GK · Chapter 11

Sports Panorama

Olympics · Commonwealth · Cricket · Hockey · Football · Racquet Sports · Chess

Olympic Games — Origin & Motto
  • Origin: 776 BC (Olympia, Greece)
  • Modern Olympics: 1896 AD (Athens, Greece)
  • Motto: Citius (Faster) | Altius (Higher) | Fortius (Stronger) | Communiter (Together)
EditionHostYear
First Summer OlympicsAthens, Greece1896
First Winter OlympicsChamonix, France1924
First ParalympicsRome, Italy1960
First Youth Summer OlympicsSingapore2010
First Youth Winter OlympicsInnsbruck, Austria2012
⚡ QUICK RECALL Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius — Communiter (Faster, Higher, Stronger — Together).
IOC & Indian Olympic Association
BodyDetails
International Olympic Committee (IOC)Established 1894; HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland (formerly Paris); First President: Demetrios Vikelas (Greece); Current President: Kirsty Coventry
Indian Olympic AssociationEstablished 1927; President: P.T. Usha
Paris Olympics & Paralympics 2024
EventDetails
Paris Olympics 2024 (33rd)26 July – 11 Aug 2024; Motto: "Games Wide Open"; Mascot: The Phryges
Top RankUSA — 126 medals (40 Gold, 44 Silver, 42 Bronze)
India's Rank71st — 1 Silver, 5 Bronze
17th Paris Paralympics 202428 Aug – 8 Sep 2024; Mascot: Paralympic Phryge
Paralympics Top RankChina — 220 medals (94 Gold, 76 Silver, 50 Bronze)
India's Paralympic Rank18th — 29 medals (7 Gold, 9 Silver, 13 Bronze)
⚠ EXAM TRAP London and Paris have both hosted the Olympics THREE times each — the joint record for most hostings by a city. 2028 Summer Olympics go to Los Angeles, USA.
Indian Olympic Medalists
PlayerSportMedalOlympics (Year)
KD JadhavWrestlingBronzeHelsinki (1952)
Leander PaesTennisBronzeAtlanta (1996)
Karnam MalleswariWeightliftingBronzeSydney (2000)
Rajyavardhan Singh RathoreShootingSilverAthens (2004)
Abhinav Bindra10m Air RifleGoldBeijing (2008)
Sushil KumarWrestlingBronzeBeijing (2008)
Vijender SinghBoxingBronzeBeijing (2008)
Vijay KumarShootingSilverLondon (2012)
Sushil KumarWrestlingSilverLondon (2012)
Yogeshwar DuttWrestlingBronzeLondon (2012)
Mary KomBoxingBronzeLondon (2012)
Saina NehwalBadmintonBronzeLondon (2012)
Gagan NarangShootingBronzeLondon (2012)
PV SindhuBadmintonSilverRio (2016)
Sakshi MalikWrestlingBronzeRio (2016)
Mirabai ChanuWeightliftingSilverTokyo (2020)
Ravi DahiyaWrestlingSilverTokyo (2020)
L. BorgohainBoxingBronzeTokyo (2020)
PV SindhuBadmintonBronzeTokyo (2020)
Bajrang PuniaWrestlingBronzeTokyo (2020)
Men's Hockey TeamHockeyBronzeTokyo (2020)
Neeraj ChopraJavelin ThrowGoldTokyo (2020)
Men's Hockey TeamHockeyBronzeParis (2024)
Neeraj ChopraJavelin ThrowSilverParis (2024)
Swapnil KusaleShootingBronzeParis (2024)
Aman SehrawatWrestlingBronzeParis (2024)
Manu BhakerShootingBronzeParis (2024)
Manu Bhaker & Sarabjot SinghShooting (Team)BronzeParis (2024)
⚠ EXAM TRAP PV Sindhu has TWO Olympic medals — Silver (Rio 2016) and Bronze (Tokyo 2020) — making her the first Indian woman with two individual Olympic medals. Neeraj Chopra also has two: Gold (Tokyo 2020) and Silver (Paris 2024).
Commonwealth Games
  • Origin: 1930 AD, Hamilton, Canada; held every 4 years among Commonwealth member countries.
  • India first participated in 1934, London (England).
  • India hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010 (finished 2nd position).
  • Most hosting: Australia (5 times).
  • 23rd Commonwealth Games: Glasgow, Scotland, 23 July–2 August 2026.
