Sports

Sports play a significant role in physical, mental, and social development. They are a vital part of culture and a major industry worldwide. For competitive exams, understanding various sports, their governing bodies, major tournaments, key terminologies, and prominent athletes is crucial. This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the world of sports, focusing on aspects relevant to competitive examinations.

Major Sports and Their Fundamentals

Several sports are popular globally and in India. Each sport has its unique rules, equipment, playing field, and objectives. Let's explore some of the most prominent ones.

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a 22-yard (20-metre) pitch. The game is played with a hard ball and a bat. The batting team tries to score runs while the bowling team tries to dismiss the batsmen and limit the runs scored.

Key Terms: Wicket, Over, Run, Boundary (4s and 6s), Out (Bowled, Caught, LBW, Run Out, Stumped, etc.), Innings, Test Match, One Day International (ODI), T20 International (T20), Century, Half-century, Hat-trick, Maiden Over, Sixer, Four, Yorker, Bouncer, Googly, Leg-spin, Off-spin.

Formats:

• Test Cricket: The longest form of the game, played over a maximum of five days.
• One Day Internationals (ODIs): Each team bats for a maximum of 50 overs.
• Twenty20 (T20): A shorter, faster-paced format where each team bats for a maximum of 20 overs.

Governing Body: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body for cricket.

Major Tournaments:

• ICC Cricket World Cup (ODI)
• ICC T20 World Cup
• ICC Champions Trophy (previously)
• The Ashes (England vs. Australia Test series)
• Cricket World Cup Qualifier
• Indian Premier League (IPL) - A popular T20 franchise league

Prominent Indian Cricketers: Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble.

Football (Soccer)

Football is a team sport played with a ball between two teams of 11 players. The game is played with a ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal. Players primarily use their feet to kick the ball but can use any part of their body except their hands and arms.

Key Terms: Goal, Pitch, Half-time, Full-time, Foul, Penalty, Free Kick, Corner Kick, Throw-in, Offside, Striker, Midfielder, Defender, Goalkeeper, Red Card, Yellow Card, Hat-trick.

Governing Body: The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is the international governing body.

Major Tournaments:

• FIFA World Cup
• UEFA European Championship (Euros)
• Copa América
• Olympic Football Tournament
• UEFA Champions League
• Indian Super League (ISL) - An Indian professional league

Prominent Indian Footballers: Sunil Chhetri, Bhaichung Bhutia, IM Vijayan.

Hockey (Field Hockey)

Hockey is a team sport played with hockey sticks. Two teams, usually of eleven players each, compete to move a hard ball or puck into the opponent's goal using their sticks. It is one of the fastest field sports.

Key Terms: Stick, Puck/Ball, Goal, D-Area (Shooting Circle), Penalty Corner, Penalty Stroke, Free Hit, Short Corner, Bully, Hat-trick.

Governing Body: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is the world governing body.

Major Tournaments:

• Hockey World Cup
• Olympic Games
• FIH Pro League
• Asian Games

Prominent Indian Hockey Players: Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Sr., Dhanraj Pillay, Sardar Singh, PR Sreejesh.

Athletics (Track and Field)

Athletics is a collection of sporting events that involve competitive physical activities such as running, jumping, throwing, and walking. It is one of the most ancient forms of sport.

Disciplines:

• Running: Sprints (100m, 200m, 400m), Middle-distance (800m, 1500m), Long-distance (5000m, 10000m), Hurdles, Steeplechase, Relays.
• Jumping: Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, Pole Vault.
• Throwing: Shot Put, Discus Throw, Javelin Throw, Hammer Throw.
• Combined Events: Decathlon (Men), Heptathlon (Women).
• Road Running: Marathon, Race Walking.

Governing Body: World Athletics (formerly IAAF - International Association of Athletics Federations).

Major Events:

• Olympic Games
• World Athletics Championships
• Diamond League
• Commonwealth Games

Prominent Indian Athletes: Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw), Milkha Singh (Sprints), PT Usha (Sprints), Anju Bobby George (Long Jump), Hima Das (Sprints).

Tennis

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Players use a racket to strike a ball over a net into the opponent's court. The aim is to score points by hitting the ball in such a way that the opponent is unable to return it legally.

Key Terms: Racket, Ball, Court, Net, Serve, Ace, Fault, Let, Deuce, Advantage, Game, Set, Match, Grand Slam, Tie-break, Baseline, Volley, Smash, Forehand, Backhand.

Major Tournaments (Grand Slams):

• Australian Open (Hard court)
• French Open (Roland Garros) (Clay court)
• Wimbledon (Grass court)
• US Open (Hard court)

Governing Bodies:

• International Tennis Federation (ITF) - Governs amateur tennis and junior circuits.
• Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) - For men's professional tennis.
• Women's Tennis Association (WTA) - For women's professional tennis.

Prominent Indian Tennis Players: Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna, Somdev Devvarman.

Badminton

Badminton is a racket sport played using rackets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. It can be played by two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs (doubles). The game is played in a court divided by a net. Players score points by hitting the shuttlecock over the net and into the opponent's court, such that the opponent is unable to return it.

Key Terms: Racket, Shuttlecock (Birdie), Court, Net, Serve, Smash, Drop Shot, Clear, Drive, Net Shot, Doubles, Singles, Rally, Fault.

Governing Body: Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Major Tournaments:

• Olympic Games
• BWF World Championships
• Thomas Cup (Men's Team)
• Uber Cup (Women's Team)
• Sudirman Cup (Mixed Team)
• All England Open Badminton Championships
• BWF Super Series Premier / Super Series

Prominent Indian Badminton Players: Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy.

Boxing

Boxing is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxers typically wear protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards. They compete for a predetermined number of rounds, usually in a square ring. The winner is determined by the judges' scoring, by knockout (KO), or technical knockout (TKO).

