Indians have always loved sports, but not every sport has received an equal amount of love and attention from the fans. However, the sports viewership of India is increasing. In fact, the interest in sports is at an all time high, giving way for other sports to gain popularity.
The most popular sport in India is and will always be cricket. As a result, cricket runs off with most of the attention. Recently, however, other sports have gained attention, such as football, badminton, and even wrestling. How has this change come about?
Fan participation
Today, sports viewership is changing in India as well as in the rest of the world. In America, for instance, sports viewership is now highly associated with sports betting, creating a strong fan participation. Even college football produces a strong fan following due to the participation of sports betting. People make their college football picks, and feel like they are a part of the sport, more so than they did before. This trend is also growing in India, giving the fans the opportunity to feel closer to the sports they love, and perhaps even making people more interested in following other sports.
More people have access to sports news
One reason why other sports have risen in popularity in India, is that more people have access to information about sports from their phones, computers, and televisions. People consume sports news with a hunger, they read sports articles, download sports apps, and watch tournaments on their TV-screens. This increase of information has created a stronger following of sport, and not just of cricket, a sport which already receives a lot of attention in the media. Now, other sports get to be in the spotlight as well, attracting fans that would have otherwise never paid attention to them.
Better facilities, better athletes
Lastly, people are becoming more interested in various sports, because athletes are performing better, making them able to compete with the very best from around the world. This is due to a governmental dedication to creating better facilities for athletes to train. Before, young aspiring athletes had to travel far, sometimes crossing borders to find the facilities they needed. Better facilities and training opportunities create better results, making it possible for more Indian athletes to step on the podium. This has prompted fans to get even more excited and passionate about sports.
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