Cricket as a National Obsession is a 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.

Indians are obsessed about cricket superstars only. All they care about is. National cricket team. I have never seen full house in a Ranji trophy match. And cricket is popular in 15-16 countries only.

If we compare cricket in India with football in Brazil. Here Brazil is far superior. Because apart from football they also focus on other sports. Like boxing, skate boarding, x games, Motorsports, volleyball, basketball, they have a good reputation in these sports, despite being a footballing countries.

Yes, cricket as a national obsession is indeed detrimental to other sports. You will hardly find anyone being interested in seeing sports other than cricket. The cricketers are treated as celebrities and the popularity of other sport players is nowhere near them.

A world Kabbadi champion team have to take auto to go their home and nobody even cares about them. While for hitting six sixes in an over, they are paid crores of rupees as prize money.

Some sportsperson even have to sell vegetables for their livelihood. There can be nothing more saddening. Generally the training facilities for other sports are abysmal. Even a kid dreaming of taking some other sports as his career thinks thousand time before taking any decision.

Never, it is just a sport. If you like it, enjoy it, else do not watch it but don't say such unfavorable sentences which destroys the spirit of the game. It's just because people like it more than any other sport, the game has gained popularity.

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!

Hii friends, in my view all sports are same there is no any difference between cricket and other sports and just the people who are thinking that is different. I feel that that every game has there own identity and importance.

So don't hesitate other sports by comparing with cricket. For example take our family members we are giving importance for every person in our home or surroundings like that we want to give importance for other sports also not only for cricket.

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.

Hi friends,

India's peoples like game only for a game cricket not value other games. L play cricket and I am thirteen years old but other game not known any child every child known cricket game. But no knowledge of any games like hockey, tennis, chess, football any other games.

Main reason Indian people crazy on cricket world cup, t20, one day games. The government give spot cricket don't like any other game. Example mc mary kom is won four boxing championship but not give facilities Indian government. Last I say cricket is a game and not waste of time many games are pending in heart of India.

Sports are judged based on their worldwide popularity and when more than 200 nations are part of FIFA they are not idiots where there are 10 to 12 teams in ICC rankings and most of them are developing countries and even ICC pleads to nations to take part in World Cup that tells the story. While Americans are obsessed with basketball, rugby and baseball Indians are obsessed with cricket but Americans are good at Olympics and take part in football world cup India does nothing. To me Cricket is on the same level as playing with marbles so beating Bangladesh or Sri Lanka in Cricket doesn't hold any importance to the people around the world and you have seen those matches in the USA where the whole stadium was full of Indians but no Americans. The problem is that parents buy a bat and a ball for their kids and not football. My friends used to discuss cricket but I didn't do what many would do they would start watching cricket join their friends' discussion party, actually there is no seriousness about that game as it's not important to hundreds of other countries.

Cricket has a national obsession. That is why other sports don't enjoy equal status in our country as cricket:

> Hockey is our national sport but we hardly know any player of Indian hockey team or rarely follow the matches.

> FIFA is extremely famous. Around 40 teams participated in it. But India lies nowhere in the field of international football.

> China, US, UK bags 50-70 medals in Olympic but our country is hardly able to secure 2-3 medals.

> Kabbadi and Kho Kho are our domestic sports but lie far behind cricket.

> Gymnastics, Water sports are still not there in India.