India is the 7th largest country in the world in terms of area. In population, India is the second most populated in the world with a population of 1.3+ billion people. India has a diverse culture which is observed in the wide range of sports in the country.
Some of the sports can be seen being played on the streets. Even more, wagers are always checking preakness odds even when on the streets. We look at some of such common sports.
Cricket
Cricket is the most popular sport in India. Although playing cricket on the streets is not allowed in India, it is common to see children playing cricket with anything that serves as a bat. Cricket is very easy to play.
All you need is a bat and a ball. Also, you don’t need so many people to enjoy the sport. Two people can enjoy the sport. This sport is on Bet US with great odds where you can catch it live.
Kabaddi
Also known as Chedugudu, it’s also a popular sport in India. It is said that kabaddi was started with the intention of men displaying their strength to win their brides.
It is mainly played in the villages and has four types; Amar, Suranjeevni, Punjabi, and Gaminee.
Marbles
Any kid growing up plays with marbles at some point. It is common among boys.
You don’t need a big space to play a marbles game. That’s why it’s common to see boys playing the game on the streets of Indian towns and even in the villages.
Draw a small circle and put as many marbles as you want inside. Then the participants have their single marble each, outside the circle. The goal is to hit the marbles out of the circle. The one who hits most of the marbles out of the circle becomes the winner. Easy, right?
Hopscotch
This is a fun game for children. It is not only common in India but also in all parts of the world. You can play the game alone or with others. The space required to play this game is very small.
A hopscotch grid is drawn on the ground in numbered rectangular or square patterns. A player throws an object in one of the rectangles/squares starting from the smallest number.
He/she then hops on one leg through the other squares/rectangles skipping the one with the object. He/she picks up the object on his/her way back.
The aim is to do this for all the numbered boxes. Only three rules are used in the game; do not step on a line, the other leg should not step down while inside the grid, and the object you throw should not fall on a line.
Chess
Chess is a mental game. It’s all about your thinking. Chess is played by two people. You can’t play chess alone unless it’s against a machine.
You need a chessboard and the pieces to play a game of chess. The two players can even sit on the ground and enjoy a game of chess.
Chess is steadily gaining popularity in India over the past few decades. It is one of the games commonly played everywhere in the country, even on the streets.
Gilli Danda
This is one of India’s national games. It is a disguised form of cricket. The player has two sticks, the one that acts like a bat (Danda) and the one that acts like a ball (Gilli).
He/she places the smaller piece on the ground and hits it once to get it off the ground and the second time to hit it as far as possible.
Two teams hit the Gilli in turns. The one that hits the Gilli furthest wins.
Hide and Seek
This is among the oldest children’s games on the planet that was started in Greece in the 2nd century. The rules are very simple. One person is the seeker, the rest are hiders.
The seeker closes his/her eyes and counts to a given number, say 100. During this time, the hiders find a place to hide. Afterward, the seeker tries to find the hiders.
The first hider to be found becomes the seeker in the next round and the last hider to be found is the winner.
Verdict
India is rich in its cultural diversity which can be seen in its sports. There are many indigenous sports in India, some of which are internationally known while others aren’t.
Most games are played anywhere even on the streets. Many professional players in some internationally recognized games like cricket began playing on the streets.
Some other games commonly played on the streets include kite flying, kho-kho, swinging, territory land, wrestling, and latoo, among others.
