We Are Sports Lovers Who Only Watch Cricket!

The journey of ICC world cup is over for India with the defeat by New Zealand in the semi-final match.

We Indians claim to be sports lovers, and we love games. Right?

There is a long history of India’s love for sports, from Lord Shiva to Pandavas. One of the popular tales from the ancient era is about Lord Shiva and Parvati playing a game called “Chausar“, and Parvati getting angry after losing the game.

Another story is from Dwapar Yuga. Lord Krishna and his friends were playing with a ball, and Kaliya Naag entered the scene. It is a very iconic incident from that time.  The popular game “Chausar” where the Pandavas lost a game against the Kauravas. They lost everything, including their wife Draupadi, in the game.

Well, let’s get back to the main topic.

Cricket in India entered much later when India was a colony of British. It was the game of the elite. Today, after elections, cricket is the next important thing, and the players have become a household name.

But, what about other games? Don’t they deserve the same attention as cricket?
Archery, fencing, javelin throw, football, rugby, and hockey are also important sports, but cricket always takes over all of these.

Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri, through his video on social media last year, had requested viewers to watch the football matches as well.
Kushti (wrestling) and Kabaddi are indigenous games which are popular worldwide. But here in India, people remember these games only when it’s time for Pro Kabaddi League and WWE events.

Meanwhile, cricket has become the most sought-after game, and ICC tournaments like T20 World Cup, Asia Cup and Champions Trophy have played an immense role in that. But other games like hockey and football are still waiting for as much viewership. Well, FIFA (Federation De International Football Association) world cup is a craze among Indians, but the Indian Football team has not yet qualified for FIFA.

Being Indians we all love to say that we want to see our football team win the FIFA cup. But it seems like we are fans of Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar only. Recently, Sunil Chhetri, the Indian Football Team captain, made India proud as he overtook Argentina’s star football player Lionel Messi to become the second-highest international goalscorer among active players.

If we leave some exceptions like badminton player Saina Nehwal, tennis player Sania Mirza, kushti players, Yogeshvar Dutt, and Sushil Kumar and boxer Vijender Singh, there are not many sports where players are as popular as cricket players. There are numerous female players who always made India proud with their achievements. For example, Hima Das won 4 consecutive golds in less than a month, Vinesh Phogat won 2 consecutive golds and Dutee Chand also made us proud by winning gold at the World University Games. She is achieving great heights even after being mocked over her sexuality. But, they never got that much of coverage which even a normal men’s cricket tournament gets. The situation is the same with female cricketers as their tournaments are barely covered by mainstream media. With the uproar that is created before cricket matches and in its aftermath, I feel the fate of other sports appears vague in the near future.
Hope we ponder over this fact, and apart from cricket, pay attention to other sports as well.