22nd CWG 2022Details
HeldBirmingham, UK
MascotPerry (multi-coloured Bull)
Top RankAustralia — 178 medals (67G, 57S, 54B)
India's Rank4th — 61 medals (22G, 16S, 23B)
Cricket
  • First Test Match (1877) and First ODI (1971): Australia vs England — Melbourne
  • First Women's Cricket World Cup: 1973, England (Winner: England)
  • First Men's Cricket World Cup: 1975, Host: England (Winner: West Indies)
TournamentResult
Cricket World Cup 2023 (Men)Winner: Australia (6th title); Runner-up: India; Host: India
Cricket World Cup 2022 (Women)Winner: Australia; Runner-up: England
T20 World Cup 2024 (9th, Men)Winner: India (2nd time); Runner-up: South Africa
T20 World Cup 2024 (Women)Winner: New Zealand; Runner-up: South Africa
First T20 World Cup (2007)South Africa; Winner: India
World Test Championship 2023–25Winner: South Africa; Runner-up: Australia
First WTC (2019–21)Winner: New Zealand
  • First Women's International Test Match in India: 1976, Bengaluru.
  • ICC (Cricket Governing Body) HQ: Dubai, UAE.
⚡ QUICK RECALL Terminology to remember: Chinaman, Silly Point, Cow Corner, Follow-on (Test format only), Agricultural Shot. Major trophies: World Cup, T20 World Cup, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Duleep Trophy, Ashes.
Hockey
  • First World Cup: Barcelona (1971); Winner: Pakistan (max 4 times)
  • Playing Time: 60 minutes (4 × 15-minute quarters); Field Length: 91.4 m; Players: 11
EventDetails
Men's Hockey WC 2023Held: Bhubaneswar, India; Winner: Germany; Runner-up: Belgium; 2026 Host: Belgium & Netherlands
Women's Hockey WC 2023Held: Netherlands; Winner: Netherlands; Runner-up: Argentina; 2026 Host: Belgium & New Zealand
FIH (International Hockey Federation)HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland
Indian Hockey FederationIHF founded 1925; Hockey India formed separately in 2009, rather than a simple renaming.
  • Wizard of Hockey: Major Dhyan Chand
  • India's Highest Hockey Stadium: Shilaroo Hockey Stadium, Himachal Pradesh
  • India won the first Men's Asian Hockey Championship in 2011.
  • Indian Men's Hockey team has won 13 Olympic medals (8 Gold, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze).
⚠ EXAM TRAP The term "Blue Line" belongs to ICE hockey, NOT field hockey — a frequent mix-up between the two hockey formats.
Football / Soccer
  • Highest Authority: FIFA — established 1904, Paris, France; HQ: Zurich, Switzerland; Players: 11
  • First FIFA World Cup: 1930; First Winner: Uruguay; First Runner-up: Argentina
FIFA World Cup 2022Details
HeldQatar
WinnerArgentina
Runner-upFrance
2026 HostCanada, Mexico, USA
Most WinsBrazil (5 times)
  • India Trophies: Santosh Trophy, Durand Cup (first held 1888), Rovers Cup
  • Prominent Indian Players: Sunil Chhetri, P.K. Banerjee, Bhaichung Bhutia
  • Ballon d'Or 2024 (Male): Rodri (Spain); Lionel Messi holds the record for most Ballon d'Or wins overall.
  • Ballon d'Or Féminin 2024: Aitana Bonmatí (Spain); record: Aitana Bonmatí, 3 wins (2023, 2024, 2025).
  • FIFA 2022 Golden Boot: Kylian Mbappé (France)
Badminton
  • Highest Authority: Badminton World Federation (BWF); founded as IBF in 1934, renamed 2006
  • HQ: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • Net height at center: 5 feet
Thomas Cup & Uber Cup 2024Details
HeldChina
WinnerChina (both)
Runner-upIndonesia
  • Trophies: Thomas Cup (Men), Uber Cup (Women), Narang Cup, Syed Modi International
⚡ QUICK RECALL Sports card colours: Yellow = warning for misconduct, Red = warning for foul (ejection), Black = equivalent to 2 Yellow Cards.
Lawn Tennis — Grand Slams
Grand SlamStartedCountryCourt Type
Wimbledon1877UKGrass
US Open1881USAHard (Artificial)
French Open1891FranceRed Clay
Australian Open1905AustraliaHard
⚡ QUICK RECALL Chronological order of the Grand Slam calendar each year: Australian Open → French Open → Wimbledon → US Open.
2025 SlamMen's WinnerWomen's Winner
Australian OpenJannik Sinner (Italy)Madison Keys (USA)
French OpenCarlos Alcaraz (Spain)Coco Gauff (USA)
WimbledonJannik Sinner (Italy)Iga Świątek (Poland)
⚠ EXAM TRAP Wimbledon 2025 introduced electronic line calling, replacing line judges for the first time in the tournament's history — a fresh current-affairs-linked fact.
