Sport in Delhi have a long and distinguished history. Delhi is the capital territory of India; it has hosted many major international tournaments and has professional teams in different national leagues like
Hockey India League
Hockey India League (HIL), known as the Coal India Hockey India League is a professional field hockey league in India. The league is organized by Hockey India, the governing body for the sport in India. HIL, along with the Indian Premier League, ...
,
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
and
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
.
Delhi Skateboarding
Delhi Skateboarding team has been the top team in RSFI national championship 2020, 2021, 2022. Delhi team was also top in First India roller games 2022 and first national inter district championship 2023. Players like Shivam Balhara, Aryan Rawat, Shivam Tiwari and Aadya Aditi have been spearheading Delhi team since 2018. In 2023 while Shivam Balhara is representing India in Paris Olympic qualifiers, Aadya aditi and Shivam Tiwari are representing India in the 19th Asian games in Hangzhou , China.
Delhi as the host
Delhi has hosted many international sports championships and
multi-sports events:
*
1951 Asian Games
The 1951 Asian Games ( hi, 1951 एशियाई खेल; Marathi: १९५१ आशियाई खेळ), officially known as the First Asian Games, was a multi-sport event celebrated in New Delhi, India from 4 to 11 March 1951. The Game ...
— New Delhi hosted the first ever
Asian Games
The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until t ...
*
1982 Asian Games
The 9th Asian Games ( hi, 1982 एशियाई खेल) were held from 19 November to 4 December 1982, in Delhi, India. 74 Asian and Asian Games records were broken at the event. This was also the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of ...
— In 1982, New Delhi hosted the ninth edition of the Asian Games
*
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...
— New Delhi became the second Asian city, after
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
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, su ...
, to host the
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...
*
1989 Asian Athletics Championships
The 1989 Asian Athletics Championships was the eighth edition of the international outdoor athletics competition between Asian nations, organised by the Asian Athletics Association. The six-day competition was held from 14–19 November at the ...
— New Delhi hosted the Eighth Asian Athletics Chancellorships
Delhi Half Marathon
The Delhi Half Marathon is an annual
half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...
foot-race held in New Delhi. Established in 2005, it is both an elite runner and mass participation event. It is an
AIMS-certified course and is listed as a Gold Label Road Race by the
IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
.
[Airtel looks at leveraging ‘world’s richest’ Delhi marathon]
. MSN
MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95.
The Microsoft Net ...
(2009-10-29). Retrieved on 2009-11-01. The 2009 event attracted around 29,000 runners who competed in one of the four races: the half marathon, the 7 km Great Delhi Run, a 4.3 km run for senior citizens, and a 3.5 km wheelchair race.
2010 Hockey World Cup
![IndiavsSyria Nehru Cup-2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/IndiavsSyria_Nehru_Cup-2007.jpg)
The
2010 Hockey World Cup was the twelfth installment of the Men's
Hockey World Cup
The Men's FIH Hockey World Cup is an international field hockey competition organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The tournament was started in 1971. It is held every four years, bridging the four years between the Summer O ...
. New Delhi became first Indian city to host this major event, taking place over two weeks from 28 February – 13 March 2010 at New Delhi's
Dhyan Chand National Stadium
The Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, commonly known by its former name National Stadium, is a field hockey stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named after former Indian field hockey player, Dhyan Chand. It served as the venue for the ...
.
Nehru Cup
The Nehru Cup (more formally known as the
ONGC
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...
Nehru Cup) due to the competition's sponsorship by
ONGC
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...
is an international
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
tournament organised by the (
AIFF
Audio Interchange File Format (AIFF) is an audio file format standard used for storing sound data for personal computers and other electronic audio devices. The format was developed by Apple Inc. in 1988 based on Electronic Arts' Interchange File ...
). It was launched in 1982, but was not held from 1998 to 2006. After the trophy was won by
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in 1997, it was reinstated only in 2007.
Cricket World Cup
Delhi had been one of the host cities of
Cricket world cup's three terms held in Indian sub-continent.
Cricket
![Feroz shah kotla stadium at evening](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Feroz_shah_kotla_stadium_at_evening.jpg)
Cricket, as in whole nation has special place in Delhi also. Cricket is very well organised and established within Delhi and most popular spectator sport. Delhi has several of India's leading cricket clubs. Not only at professional level, cricket is very popular among the people of Delhi.