Key Terms: Ring, Gloves, Round, Knockout (KO), Technical Knockout (TKO), Jab, Hook, Uppercut, Bobbing, Weaving, Guard, Referee, Judges.

Governing Body: International Boxing Association (IBA) for amateur boxing; Professional boxing has various sanctioning bodies like WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO.

Major Tournaments:

• Olympic Games
• World Amateur Boxing Championships
• Professional Boxing World Championships (various organizations)

Prominent Indian Boxers: Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar.

Wrestling

Wrestling is a combat sport involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins, and other grappling holds. The objective is to gain and maintain a superior position over one's opponent.

Styles: Freestyle Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling.

Key Terms: Mat, Takedown, Pin, Hold, Escape, Reversal, Points, Referee, Bout.

Governing Body: United World Wrestling (UWW).

Major Tournaments:

• Olympic Games
• World Wrestling Championships
• Commonwealth Games
• Asian Games

Prominent Indian Wrestlers: Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Kumar Dahiya.

Shooting

Shooting sports involve the use of firearms or airguns to hit targets. Competitions are held in various disciplines, including rifle, pistol, and shotgun shooting.

Disciplines:

• Rifle: 10m Air Rifle, 50m Rifle 3 Positions, 50m Rifle Prone.
• Pistol: 10m Air Pistol, 25m Pistol, 50m Pistol.
• Shotgun: Trap, Skeet, Double Trap.

Governing Body: International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF).

Major Tournaments:

• Olympic Games
• ISSF World Shooting Championships
• ISSF World Cup

Prominent Indian Shooters: Abhinav Bindra, Gagan Narang, Heena Sidhu, Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Chaudhary, Rahi Sarnobat.

Weightlifting

Weightlifting is a strength sport in which athletes attempt to lift the maximum possible weight in two specific Olympic lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.

Key Terms: Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Barbell, Plates, Platform, Coach, Referee, Weight Class.

Governing Body: International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

Major Tournaments:

• Olympic Games
• IWF World Weightlifting Championships
• Commonwealth Games
• Asian Games

Prominent Indian Weightlifters: Karnam Malleswari, Mirabai Chanu, Sathish Sivalingam, Sanjita Chanu.

Major Sports Awards in India

India recognizes its athletes through various prestigious awards. Knowing these awards and their recipients is important for exams.

Major Awards:

• Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (formerly Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award): The highest sporting honour in India.
• Arjuna Award: Given for consistently good performance over a period of four years.
• Dronacharya Award: Awarded to coaches for outstanding work in sports.
• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy: Awarded to the best performing university in inter-university tournaments.
• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards: For outstanding achievement in the field of adventure sports.

Recent Awardees (General Knowledge): It is advisable to check the latest awardees for the year of your examination as this information changes annually. For example, in recent years, athletes like Neeraj Chopra, PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Ravi Kumar Dahiya have received the Khel Ratna Award.

Important Sports Terminology

Beyond the specific terms for each sport, there are general terms and concepts that are frequently tested.

General Terms:

• Olympics: The premier international multi-sport event held every four years.
• Paralympics: An international multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities.
• Commonwealth Games: An international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, held every four years.
• Asian Games: A multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia.
• World Championships: Major international competitions for specific sports.
• National Sports Day: Celebrated on August 29th in India, the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand.
• Sportsmanship: Fair and respectful behaviour in sports.
• Doping: The use of banned performance-enhancing drugs in sports.

Indian Sports Personalities and Their Achievements

Recognizing iconic Indian athletes and their contributions is vital.

Key Figures:

• Major Dhyan Chand: The legendary hockey player, often called "The Wizard of Hockey".
• Milkha Singh: The "Flying Sikh," a renowned sprinter who represented India in multiple Olympics.
• PT Usha: The "Golden Girl of Indian Athletics," a celebrated sprinter.
• Sachin Tendulkar: The "Master Blaster," widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history.
• Mary Kom: An Olympic bronze medalist and multiple-time World Amateur Boxing champion.
• Abhinav Bindra: India's first individual Olympic gold medalist in shooting.
• PV Sindhu: A two-time Olympic medalist and World Champion in badminton.
• Neeraj Chopra: Olympic gold medalist in Javelin Throw.

Memorizing Sports Facts

Recent Developments and Current Affairs in Sports

Competitive exams often include questions on recent sporting events. Staying updated is crucial. This includes:

• Winners of major tournaments in the last 1-2 years.
• New records set by athletes.
• Host countries for upcoming major sporting events (e.g., Olympics, FIFA World Cup).
• Significant changes in rules or policies in popular sports.
• Indian athletes' performances in international events.

Example: Knowing that Neeraj Chopra won India's first Olympic Gold medal in Athletics (Javelin Throw) at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is a key piece of information. Similarly, knowing the winner of the latest ICC Cricket World Cup or FIFA World Cup is important.

Other Popular Sports

While the above cover the most frequently tested sports, awareness of others is beneficial.

Examples:

• Volleyball: Played by two teams, usually of six players each, on a court divided by a net. The objective is to score points by grounding a ball on the opposing court.
• Basketball: A team sport where two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing each other on a rectangular court, try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop situated at each end.
• Table Tennis (Ping Pong): A sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table using small paddles.
• Chess: A two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an 8x8 grid.
• Kabaddi: A contact team sport originating in ancient India. Two teams, composed of seven players each, alternate defensive and offensive innings, raiding into the opponents' court.
• Archery: The sport or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.
• Golf: A club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.

Understanding the basic objective and key players/tournaments for these sports can be helpful. For Kabaddi, knowing its Indian origin and team size is a common question. For Chess, knowing famous Grandmasters like Viswanathan Anand is relevant.