Sports retain a very valuable position in the culture of Gujarat. Some of the popular sports played in Gujarat are cricket, kho-kho, badminton, football, kabaddi and table tennis. The Sports Authority of Gujarat presides and supervises the sporting activities under the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department. There have been many successful and popular initiatives undertaken by the authority to encourage the sports culture in Gujarat, Khel Mahakumbh' being an example. Gujarat has various levels of sports competitions including events of both larger and smaller scales.
Under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, the Prime minister of India also the former Chief minister of Gujarat the initiative of ‘Khel Mahakumbh’ (KMK), a mega sporting event was undertaken in the year 2010. [1] Khelo India was initiated nationwide by the Indian Central government keeping Khel Mahakumbh as the base of the initiative. [2]
Sports promote holistic development: This is the reason why KMK is organized in Gujarat every year. The event lasts for about a month and each budding talent showcases their skills and hard work. It not only gives platform to sportsmen but also encourages a competitive but friendly atmosphere among the participants. As there are no age limits; people from any age group can participate in it. It commences at the panchayat level and subsequently, moves on to taluka level and district level. Then, winners at this level meet at state level competitions.[ citation needed ]
Every year a record participation of 3 million participants is observed. [1] Outstanding performers of KMK get benefits of various schemes run by Sports Authority of Gujarat, District Level Sports School (DLSS), Shaktidoot, Centre of Excellence (COE), Khele Gujarat Summer Coaching Camp, In school Program, Khel Pratibha Puraskar, Mahila Puraskar, etc. are also awarded. [3]
There is also Special Khel Mahakumbh for Divyang players (Physically Challenged) in which more than 35,000 players participate with cash prizes more than ₹5 Crore.
Khel Mahakumbh has no restrictions on age bar. The bifurcation of age groups is as follows: [2]
Pro Kabaddi League is an initiative by Mashal Sports Pvt. Ltd and Star India Pvt. Ltd. [4] There have been many innovations since its commencement in 2014, which is a reason for its tremendous growth in popularity. It is backed by Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, and supported by participating members of the International Kabaddi Federation and the Asian Kabaddi Federation. The League is currently participated in by 12 teams, each split region-wise. [5] Gujarat Fortune Giants represents the state in this league. The Pro Kabaddi League matches are hosted in The EKA Arena by TransStadia in Gujarat. [6]
Gujarat is represented in the Indian Premier League, by its team Gujarat Titans and Gujarat Lions. Cricket matches are often played in Sardar Patel Stadium, and many Indian Premier League matches are hosted there. [7] There's a huge craze for its matches in the people of Gujarat and India. [8]
Beach Khel Mahakumbh refers to the beach-sports fest, a spin off of the Khel Mahakumbh. This fest was held to promote the feasibility of beach-sports and garner new attractions towards the different beaches of Gujarat State. [9] After the event's success and introduction, the Government of Gujarat has strangely not announced any other editions of the fest. The setup of the sports on beaches requires not much efforts, but just a marked area, ball and a goalpost. [10] The fest concluded with a prize distribution ceremony on February 13, 2013, a month later after its commencement. [11] The Sabarmati Riverfront witnessed artificial sandy beach creation to create the same atmosphere as that of a beach and maintain the theme for the final event. [10]
Gujarat Premier League is a state and franchise - based T20 cricket tournament. It was hosted for 12 days in 2018 and the matches were played in Surat, Ahmedabad and Rajkot. A total of 18 matches were played between the participating six teams. Each team consisted of one former Indian cricketer, three former International players, three new-cap players and domestic stars. [12] The winning team gets a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh(~$71,000), while the runners-up get cash prize of Rs 21 lakh(~$29,000). Also, each participating team gets Rs 2 lakh(~$2800) in addition to the prize amount. [12]
The 6th Asian School Table Tennis Championship is scheduled to be held in Vadodara, Gujarat in August 2019. [13] A total of eight countries including China, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and UAE are participating in the Championship. [13] [14] [15] [16]
The governing body for Cricket in the state is the Gujarat Cricket Association. It is affiliated to BCCI. [17] There are three international standard stadiums in Gujarat - in Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Baroda. There are many other stadiums where domestic level cricket is played. There are many prominent players from Gujarat including Cheteshwar Pujara, Parthiv Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel
Badminton as a sports is still developing in Gujarat under its regulating authority, the Gujarat Badminton Association. It is affiliated with the Gujarat Olympic Association and Badminton Association of India. The Association finds talented pool of players and refers them for higher level tournaments by organizing various competitions. [18] Many prominent players in Badminton hail from Gujarat, including Tasnim Mir and Ami Ghia. There are district, state and national level tournaments held in the state. [19]
Volleyball is played extensively in schools and residential colonies. Open Gujarat Volleyball Tournament is a famous event. Prominent players from Gujarat in Volleyball include the Vala Sisters. [20] [21] Gujarat holds many district, state and national level tournaments. to develop this sport. [22]
The Gujarat State Table Tennis Association is responsible for developing this sport in the state. [23] It is affiliated to governing body of country for this sport. It organizes various competitions to find young talent among the crowd. [18] Some eminent players include Pathik Mehta and Harmeet Desai from Gujarat. In 2019, Harmeet Desai was honored with the Arjuna Award for his outstanding performance in year 2018-2019 as well as his contribution and dedication towards game. Also, Gujarat State Table Tennis Association is coming up with Gujarat Super League Table Tennis.
