India "Like Marmite. Love it or loathe it."

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Spectator Sports in India

Along with recreation, spectator sports play a vital role in the development of a India’s economy and culture. Important amongst a variety of them included indoor games, music, dining and dancing, wrestling and outdoor sports like fishing and boating, chariot racing, Archery, etc.

But now, popular spectator sports in India include Cricket, Soccer, Field Hockey, Lawn Tennis, Chess, Boxing, Gymnastic, sailing, Squash, Volley Ball, Billiards and snooker, Polo, Kabaddi, Formula One, and Rifle Shooting. Though field hockey is the national sport of India, cricket is the most popular spectator sport in the country.

By far, cricket is India's most popular sport these days. It has contributed many players to the game such as Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Mahindar Singh, Sachin Tendulakar, Sourav Ganguli, Rahul Dravid, Mahinder Singh Dhoni, etc. the administrative body of Indian Cricket is run by BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India). There are two main domestic tournaments in India i.e., the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy. However, recently, Twenty20 leagues have been started up i.e., the Indian Premier League and the Indian Cricket League, by India.

Even though cricket has by far overtaken hockey in popularity, hockey still strikes an emotional cord especially with the older generation. Likewise, football is one of the major spectator sports in India. Though it was introduced during the British occupation, in some areas of the country it is more popular than Cricket. Sports in India is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively. A wide range of sports has become a prominent part of Indian culture. In that, industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the Indians, leading to more time for them to attend and follow spectator sports, participation in activities, and increased enthusiasm.