Cricket as a National Obsession is a Detriment to Other Sports

Indians are obsessed by cricket. Many channels are there to telecast cricket but not other sports especially hockey which is our national game. This situation can be changed by proper sponsorship and prize amount for other sports like hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, athletics, kabaddi and so on. The government should provide resources for the sports persons of those games. We can't say cricket is a detriment to other sports. It completely depends on people's interest in that sports. Through the proper delivery of other sports via television, people will get interested on every other sport.

The inventors of cricket certainly didn't want it to be this way, but yes, Cricket indeed has posed a threat to the betterment and longevity of other sports. There are various reasons for this to have happened. Firstly, I think we lack the courage to pick up something new and work on it and as our history suggests, we have always been good followers and not good leaders.

If there is one term that we are immensely familiar with would certainly be "jumping on the bandwagon". Secondly, it is our tendency to infatuate over certain individuals to the point like its crazy. Hate to bring this up, but the entire extravaganza of Sachin's farewell summed it up about the state of sports in our country. It was like everything was served on the plate for him. Home ground, the weakest opposition possible, crazy media hype. True that he will always be one of the best batsmen ever but no individual is bigger than the sport.

The same year, there was not a single individual present to greet the victorious Women's archery team that returned home after beating giants South Korea in the finals. The cricketers are not at fault, nor is any other sports person. It is us. Ironically, most of cricket's ardent followers in the subcontinent are those who have never played even a 30 over match at the University or even at the School level.

Cricket is one the very few games which has gone through so many changes over time that it has become clear now that there is not much patriotism left in it. It is nothing but a commercial gimmick. But then again, this would not have had happened if we had not fallen prey to it.

Hi friends,

Very glad to hear all opinions of everyone. Primarily, All sports are equal in their specialty. There is no inferiority or superiority between sports. In India, of course Cricket is the most popular game. But it does not mean that is the only sport that creates obsession among Indians. There were also several excited sports but why cricket as a National obsession that is detriment to other sports?

Sponsorship, prize money are less in other sports when compared to cricket. So persons who are very eager to build their career as sportsman are not in a position to think about other sports.

In addition, Media hype, that leads to more excitement among cricket lovers. Respective Sports Authority should take intensive measures, create opportunities for sportsmen for respective sports. They need to be trained properly to face any type challenges and most important thing that appreciation must be given to sportsmen of other sports.

So now a days, yes. Cricket is National Obsession that is detriment to other sports.

Sports doesn't mean cricket in particular. It is a much broader term and covers several games that are played all over the world. But it seem that it has taken monopoly over cricket and has ignored the rest. Hence india's failure in the olympics, asian and commonwealth games.

Instead of encouraging the national game of hockey and take it as a pride to an international level, it has changed the spirit of sports into an industrial undertaking and tries to seek maximum profit out of it, IPL being the live example. India is losing the essence of sport and it is going to disappear soon.

I think the Government is responsible to some extent to have not been able to promote other games in the same manner as it has with cricket. As winning the ICC World Cup a matter of pride for us, winning the olympics should also be of equal importance to the nation.

Hello, friends Good morning to all.

As per my opinion, there are different types of game and accordingly the preference of game totally depends on the person as per their choice it can say that People's attention is more on cricket rather than other sport but with 100 % I will not say that the Cricket as a National Obsession.

Yes indeed.

I completely agree with this.

I am a big fan of Indian sports & I have followed 2 commonwealth games, two Asian games & the last Olympics very closely. That is, basically I started following other sports after 2009 when I joined the internet because Indian television has only one sport!

Cricket is a big part of in India. The other sports, not a competition. Big reason is so many superstars of Indian cricket. Everyone calls for cricket god is Sachin Tendulkar. The richest board is BCCI India. Ipl is the richest league.

Yeah cricket is an obstacle for other games in India. If you ask me the reason than all the company are advertising thier product using cricketer, not other sports person, & one of the big reason is bcci is independent organisation, whereas other sports organisation are undertaken by govt. Of India. We all know how government organisation work.

Hi everyone.
I feel that cricket is overshadowing other sports in India. The encouragement, sponsorship & promotion given to cricket in our country is very high comparing to other nations. We can see cricketers in maximum advertisement, we can rarely see other sport person. Main reason is bcci, bcci is independent organisation and bcci is the richest cricket board in the world. Others sport is undertaken by government and we all know how government works. Media is also responsible for this. In news papers cricket takes more place overshadowing others.

In my point of view, cricket rules over the other games in India. Hockey is a national game but in India many of the people don't the name of hockey players or any other sports person but in cricket a 5 year old child can tell you the name of whole cricket team. I am not saying the cricket is a bad game but you should also respect all the sports and sports person. Even government can not took further steps for improving and leading the other sports.

Cricketers are much wealthier than any of the other sports man. Government should not humiliate the other sportsperson. They should provide the equal respect to other than cricketers.