Delhi cricket team
The Delhi cricket team is a first-class cricket team based in Delhi, run by the Delhi District Cricket Association, that plays in India's first class competition, the Ranji Trophy and limited-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Tro ...
is the
first-class cricket
First-class cricket, along with List A cricket and Twenty20 cricket, is one of the highest-standard forms of cricket. A first-class match is one of three or more days' scheduled duration between two sides of eleven players each and is officiall ...
team of Delhi, that plays in India's domestic competition, the
Ranji Trophy
The Ranji Trophy (also known as Mastercard Ranji Trophy for sponsorship reasons) is a domestic first-class cricket championship played in India between multiple teams representing regional and state cricket associations. Board of Control for Cr ...
. They have won the tournament seven times and have been runners-up seven. In the
Duleep
Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji (13 June 1905 – 5 December 1959) was a cricketer who played for England. Playing in the era before the Indian cricket team, he is considered one of India's first great batsmen, alongside his uncle Ranjitsinhji, who also ...
and
Deodhar Trophy
The Deodhar Trophy, also known as Mastercard Devdhar trophy due to sponsorship reasons (also spelled Devdhar Trophy), is a List A cricket domestic cricket tournament of India. It is named after D. B. Deodhar (known as the Grand Old Man of Indian ...
, Delhi comes under the
North Zone team.
Delhi is the home of
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
franchise
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) are a franchise cricket team based out of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The team's home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadium, ...
, owned by the
GMR Group
GMR Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in New Delhi. The group was founded in 1978 by Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao (G M Rao) and comprises several companies including GMR Infrastructure, GMR Energy, GMR Airports, GMR Ent ...
and
JSW Group
JSW Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, based in Mumbai. It is led by Sajjan Jindal and part of the O.P. Jindal Group. The Group's diverse businesses include steel, energy, infrastructure, cement and paints, across India, the Unite ...
.
Delhi District Cricket Association
The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) is the governing body of Cricket activities in the Delhi state of India and the Delhi cricket team. It is affiliated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The Delhi cricket team is the team ...
(DDCA) is the governing body of cricket in Delhi region. It manages the
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricket stadium owned and operated the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) and located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. It was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, and named after the nea ...
and
Rajat Sharma
Rajat Sharma (born 18 February 1957) is an Indian journalist and businessperson who is the chairman and Editor-in-chief of India TV, an Indian news outlet. Sharma is known for his show ''Aap Ki Adalat'' in which he is seen interviewing politic ...
is the current president of DDCA Executive Committee.
DDCA affiliates many cricket clubs in Delhi.
Association football
![Ambedkar stadium in delhi at morning](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Ambedkar_stadium_in_delhi_at_morning.jpg)
Football is a popular sport in Delhi, perhaps second to cricket. The only football stadium in Delhi is the
Ambedkar Stadium
Dr. Ambedkar Stadium is a football stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named in honour of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, famous social reformer and architect of the Indian Constitution. It was earlier known as
the Corporation Stadium. It also hel ...
which has a total capacity of 20,000 people, and can be expanded up to 50,000 people. Delhi also as
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a multi-sports stadium located in New Delhi, India. It is named after the first Prime Minister of India. Primarily a venue for football and athletics, it is an all-seated 60,254 capacity stadium, designed and const ...
, which is used dually for football and athletics both. Delhi hosts the
Nehru Cup
The Nehru Cup was an international association football tournament organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It was launched in 1982, but was not held from 1998 to ...
, international football tournament organised by the
All India Football Federation
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the national governing body of football in India. It is a member of FIFA, the international governing body of football and affiliated to Asian Football Confederation.
It is affiliated to Ministry o ...
.
This sport has gained immense popularity in the near past and is set to improve also in the near future. The mid-2010s saw many football academies being set up in Delhi as a result of recently gained popularity due to
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
. The
FIFA under-17 World Cup, 2017 was a major successful and the only world football event hosted by the city till now.
Delhi is the home of many amateur and professional football club:
*
Sudeva Delhi FC
Sudeva Delhi Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Delhi, that competes in I-League, the second tier of Indian football league system. Founded as ''Sudeva Moonlight FC'' in 2014, the club is affiliated with Football D ...
