"Unveiling the secrets: Why Cricket is the most Popular Sport in India"

It is no doubt that Cricket is the most popular sport in India, almost every person here knows it. But why and how it becomes so popular , that I am going to discuss in this Article.                                             

1. HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS : 

Cricket was introduced in India by British in the early 1700s, with the first cricket match played in 1721. Some believed that Cricket initially took place somewhere in approximately 400 to 500 kms north of present Mumbai. Next the formation of the Calcutta Cricket Club in 1792 by British expatriates from East India Company. In 1848 the Parsi Community formed a first Indian community based Cricket club the      'Oriental Cricket Club' after that some other clubs also came up such as- the 'Young Zoroastrians Club' in  1850 followed by the 'Hindu gymkhana' in 1866.                                                                                            By the late 1800's the game has begun to grow rapidly popular across the subcontinent, This was boosted  by the rise of one of the greatest batsman of all time, "Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja also known  as Ranji- The Father of Indian Cricket", He gained popularity when he took a controversial  decision as  made his Test debut for England against  Australia on 1896. His success and popularity in England was a  major contributing factor to the rise of Indian Cricket in the 20th century.   

Advent of Test Series, One-Day Cricket and ICC World Cup-

 In 1928, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was formed and before that India was invited to the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1926, but made their debut as Test playing nation in  England in 1932 and was led by CK Nayudu, unfortunately lost by 158 runs. In 1948, the team played its first series as an Independent India.                                                                                                                            India began as a weak team in ODIs and didn't even qualify for the 2nd round in the first two editions of the Cricket world cup but the team won the Cricket World Cup in 1983, defeating the two time champions West Indies by the help of prominent and great cricketers such as- Dilip Venasarkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, all rounders Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri, etc. By further addition of great legend like Sachin Tendulkar and many more improved the team and caught attention of the Indian people. In 21st century India underwent major improvements under the captaincy of sourav Ganguly and under the guidance of John Wright (India's 1st foreign coach). In 2007, India won the first ever ICC Men's T20 World Cup, beating Pakistan and On 2011, India again won the 2011 Cricket World Cup by defeating Sri Lanka , thus Indian team becomes the third team after West Indies and Australia to win the world cup twice after that gradually Cricket and Indian Cricketer has made place in the heart of the people of India and the people has celebrated the victory like a festival.

2. EMOTIONAL BONDS : 

The emotional connection between Cricket and the People of India runs deep. Cricket can act as bridge helps to build patriotism and National conscience among the people of India. more than millions of people in India consider cricket as more than their religion, when the Cricket team achieve victory on international stage they celebrate with immense enthusiasm, fireworks and street parades which bring various people from different religion walk together and they also cry in their loss, this shows that Cricket is not just a game for India it's an emotion.

          

3. CELEBRITY CULTURE : 

Iconic cricketers become the focal point of adoration for millions of fans. Their actions, exceptional skills and performance in the field have elevated them to the status of icons. Fans watch their every move, analyse their techniques, strategies, celebrate their winning moments and follow them personally. Even the off-Field allure of culture extends beyond the Cricket pitch, their personalities, hobby, public appearances contribute to their celebrity status. This fanbase is not only limited, it is beyond the borders as well. So, this is also one of the factors or reasons of upliftment of the Indian Cricket.   

4. MEDIA INFLUENCE : 

The Cricketers nowadays attract significant media attention. Their interviews, brand endorsements, and personal lives become subjects of interest for the entertainment media. Media made them celebrity and this culture is a dynamic force that not only elevates the profiles of players but also enhances the sports popularity, it also opens doors for lucrative commercial opportunities for the cricketers and contributes to the sports commercial growth and visibility as well.

5. ONLINE BETTING :

 Cricket and betting has a cozy relationship as It is already a popular sports to be bet on. Today, you can see numerous online apps like Dream 11, 1X Bet are offering online betting even one of them is sponsoring the Indian Cricket team also. Not only online betting, Individuals began betting with their cash since sixteenth century. This game is with great odds with extensive analysis and opportunity to earn huge profit from it. So, online betters use these type of online betting apps of different games to make profit only.

6. EXTEMPLARY INFRASTRUCTURE : 

Certainly, There is impeccable cricket infrastructures in India where its easy to access training and development of the players. You will be able to find at least one Cricket stadium in every city, with great facility. And even India has world's largest cricket stadium 'Narendra Modi Stadium' in Ahmedabad with a massive seating capacity of 1,30,000 people.

                                                                 Narendra Modi Stadium

7. ECONOMIC IMPACT : 

Cricket plays a pivotal role in generating revenue, creating job opportunities and stimulates various industries. It is not just a game, it's a multi-billion-dollar industry. Major tournaments, leagues and international matches generate substantial revenue through ticket sales, sponsorships, merchandise sales, broadcasting etc. Even this ecosystem creates job opportunities across various sectors, from player, coaches, supporting staffs of the stadium, event organisers, security personal, etc. IPL (Indian Premier League) is also one of the reason of gaining more revenue and popularity among the youth of India as more players are also getting chance and opportunities in this field.   

