Sports
1-The history of sports in India dates back to the Vedic era.
2-India hosted the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1951 and 1982.
3- The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was initially set up as the Department of Sports in 1982 at the time of organization of the IX Asian Games in New Delhi.
4-India has also hosted or co-hosted the 1987 and 1996 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup, and the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
5- The country co-hosted the 1987, 1996, 2011 Cricket World Cup and the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.
6- The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award are India’s highest awards for achievement in sports, while the Dronacharya Award is awarded for excellence in coaching.
7-A single athlete, Norman Pritchard, represented India in the 1900 Olympics, winning two silver medals.
8- India sent its first national team to the Olympics in 1920.
9- India won its first gold medal in men’s field hockey in the 1928 Olympic Games.
10- Abhinav Bindra became the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympic Games.
11- India hosted Commonwealth Games in 2010, at Delhi.
12-India dominated international field hockey, winning eight Olympic gold medals and won the men’s Hockey World Cup held in 1975.
13-India has hosted two Hockey World Cups–one in 1982 in Mumbai, and another in 2010 in Delhi, where they finished fifth and eighth respectively.
14-India also hosted the annual Hockey Champions Trophy in 1996, 2005 and 2014.
15- The Indian national cricket team played its first official match (a Test) in 1932 against England.
16-The governing body for cricket in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was formed in December 1928 and is based in Mumbai.
17-India has hosted or co-hosted cricket tournaments, including the 1987 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Pakistan), the 1996 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Pakistan and Sri Lanka), the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2011 Cricket World Cup (co-hosted with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh).
18- The India national cricket team has won major tournaments, including the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa, the 2011 Cricket World Cup (which they won by beating Sri Lanka in the final at home)
19-India has won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and has shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka.
20-Although India has never been represented in any FIFA World Cup, it did qualify in 1950, though it did not take part, as they were not allowed to play barefoot.
