A Brief History of Sports in the Colonial Era and Its Post-Colonial Legacy

Abstract

During the long period of colonial rule, their influence on the society, economy, and culture of India was deep and far-reaching. During that time period, mainly Western sports were introduced in India. Although introduced by colonial rulers, Western sports gradually became an integral part of Indian culture. Sports like cricket, hockey, and football spread their influence and gained popularity in different regions over the vast landscape of India. Here, it is interesting to note that these sports got popularized specifically in different parts of the subcontinent, as cricket became popular in the western and southern regions of India, but football in the eastern region. The article attempts to find the answer to how Western sports were introduced in India in the early stages and which media played a significant role in their further popularization. Besides Western sports such as cricket, football, hockey, and athletics, indigenous sports such as hunting, wrestling, and polo continued to be practised in the colonial era. This paper also highlights how far the initiatives have been taken by the governments and private institutions in promoting sports in the post-independence era.