Gujarat has produced many grand masters including Tejas Bakre and Ankit Rajpare [24] There are many national level competitions organized in the state by All India Chess Federation for many age groups. [25] [26] One International GM Open was held from 5 October 2018 to 12 October 2018 [27] and the second International GM is scheduled in September 2019. [28] [ needs update ]
Kabaddi is a contact team sport played between two teams of seven players, originating in ancient India. The objective of the game is for a single player on offense, referred to as a "raider", to run into the opposing team's half of the court, touch out as many of their players as possible, and return to their own half of the court, all without being tackled by the defenders in 30 seconds. Points are scored for each player tagged by the raider, while the opposing team earns a point for stopping the raider. Players are taken out of the game if they are touched or tackled, but return to the game after each point scored by their team from a tag or tackle.
The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards given for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjuna, one of the characters of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata of ancient India. In Hinduism, he has been seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and concentration. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Before the introduction of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 1991–1992, the Arjuna award was the highest sporting honour of India. The nominations for the award are received from all government recognised National Sports Federations, the Indian Olympic Association, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Sports Promotion and Control Boards, the state and the union territory governments and the Major Dhyan Chandra Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Dronacharya awardees of the previous years. The recipients are selected by a committee constituted by the Ministry and are honoured for their "good performance in the field of sports over a period of four years" at the international level and for having shown "qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline." As of 2020, the award comprises "a bronze statuette of Arjuna, certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh (US$19,000)."
Maninagar is an area of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat, India. It is located in the southern part of the city and an important area of the city. It can be divided into two regions - Maninagar East and Maninagar West, separated by the Maninagar Railway Station.
A pitch or a sports ground is an outdoor playing area for various sports. The term pitch is most commonly used in British English, while the comparable term in Australian, American and Canadian English is playing field or sports field.
Cricket is by far the most popular sport in Karnataka with International cricket matches attracting a sizeable number of spectators who are willing to pay more than the standard ticket price to get a chance to watch the match. The sports related infrastructure is mainly concentrated in Bangalore which also played host to the 4th National Games of India in the year 1997. Bangalore is also the location of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) which is the premier sports institute in the country. Karnataka is sometimes referred to as the cradle of Indian swimming because of high standards in swimming compared to other states.
Basketball is the most popular sport overall in Asia. Cricket is the second most popular sport in Asia, and is most popular in South Asia. Other popular sports in Asia include association football, baseball, badminton and table tennis among others. There are also some traditional sports that are popular in certain regions of Asia, such as the South Asian sports kabaddi and kho-kho, and sepak takraw in Southeast Asia. Top sporting nations/regions in Asia include China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Many sports are played by the people in Kerala including both traditional sports and sports from other countries. Association football is the most popular sport in Kerala, followed by cricket. Kerala Blasters are the most supported football club in the whole state and participates in the Indian super league the top tier of Indian football. Whereas Gokulam Kerala FC a club which plays in the I-league derives most of its support from the Malabar region. However, larger numbers of Keralites also follow sports such as volleyball, hockey, badminton, and kabaddi. There are many large stadiums in Kerala across different cities. Trivandrum city has various sports venues such as Trivandrum International Stadium, Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, University Stadium (Thiruvananthapuram), Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium and Central Stadium whereas Kochi city has stadiums such as Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (Kochi) and Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium. An international astro turf hockey stadium is located at Kollam city. Other major stadiums are EMS Stadium in Kozhikode, Malappuram District Sports Complex Stadium in Manjeri, Kannur Indoor Stadium in Kannur, Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Kollam and many more. All these stadiums attest to the mass appeal of such sports among Keralites.
India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the semifinal of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium is an Indian sports stadium located in the Navrangpura locality of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India it is sometimes referred as Sports Club of Gujarat Stadium. The stadium host the first One Day International match played in India. It is owned by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. It is mainly used for cricket, but it has also played host to a number of programs arranged by the Government of Gujarat.
The MGR Race Course Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Madurai, India. It hosts several sporting events, including both, national and international kabaddi championships. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 and features a 400m synthetic athletic track. Constructed in 1970 in an area of 26 acres (11 ha), the stadium is the main sports venue of Madurai that has facilities to host over 12 sport disciplines.
Sports play an integral part of culture in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport in the state. Other popular sports include kabaddi and kho kho, which are played in rural areas, and field hockey, badminton, and table tennis, which are more common in urban areas, schools, and colleges. In the state's southern rural regions, annual wrestling championships such as Hind Kesari and Maharashtra Kesari are held. Games like Viti-Dandu and variations of Tag are played among children.
Pro Kabaddi League or abbreviated to PKL is an Indian men's professional Kabaddi league. It was launched in 2014 and is broadcast on Star Sports. It is the most popular kabaddi league in the world. It is also the second most watched sports league in India after the Indian Premier League (IPL). Puneri Paltan are the current champions of PKL.
EKA Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, located near Kankaria Lake. The stadium was completed by and officially opened on 7 October 2016. It was built in a public-private partnership between the Government of Gujarat and SE TransStadia, a company led by entrepreneur Udit Sheth.
The National Sports Awards is the collective name given to the six sports awards of the Republic of India. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. They are presented by the President of India in the same ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually on 29 August. Since 2004, Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is also given alongside the other sports awards. As of 2020, a total of 1,259 individuals and organizations have been awarded the various National Sports Awards.
Sports broadcasting contracts in India include:
The 2022 National Games of India, also known as the 36th National Games of India and informally as Gujarat 2022, was the 36th edition of the National Games of India and was held in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar in the state of Gujarat between 29 September and 12 October 2022.
