A national sport is one that is considered to be a fundamental part of a country’s psyche. We have grown up believing field hockey is our national sport. However, an RTI query revealed that India has no national game. Smita Kumar talks to some youngsters to find out their choice of a national sport

Kabaddi is king

In my opinion, kabaddi should be promoted as the national sport of India. One of the most poplar games, it is played in each and every part of our country from slums to developed towns like New Delhi. Unlike other games, which require infrastructure and capital, kabaddi requires nothing but a small plot. Kabaddi would also help people improve reflexes and build strength and stamina. I would vote for kabaddi as the national sport.

Akshat Agrawal
Class X
DPS Patna

Chess chances

The first choice for a majority of people would be chess. After all, it has its roots in India. Various historical epics have witnessed a great role of the game, be it the Mahabharat or the Puranas. Even the present and the longest serving grandmaster belongs to India — Vishwanathan Anand. Koneru Humpy, at present ranked among the top three according to the FIDE Elo rating, is also an Indian. What other certificate do we need for chess to be our national game? After all, it has brought so many laurels to our country.

Vaibhav Agarwal
Class IX
DPS Patna

Badminton bond

India has always provided a healthy challenge to the star line-up of other countries in badminton. India boasts of shuttlers like Saina Nehwal, the Gutta-Ponnappa duo and Parupalli Kashyap, who have done Indians proud by being right up there with the best in the world. The respect for the game has grown in recent times owing to the emergence of these ace players and the spread of the game. Indian players have startled the best with their astounding performance and brilliance on the court, especially in the London Olympics where Saina clinched a bronze. She is the first ever shuttler from the country to win a medal in the game. I think badminton should be accorded the status of the national game of India.

Anmol Kabra
Class IX
DPS Patna

Shuttle shine

Games unite people. The national game should represent the entire Indian population. It should be unique and yet reflect the nation’s tradition. I vote for badminton. Immensely popular across cities and villages, we have also produced some champion players. India has also been doing well consistently. The sport has a place in our hearts, only the national game tag eludes it.

Abhinav Sinha
Class X
DAV Public School BSEB

Bow to Boxing

The emergence of boxing as one of the most enjoyable sports has given us the option of counting it as one of the favourites to be the national game of India. The game has brought us glory at the Asian Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. Even in the latest edition of the Olympics, Mary Kom won us a bronze in the flyweight division. Vijender Kumar, too, had won bronze in the Beijing Olympics. Moreover, boxers are doing well consistently without much support from the government. This makes us realise that with proper facilities, the sport can bring more awards to the nation. It can be more successful than cricket.

Nidhi Jha
Class XII Commerce
St Joseph’s Covent High School

Cricket charisma

Cricket is the most popular game in the country. India even lifted the World Cup twice and recently under the dependable MS Dhoni. I want cricket to be the national game because in India, it’s more than just a game. It is almost a religion. From our childhood, we have all played cricket either in clubs or in gullies at some point of time.

Ayushi Jaiswal
Class IX
St Joseph’s Convent High School

Last question:

Who is the athlete?

The correct answer for the question is: Karnam Malleswari

Readers who gave the correct answer are:

Kirtima Singh
Class X, DAV Public School, Jehanabad

Asmita Pathak
Class X, DAV Public School, HFC, Barauni

Amrita Queen
Class XII, LS College, Muzaffarpur

Dipkona Roy
Class VIII-C, St Michael’s High School, Patna

Ansh Vaibhav
Class XII, St Joseph Public School, Begusarai

Muskan Chouhan
Class VII-B, Notre Dame Academy, Munger

Aman Kumar
Class XII, LS College, Muzaffarpur

Prashant Raj Bajray
Class VIII-F, St Karen’s Secondary School, Danapur

Bhavya Kumar
Class VIII-A, Notre Dame Academy, Jamalpur

Alankriti Jain
Class VI, St Joseph’s Convent, Patna

This week’s question: Identify the pop group

Clue: They performed at the closing ceremony of the London Olympics.

Readers can send their answers to ttbihar@abp.inRemember to mention your name, address, class, school and email id with the answers. Send only one answer