  

These are some of the factors which shows that Cricket is the most liked sport among the people of India as research also shows that 93% population are the viewers of Cricket among the Indians.  

Why Physical Education is Crucial for Student Success : Exploring the Importance in School Curriculum

Importance of Physical Education in School Curriculum

When we discus about the Importance of Physical Education in school curriculum, we cannot just furnish with 4 to 5 points or sentence for that, Physical Education has a huge importance and contribution in our daily life and thats so in the school curriculum as well. PE now has become mandatory part of the curriculum in schools especially in India, but it is hard to imagine that it was not always a part of schools. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is suggested that young children should be participating in 60 minutes of exercise per day at least 3 times per week in order to maintain a healthy body.

Physical Education itself is a huge subject with numerous number of topics, It traced back to the mid 19th century when it was mostly focused on Gymnastics, hygiene wellness and care of the human body. In 1823, the Round Hill School in Massachusetts was the first school to make it as an integral part of its programme. By 1950 over 400 Colleges and Universities of United States were offering the Physical Education major to teachers. Since its inception, the schools has changed and enhanced the curriculum multiple times.

Definition :

Physical Education has been defined by various scholars and experts as per their perception and depth knowledge. The following are some important definitions :

1. According to National Plan of Physical Education and Recreation, "Physical Education is a education of physical activities for the development of total personality of the child to its fullness and perfection of the body, mind and spirit".

2. According to C.I. Brownell, "Physical Education is the accumulation of wholesome experience through participation in large muscle activities that promote optimum growth and development".

3. According to C.C. Cowell, "Physical Education is the social process of change in the behaviour of human organisms, originating primarily from the stimulus of social, big muscle, play and related activities".

The significance of including Physical Education in schools curriculum and how its directly impact the students Body and Mind will discus here, 

Health and Well-being - Regular exercise during school hours can lay the foundation of healthy lifestyle and they stay fit as it helps in better absorption of nutrition in the body and also preventing various chronic diseases, Obesity, Mental disorders, maintain good posture. It improves your cardiovascular fitness, Endurance, Flexibility, Agility, Strength Body composition, etc.

Social and Emotional development - Physical Education is not just about physical fitness, It plays an Important role in Social and Emotional health also. It improves your mood especially the group activities and team sports helps you to connect other people and it also helps you to build team work, leadership can interpersonal skills.  

Academic Performance - There is a myth that Physical Education hamper the Academic performance of the students as somehow it has rigorous activities and training, But According to some scholars and researches It improves and increases the academic performance. It stimulates brain function, enhances memory, increases brain neurotransmitters, increased flow of oxygen in the brain, etc.

According to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, "Physical activity can have an impact on cognitive skills and attitudes and academic behaviour all of which are important components of improved academic performance. This include enhanced concentration and attention as well as improved classroom behaviour".     

Stress Management/Reduction - Physical Education provides a valuable outlet for students to reduce the stress and anxiety as it pumps up the production of your brain's feel-good hormones called as Endorphins (body's natural painkillers and mood elevators), which makes the students happy, it enhance the mood and free from overthinking as well. Exercise or physical activities reduces levels of stress hormones of the body, such as adrenaline and cortisol. 

Discipline and Punctuality - Discipline is the first and foremost thing in PE and time management as well. Physical Education teaches the students how punctuality and self-discipline defines an individual's character, strength, abilities and self determination. It enhances self respect, personal honour, dignity. It also improves efficiency and enhance productivity to achieve goals. 

Building confidence and self-esteem - By doing regular exercises one can gain a good posture and good physical appearance likely to strengthen and tone the body, on top of that its improving the fitness, athletic performance and learning new skills as well as PE providing opportunities to showcase skills and to achieve goals, which boosts students confidence and self-esteem.

Conclusion : Here in this article I have discussed about the Importance of Physical Education not only in School curriculum but also in an individual's daily life, how it enhances a person and develops in every aspect physically, mentally, holistically, etc.

FAQ

1. What is the role of Physical Education Teacher in school?

Ans : There are too many roles and responsibilities of a Physical Education Teacher in a school but the main roles are to provide knowledge of physical activities, skills of different sports, to maintain overall discipline of the school, to help them achieve goals, to provide the students equal opportunities on the field of sports and motivate them to boost their confidence, etc.  

2. Who is the Father of Physical Education?

Ans : The Father of Physical Education is " Friedrich Ludwig Jahn ". He is also known as the Father of Gymnastics who has founded the turnverein an international gymnastic club in Germany in 1811.

3. Who is started Physical Education in India?

Ans : "Harry Crowe Buck" , he was an American college sports coach who founded the YMCA college of physical Education in madras in 1920. He had build the base of the Physical Education in India.

  

Recreational Games- Top 5 Fun and easy to play

 

What is Recreation?

