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, Indian Premier League and Indian Super League.
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 has hosted many international sports championships and multi-sports events:
The Delhi Half Marathon is an annual half marathon 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.[1][2] The 2009 event attracted around 29,000 runners who competed in one of the four races:[3] the half marathon, the 7 km Great Delhi Run, a 4.3 km run for senior citizens, and a 3.5 km wheelchair race.[4]
The 2010 Hockey World Cup was the twelfth installment of the Men's Hockey World Cup. 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.[5]
The Nehru Cup (more formally known as the ONGC Nehru Cup) due to the competition's sponsorship by ONGC is an international association football tournament organised by the (AIFF). It was launched in 1982, but was not held from 1998 to 2006. After the trophy was won by Iraq in 1997, it was reinstated only in 2007.
Delhi had been one of the host cities of Cricket world cup's three terms held in Indian sub-continent.
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 is the first-class cricket team of Delhi, that plays in India's domestic competition, the Ranji Trophy. They have won the tournament seven times and have been runners-up seven. In the Duleep and Deodhar Trophy, Delhi comes under the North Zone team.[6]
Delhi is the home of Indian Premier League franchise Delhi Capitals, owned by the GMR Group and JSW Group.
Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) is the governing body of cricket in Delhi region. It manages the Feroz Shah Kotla Ground and Rajat Sharma is the current president of DDCA Executive Committee.[7] DDCA affiliates many cricket clubs in Delhi.[8]
Football is a popular sport in Delhi, perhaps second to cricket. The only football stadium in Delhi is the Ambedkar Stadium 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, which is used dually for football and athletics both. Delhi hosts the Nehru Cup, international football tournament organised by the All India Football Federation.
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 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:
Tennis in Delhi has been played since British Raj. Delhi Lawn Tennis Association is the governing body of tennis in Delhi, its headquarters are located at African Avenue.[12] R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex is the main tennis stadium in Delhi-NCR for the international tournaments. It also hosts the headquarters of the All India Tennis Association, the national governing body of tennis in India.
Delhi is home to the Delhi Capitals, 2016 Champion of India's top professional basketball division, the UBA Pro Basketball League.
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."[13]
