India has long been a cricket-dominated nation, but recent years have seen a shift towards a multi-sport culture. The government’s ‘Khelo India’ initiative has been instrumental in promoting a variety of sports, from athletics to wrestling, boxing, and beyond. With more focus on youth development and infrastructure, India is aiming to become a formidable force at the global level across multiple sports.

Athletes like Mary Kom (boxing), Bajrang Punia (wrestling), and Mirabai Chanu (weightlifting) have shown that India has the potential to excel in sports outside of cricket. The Paris 2024 Olympics will be a key test of this new approach, as India hopes to surpass its best-ever Olympic haul of seven medals from Tokyo 2020.

The rise of Indian sports stars across disciplines is fostering a more diverse sporting culture in the country, with fans embracing athletes from various sports. This shift bodes well for India’s future on the global sports stage.