, the club currently plays in the
I-League
The I-League (known as Hero I-League for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp) is the second-tier men's professional football competition of the Indian football league system. It is currently contested by 12 clubs across the country with the w ...
.
*
Hindustan Football Club
Hindustan Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in New Delhi. Affiliated with Football Delhi (FD), the club last participated in Delhi Premier League.
Founded in 1948, Hindustan predominantly participated in I-League 2n ...
, the club plays in the Delhi Senior Division league. In the 2004/05 season, the club played in the 2nd division of
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. Currently the club is trying to qualify for the 2nd round of I-league qualification.
*
New Delhi Heroes FC
New Delhi Heroes FC is an Indian professional football club based in New Delhi, that competes in the B-Division League.
History
New Delhi Heroes, Delhi's most successful club, was formed in 1939. The founders opted for green and yellow colo ...
, the club currently plays in the
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
of the
I-League
The I-League (known as Hero I-League for sponsorship ties with Hero MotoCorp) is the second-tier men's professional football competition of the Indian football league system. It is currently contested by 12 clubs across the country with the w ...
.
*Former club
Delhi Dynamos FC
Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...
, this professional football club competed in the
Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federat ...
. (Now shifted to Odisha and rebranded as Odisha FC. So, presently there is no Delhi representative at ISL.)
Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
in Delhi has been played since
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
.
Delhi Lawn Tennis Association is the governing body of tennis in Delhi, its headquarters are located at African Avenue.
R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex
R. K. Khanna Tennis Complex is a tennis stadium in New Delhi, India. It has a centre court, six match courts and six warm-up courts. It has a capacity of 5,015.XIX Commonwealth GamesRK Khanna Tennis Complex/ref>
About
The stadium was opened ...
is the main tennis stadium in Delhi-NCR for the international tournaments. It also hosts the headquarters of the
All India Tennis Association
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) ( hi, अखिल भारतीय टेनिस संघ), is the governing body of tennis in India. It was established in 1920 and affiliated by International Tennis Federation and Asian Tennis Fed ...
, the national governing body of tennis in India.
Basketball
Delhi is home to the
Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals (formerly Delhi Daredevils) are a franchise cricket team based out of Delhi in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise is jointly owned by the GMR Group and the JSW Group. The team's home ground is Arun Jaitley Stadium, ...
,
2016 Champion of India's top professional basketball division, the
UBA Pro Basketball League
The United Basketball Alliance (UBA) was the first men’s professional basketball league in India, comprising eight teams. The UBA was headquartered in Pune and had a city team, Pune Peshwas. The first UBA match was played on 17 July 2015 at ...
.
Swimming
Swimming is a popular activity in Delhi due to the hot weather. A 2014 news report said that people were willing to queue for seven hours for an opportunity to join a "government-run sports complex, featuring an
Olympic-sized swimming pool
An Olympic-size swimming pool conforms to regulated dimensions that are large enough for international competition. This type of swimming pool is used in the Olympic Games, where the race course is in length, typically referred to as "long cou ...
."
Ground and Stadium
*
Ambedkar Stadium
Dr. Ambedkar Stadium is a football stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named in honour of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, famous social reformer and architect of the Indian Constitution. It was earlier known as
the Corporation Stadium. It also hel ...
*
Bharat Nagar Sports Complex
*
Central Secretariat Ground
*
Chhatrasal Stadium
The Chhatrasal Stadium is a sports stadium in North Delhi. The stadium is famous for its wrestlers, such as Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Kumar Dahiya , Sushil Kumar, Bajrang Punia and Amit Kumar Dahiya who have won medals at Olympics, Commonwealth Games, ...
*
Dayanand Anglo Vedic College Ground
*
Delhi University Stadium
The Delhi University Stadium is a Rugby sevens stadium, situated within the North Delhi, North Campus of Delhi University. Spread over , the stadium has a seating capacity of 2,500 permanent and 7,500 temporary seats. The construction work began ...
*
Dussehra Ground
*
Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range
Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range is a shooting range in New Delhi, India. Spread over 18 acres, it is situated on South Delhi ridges in the backdrop of Adilabad Fort, near the historic Tughlaqabad Fort to its North and Surajkund Lake to its South W ...
*
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricket stadium owned and operated the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) and located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. It was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, and named after the nea ...
