Sports refer to competitive physical or mental activities involving skill, strategy, and rules, played individually or in teams for recreation, fitness, or professional excellence. It plays a vital role in personality development, national pride, health promotion, and international representation.
🏟️ IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS IN GENERAL AWARENESS
-
Frequently asked in static GK and current affairs
-
Covers areas like:
-
Famous players and their sports
-
International tournaments
-
National sports awards
-
Olympics & Asian Games
-
-
Linked with national identity, health initiatives, and youth development
🧩 MAJOR CATEGORIES OF SPORTS
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Individual Sports | Tennis, Athletics, Shooting, Badminton, Chess |
| Team Sports | Cricket, Football, Hockey, Kabaddi, Basketball |
| Indoor Sports | Table Tennis, Chess, Boxing |
| Adventure Sports | Paragliding, Mountaineering, Scuba Diving |
🇮🇳 POPULAR SPORTS IN INDIA
| Sport | Governing Body | Star Players |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket | BCCI | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma |
| Hockey | Hockey India | Manpreet Singh, Rani Rampal |
| Badminton | BAI | P.V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal |
| Wrestling | WFI | Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat |
| Boxing | BFI | Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain |
| Shooting | NRAI | Abhinav Bindra, Manu Bhaker |
| Athletics | AFI | Neeraj Chopra, Hima Das |
| Football | AIFF | Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Sandhu |
🌍 MAJOR INTERNATIONAL SPORTS EVENTS
| Event | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | Every 4 years | Most prestigious multi-sport event |
| FIFA World Cup | Every 4 years | Football |
| ICC Cricket World Cup | Every 4 years | Cricket |
| Commonwealth Games | Every 4 years | For Commonwealth nations |
| Asian Games | Every 4 years | For Asian countries |
| Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Australian Open | Annual | Tennis Grand Slams |
| T20 World Cup / IPL | Every 2 years / Annual | Cricket |
| Chess Olympiad | Every 2 years | Chess team championship |
🏅 NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS (INDIA)
| Award | Given For |
|---|---|
| Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna | Highest sports honour for exceptional performance |
| Arjuna Award | Consistent outstanding performance |
| Dronacharya Award | Best coaching contribution |
| Dhyan Chand Award | Lifetime achievement in sports |
🧠 SPORTS TERMINOLOGIES (Examples)
| Sport | Terms |
|---|---|
| Cricket | Duck, Yorker, LBW, Silly Point |
| Football | Offside, Penalty, Free Kick, Hat-trick |
| Tennis | Ace, Break Point, Deuce |
| Hockey | Dribble, Scoop, Flick |
| Badminton | Smash, Rally, Drop Shot |
| Boxing | Knockout, Round, Jab |
🏅 FAMOUS INDIAN OLYMPIC MEDALLISTS
| Athlete | Sport | Medal |
|---|---|---|
| Neeraj Chopra | Javelin Throw | 🥇 Gold (Tokyo 2020) |
| Abhinav Bindra | Shooting | 🥇 Gold (Beijing 2008) |
| Mirabai Chanu | Weightlifting | 🥈 Silver (Tokyo 2020) |
| P.V. Sindhu | Badminton | 🥈 & 🥉 (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020) |
| Sushil Kumar | Wrestling | 🥈 & 🥉 (Beijing, London) |
| Mary Kom | Boxing | 🥉 Bronze (London 2012) |
📝Practice Question - Sports
Q1. Who won India’s first individual Olympic gold medal?
a) Sushil Kumar
b) Neeraj Chopra
c) Abhinav Bindra
d) Milkha Singh
✅ Answer: c) Abhinav Bindra
Q2. The Dronacharya Award is given to:
a) Best athlete
b) Best coach
c) Lifetime achievement
d) Referee
✅ Answer: b) Best coach
Q3. The term "Yorker" is used in which sport?
a) Tennis
b) Hockey
c) Cricket
d) Football
✅ Answer: c) Cricket
Q4. Who is known as the "Flying Sikh" of India?
a) Milkha Singh
b) Neeraj Chopra
c) Hima Das
d) Kapil Dev
✅ Answer: a) Milkha Singh
Q5. What is the full form of IPL?
a) Indian Player League
b) International Premier League
c) Indian Premier League
d) India Pro League
✅ Answer: c) Indian Premier League
Q6. In which sport is the Thomas Cup awarded?
a) Badminton
b) Football
c) Hockey
d) Tennis
✅ Answer: a) Badminton
Q7. The national game of India is:
a) Cricket
b) Football
c) Kabaddi
d) Hockey
✅ Answer: d) Hockey
Q8. Which Indian footballer is among the world’s top international goal scorers?
a) Bhaichung Bhutia
b) Gurpreet Sandhu
c) Sunil Chhetri
d) Rahul Bheke
✅ Answer: c) Sunil Chhetri
Q9. How many players are there in a standard Basketball team?
a) 6
b) 5
c) 7
d) 11
✅ Answer: b) 5
Q10. Which country hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics?
a) Japan
b) USA
c) France
d) China
✅ Answer: c) France (Paris 2024)
