revelation cameto light in 2012 when a 10-year-old girl named Aishwarya Parashar filed a Rightto Information (RTI) request with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to getofficial declarations on the national anthem, sport, song, bird, animal,flower and the country’s symbol. The PMO forwarded the query to the Ministry ofYouth Affairs and Sports. In response to the RTI, the ministry confirmed thatit had not declared any sport or game as India’s national game.
"The governmenthas not declared any sport/game as the National Game of the country, as theobjective of the government is to encourage/promote all popular sportsdisciplines," the reply from the ministry stated.
With 28 states and 8Union Territories, India boasts a highly diverse demographic. The culturalrelevance of such a large population becomes a major factor while deciding thenational sport of the country. While states like Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu areknown predominantly for cricket, states like Goa and the North-Easternstates are known for their excellence in football. Meanwhile, Kabaddi andHockey have a particular following in several states across the country. Withso many sports to choose from, coupled with cultural diversity, it mightjust explain why India hasn't yet recognised a sport as the 'national game'.