Recreational games or Recreation referred as any activity or experience pursued or done during leisure time or free time, it may be done for personal enjoyment as well as it can be done in group also. This Recreation word can have various meaning for different people anything that is joyful, entertainment, happiness, relaxation (both physical and mental) and considered as Fun. It is a very important topic in Physical Education as it's essential for human health- biology and psychology.

We can segregate the Recreational Programme for various categories of people - for Children, Adolescents, Old age and Divyangas. Here, I will discuss the Recreational programmes for Children and Adolescents.   

Characteristics :

- It occurs during free time or leisure being discretionary time.

- Recreation is flexible.

- It can be organised or unorganised.

- It can be enjoyed alone or in a group as well.

- Recreation is necessary in order for a person to have balanced growth,  positive attitude, and positive  motivation. 

                                             

Top 5 Outdoor Recreational Games

1. TIC TAC TOE - It is one of the most versatile game which we can play both indoor and outdoor. when I was in school I used to play it in class time with my friends and bench-mate now I just miss those moments. If you want to play it in indoor you just need a pen and a piece of paper, where you will make a square of 9 boxes and you can use any to signs, Usually we use 'X and 0' .

                                                               

                                                                                 

Now, If I talk about outdoor tic tac toe, It can be played by more than two person. It's more fun and enjoyable than indoor one and on the other hand the individuals will be conditioned as well. It will improve their reaction time, speed and fitness in a fun manner.

There will be two Individual or can be two teams. They will be standing behind the starting line having 5 markers each of two different colours and in the end line  we will keep the hula hoops in such a way that it should look like a square. After a command 1 member each of the teams may run and keep the cone inside the hoops like this another person of the team will come and do the same. The team which can match the same coloured at first that will be declared as winners. 

Requirements :

1. Hula hoops - 9

 (alternative- shalom pole, rope etc)

2. Markers or cones - 10 (2 sets of different colours)

 (alternative- cone, beanbag, ball, disc etc)

2. SEVEN STONES - This traditional game is played from ancient time whose history dates back to Bhagwata Purana and it is mostly common in villages of Indian subcontinent involving pile of seven flat stones and a tennis ball. This game is also close to my heart as I also used to play a lot with my neighbour friends.

There should be two equal teams (approx. 5-6 members) where a member of one team throws a ball (basically tennis ball) at a pile of stones, then all the team members of that particular team (the seekers) will try to collect the stones and restore the pile of stones on the other hand the opposing team (the hitters) will try to hit them with the ball and make them out before reconstruction of the pile of stones. If the ball touches any of the seeker then that member is out so the seekers will try to restore before getting whole team out. Now, the seekers will be hitters and vice-versa. 

                                            

3.  ICE AND WATER  - I think this Ice and water recreation game has been played by most of us in our childhood, well have played it especially in my school. This is a chasing game played by a group of individual (children) where one member referred as "Chaser" will chase the other runners and 'freeze' them once the Chaser touch or tap them, Th e chaser has to say Ice immediately after touching anyone while the other runners can 'unfreeze' that frozen runner by tapping  them and saying water.

So, the main objective of the 'melt' or 'unfreeze' the runners whenever someone is frozen. This games stimulate the senses of the children and develops their fine motor skills, cognitive skills, locomotor skills etc and also teach them teamwork.

                                                      

                                                   

4. LEG CRICKET - This is also one of fun and interesting game which brings back the memories of childhood.It is mainly played in India. The Father of Leg Cricket is Mr. S. Nagraj an Indian Physical Education Teacher as this recreational game was introduced by him. After that official rule book also introduced of Leg Cricket in 2010.

The professional Leg Cricket is played between two teams of 11 players on a circular ground with various rules, But when we play it for fun we don't follow any strict rules and regulations and particular shape or measurements of the ground. We can play this game open spacious place including two teams of equal members (11 members each is not mandatory). Leg Cricket involves leg and football rather than Bat and a cricket Ball, where the bowler rolls the ball (underarm) and the legs man has to kick the ball as far as possible. Legs man can score four and six like Cricket game. In terms of out, Catching and Bolt is also allowed. 

                       

5. DODGE BALL - This Recreational game is a team game played between two equal teams consisting of 6-10 member in each team or can be more than that. This is mostly played by the elementary school students as it' s very joyful and loved by the students. For the school students we can use a soft sponge ball or volleyball or basketball on a hard surface because the ball has to jump.

The main objective of this is to eliminate all the opposing team members by especially hitting them under the knees. At first one team (Attackers) will be making a big circle and they will throw the ball to hit the opposing team and on the other hand opposing team will be between of the circle and must dodge the ball to remain in the game and vice-versa. The team who manages to eliminate all the members of a team within less time than other team definitely will be the winners of the game.

                                                   

CONCLUSION : Recreational games is very crucial now-a-days especially for the kids as they became very inactive and lazy. So, keep them active both physically and mentally we have to introduced these type of recreational games that we used to play in our childhood days.