Table Tennis
  • Organisation: International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded 1926
  • First World Championships: London, 1926; individual and team editions alternate
  • Players: 1 or 2
  • Cups: Corbillon Cup (Women's), Swaythling Cup (Men's)
  • Indian Players: Achanta Sharath Kamal, Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula
  • Global Players: Lin Shidong (China), Hugo Calderano (Brazil), Felix Lebrun (France)
Chess
  • Organisation: FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs); World Cup held every 2 years
EventDetails
FIDE Chess World Cup 2023Held: Baku, Azerbaijan; Winner: Magnus Carlsen (Norway); Runner-up: R. Praggnanandhaa (India)
Chess World Championship 2024Winner: D. Gukesh (India)
FIDE Women's Chess World Cup 2025Winner: Divya Deshmukh (India); Runner-up: Koneru Humpy (India)
  • Terminology: Bishop, Gambit, Checkmate, Grandmaster, Knight, Castling
  • King moves one square in any direction; Rook (called "Elephant" in Hindi chess terms) moves straight (vertical/horizontal)
  • Total chess pieces per side: 16
⚠ EXAM TRAP D. Gukesh (World Championship 2024) and Divya Deshmukh (Women's World Cup 2025) are DIFFERENT titles/events — don't confuse the World Championship with the World Cup format.
Player Nicknames
PlayerNickname
P.T. UshaUdanpari
K.D. JadhavPocket Dynamo
Mary KomSuper Mom
Rahul DravidThe Wall
Mahendra Singh DhoniCaptain Cool
Paes & BhupathiIndian Express
PeléBlack Pearl
National and Traditionally Associated Sports
CountryNational Sport
USABaseball
SpainBull Fighting
CanadaIce hockey (national winter); Lacrosse (national summer)
JapanSumo wrestling (traditionally regarded as national sport)
ChinaTable Tennis
FranceFootball
MalaysiaBadminton
South KoreaTaekwondo
Sports Complexes & Terminology
Complex NameSports Played
RingBoxing; skating uses a rink
PoolSwimming
DiamondBaseball
CourseGolf
CourtKho-Kho, Squash, Badminton, Tennis
TrackAthletics
RinkIce Hockey
⚡ QUICK RECALL Golf terminology: Bogey, Bunker, Caddy, Putt, Tee. Boxing terminology: Jab, Hook, Uppercut, Knock Out, Kidney Punch. Cross-match terms to their correct sport in MCQs.
Important Sports Training Institutes in India
InstituteLocation
National Institute of Water SportsDona Paula, Goa
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS)Patiala, Punjab
National Sports Club of IndiaMumbai and New Delhi
Institute of Sport Science and TechnologyPune, Maharashtra
Guru Gobind Singh Sports CollegeLucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Indian Institute of Skiing & MountaineeringBaramulla, Jammu & Kashmir
Sports Authority of India (SAI)
  • Established: 1984
  • Registered under: Societies Act, 1860
  • Nodal Ministry: Department of Sports, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports
  • Current Director General: Hari Ranjan Rao, IAS (dated snapshot)
Other Important Sports Facts
  • Cycling track is known as 'Velodrome'.
  • Olympic shooting guns: Rifle (single loaded, 5.6 mm), Pistol, Shotgun.
  • Calcutta Polo Club established 1862 — oldest existing polo club in the world.
  • First Asian Kabaddi Championship: 1980.
  • First Kabaddi World Cup: Mumbai (2004).
  • Mumbai Marathon is considered the biggest marathon in Asia.
  • Pro-Kabaddi League in India started in 2014.
  • India won its first medal at World Athletics Championship in 2003, France.
  • First Indian athlete to win a medal at World Athletics Championship: Anju Bobby George (2003).
  • Overall winner (men and women) at first tribal sports festival Championship: Odisha.
  • Neeraj Chopra won Gold at Paris Diamond League 2025.
  • Raja Bhalendra Singh Trophy — awarded to the state with the best overall performance (highest medals) in national sports.
Quick Reference Summary
Olympic Origin776 BC, Olympia, Greece
Modern Olympics1896 AD, Athens, Greece
IOC Founded1894; HQ: Lausanne, Switzerland
IOC Current PresidentKirsty Coventry
Paris Olympics 202433rd Summer Olympics; USA topped; India 71st
Paris Paralympics 202417th Edition; China topped; India 18th (29 medals)
Commonwealth Games 2022Birmingham; Australia topped; India 4th
Commonwealth Games 20262026, Glasgow, Scotland
Cricket World Cup 2023Australia won (6th title); Host: India
Hockey World Cup 2023Germany won; Runner-up: Belgium
FIFA World Cup 2022Argentina won; Runner-up: France
Thomas/Uber Cup 2024China won both
Chess World 2024D. Gukesh (India) won
FIDE Women's Chess 2025Divya Deshmukh won; Runner-up: Koneru Humpy
Australian Open 2025 (M)Jannik Sinner (Italy)
Australian Open 2025 (W)Madison Keys (USA)
French Open 2025 (M)Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
French Open 2025 (W)Coco Gauff (USA)
Wimbledon 2025 (M)Jannik Sinner (Italy)
Wimbledon 2025 (W)Iga Świątek (Poland)
Sports Authority of IndiaEst. 1984; Hari Ranjan Rao, IAS (dated snapshot) (DG)
Neeraj ChopraGold Tokyo 2020; Silver Paris 2024; Gold Diamond League 2025