Cricket is India's most popular outdoor game and an important part of Indian culture. It is played in almost every state in India, and the BCCI is the body of this popular game in India. The IPL or Premier League of India is the most followed league in the world. Gilli Danda, also known as Viti Dandu, Kitti-Pul and by other variations, is a sport native to the Indian subcontinent.
It is very similar to cricket and baseball and was once as popular as cricket. It is played in rural areas and small towns throughout South Asia and other countries such as Cambodia, Turkey, South Africa, Italy, Poland and some Caribbean islands like Cuba. The game is played with a small piece of wood sharpened on both sides known as Gilli and a large piece of wood used to hit the Gilli known as Danda. The objective of the game is to get Gilli as far away from the base as possible.
If the opposing team's outfielder catches Gilli, the striker is left out. Pithu, also known as Seven Stones, is a game from the Indian subcontinent involving a ball and a pile of flat stones, usually played between two teams in a large outdoor area. It was one of the most popular outdoor sports in India and Pakistan in the 1990s and often boasts of being the most aggressive version of dodgeball. A member of a team throws the ball to the pile to knock down the stones.
The team then tries to restore the pile of stones while the opposing team throws the ball at them. If the ball touches a person, he is left out and his team continues without him. A standard idea is to play a goal in marbles where players move their marbles with their miniature and try to hit the target. Another version is where players try to hit each other marbles outside the target zone.
Chor Sipahi, also known as Chor Sipahi, is an outdoor role-playing game played by children in the Indian subcontinent during the 1900s or earlier. The game Chor Police is played in several countries under different names and with different rules formed by local players. It is usually played by boys divided into two teams with no limit of players. One team acts as a police officer and another acts as a thief within a narrative.
Police players chase chor (thieves) in an attempt to catch them and mark them defeated. Kabaddi is a contact team sport that was on its way to extinction but is now regaining its popularity in India and other surrounding Asian countries. It became popular as a competitive sport in the 20th century and is now India's national sport in Bangladesh. India never participated in the World Cup, although it was invited to participate in 1950, where other Asian teams retired (according to legend, Indians refused to participate because they were not allowed to play barefoot).
Cricket has been India's most popular sport, and India has hosted and won multiple Cricket World Cups. Field hockey has been India's most successful sport at Olympic Games; India's men's team has won thirteen Olympic medals including eight gold medals. Association football (also known as soccer) is also popular in almost all Asian countries. Kho kho is an ancient sport in India that was once popular but now regaining its popularity among children.
It is an outdoor game that can be played solo, duo or with 3+ teams. Maram Pitti, also known as Picchi Banti in Telugu, is an Indian version of dodgeball that can be played with a rubber ball or tennis ball by small groups typically 5-6 people within an enclosed area or by lanes. Lattu has been used throughout history for many purposes such as toys, prophecy, gambling or gifts to honor gods or take them to afterlife; nowadays it provides play and distraction for tournaments and championships or role-playing games. Boxing combat sports game has become popular in India after Indian Olympic boxers like Mary Kom, Pinky Rani, Sarita Devi, Shashi Chopra and champion Vijender Singh inspired many boxers in India.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is responsible for participation of Indian contingent in Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games (outdoor, indoor and beach), South Asian Games, Lusophony Games and World Games.