*
Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricket stadium owned and operated the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) and located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. It was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, and named after the nea ...
No 2
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Feroz Shah Kotla Ground
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is a cricket stadium owned and operated the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) and located on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi. It was established in 1883 as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, and named after the nea ...
No 3
*
Gargi College
Gargi College is one of the top colleges affiliated to the University of Delhi. It was established in the year 1967 and offers education in Arts and Humanities, Commerce, Science and Education for women.
Gargi College has been honoured with S ...
Ground
*
Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce Ground
*
*
Indira Gandhi Arena
The K. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall, formerly known as the Indraprashtha Stadium and Indira Gandhi Arena (officially Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium), is located at the Indraprastha Estate in the eastern region of New Delhi. It is the largest indoor are ...
*
Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium
The K. D. Jadhav Indoor Hall, formerly known as the Indraprashtha Stadium and Indira Gandhi Arena (officially Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium), is located at the Indraprastha Estate in the eastern region of New Delhi. It is the largest indoor sp ...
*
Jamia Millia Islamia University Ground
*
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a multi-sports stadium located in New Delhi, India. It is named after the first Prime Minister of India. Primarily a venue for football and athletics, it is an all-seated 60,254 capacity stadium, designed and const ...
*
Karnail Singh Stadium
Karnail Singh Stadium is a multipurpose sports venue located in Delhi, India and is owned by the Indian Railways. Located next to the New Delhi Railway Station, the ground is used for athletics, football, hockey, cricket, boxing, and badminton. ...
*
Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium
The Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, commonly known by its former name National Stadium, is a field hockey stadium in New Delhi, India. The stadium is named after former Indian field hockey player, Dhyan Chand. It served as the venue for the ...
*
Najafgarh Stadium, Najafgarh
*
Palam A Stadium
Palam A Stadium, also known as Air Force Station or Model Sports Complex, is a cricket ground in Dwarka Road, Palam, New Delhi. The ground was established in 1958, and since then it has been regular venue for cricket for Services cricket team. Th ...
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Palam B Stadium
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Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Bawana
*
R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex
R. K. Khanna Tennis Complex is a tennis stadium in New Delhi, India. It has a centre court, six match courts and six warm-up courts. It has a capacity of 5,015.XIX Commonwealth GamesRK Khanna Tennis Complex/ref>
About
The stadium was opened ...
*
Roshanara Club Ground
*
Rohini Sports Complex
*
Saket Sports Complex
*
Delhi Skateboarding academy , Neb sarai
*
Siri Fort Sports Complex
The DDA Siri Fort Sport Complex is a sports stadium in New Delhi, India. It was built for the 1982 Asian Games, next to the Asian Games village by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which also runs the facility now. Also close by is the Siri ...
*
SPM Swimming Pool Complex
The Dr. S. P. Mukherjee Swimming Stadium or SPM Swimming Pool Complex is a swimming complex in New Delhi, India, that is hosting the aquatics events for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The stadium is owned by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
...
*
Talkatora Stadium
Talkatora Indoor Stadium () is an indoor stadium located in New Delhi, India. The stadium has a capacity of 3035 people. The stadium is owned and managed by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The stadium complex also includes the Talkatora ...
*
Thyagaraj Sports Complex
The Thyagaraj Sport Complex is a sports stadium in New Delhi, India. It is owned by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi and was built at the cost of . It was designed by leading architects PTM of Australia and Kapoor & Asso ...
*
Yamuna Sports Complex
The Yamuna Sports Complex is a sports complex located in New Delhi, India. Inaugurated in 1999, it has wide spectrum of sporting facilities. It is owned by the Delhi Development Authority. It was one of the multiple venues for the 2010 Commonweal ...
See also
*
Sport in India
Sport is a significant part of life in India. The country has a very long sports history, with sports being a part of tradition, culture, finance and entertainment. People in India closely follow various sports and enthusiastically participate ...
*
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and for the first time in Bangladesh. India won the tournament, defeating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, thus ...
*
Indian Grand Prix
The Indian Grand Prix was a Formula One race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship, which was held at the Buddh International Circuit in Sector 25 along Yamuna Expressway in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh State ...
References
External links
DDCA Official WebsiteDLTA Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sport In Delhi