SPORTS

I. National Sports:
A national sport or national pastime is a sport or game that is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of a nation. Some sports are de facto national sports, as baseball is in the U.S., while others are de jure as lacrosse and ice hockey are in Canada. 1. De jure national sports Argentina Bahamas Bangladesh ("national game") Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Iran Mexico Philippines Puerto Rico ("autochthonous sport") Sri Lanka Pato Sloop sailing Kabaddi Capoeira Lacrosse (summer), Ice hockey (winter) Chilean rodeo Tejo Varzesh-e Bastani, Wrestling Charrera Arnis Paso Fino Volleyball

2. De facto national sports Country Afghanistan Anguilla Australia Barbados Bermuda Bhutan Cuba Dominican Republic Finland Grenada Guyana India Israel Ireland Jamaica Japan Madagascar New Zealand Norway Papua New Guinea Peru Russia Scotland Slovenia Turkey United States Wales Sport Buzkashi Yacht racing Australian Football Cricket Cricket Archery Baseball Baseball Pespallo Cricket Cricket Field hockey Association Football Gaelic games Cricket Sumo Rugby union Rugby union Cross-country skiing Rugby league Paleta Frontn Bandy Golf Alpine skiing Wrestling & Cirit Baseball Rugby union

II.

Sports Terms:
AtheleticsRelay, Photofinish, Track, Lane, Hurdles, Shotput, Discuss Throw, Hammar Throw, Triple Jump, High Jump, Cross Country, etc. BadmintonShuttle cock, Service court, Fore hand, Back Hand, Smash, Hit, Drop, Net, Love, Double fault, etc. BaseballPinching, Home run, Base runner, Throw, Perfect game, Strike, Put out, etc. BasketballFree throw, Technical foul, Common foul, Under head, Over head, etc. BridgeMaster point, Perfect deals, Gland slam, Dummy, Trump, etc. Billiards & SnookerPull, Cue, Hit, Object ball, Break shot, Scoring, Cushion billiards, etc. BoxingKnock. out, Round, Ring Stoppage, Punch, Upper-cut, Kidney punch, Timing, Foot work, etc. ChessE. L. O. rating, international master, Grand master, Gambit, Kings Indian Defence, etc. CyclingSprint, Time trial, Point race, Trackrace, etc. CricketToss, Run, Wicket, Pitch, Stump, Bails, Crease, Pavalion, Gloves, Wicket Keeper, Over, Maiden over, Followon, Rubber, Ashes, Catch, Bowled, Stump out, Run out, L. B. W; Hit Wicket, Not out, No ball, Wide ball, Dead ball, Over Throw, Bye, Leg by, Cover drive, Late cut, Hook, Glance, Stroke, Spot, Pull, Sixer, Followthrough, Turn, Googley, Spin, Yorker, Bouncer, Hat trick, Round the wicket, Over the wicket, Seamer, Boundry line, Slip,Square leg, Runner. Cover, Gully, Long on, Silly point, Midwicket, Mid on, Forward short leg, Deep/mid-wicket, etc. HorseridingThree day Event, Show jumping, Presses, Faults, etc. FootballGoal, Kick, Head, Penalty kick, Dribble, Off side, Hat trick, Foul, Left out, Right out, Stopper, Defender, Move, Sideback, Pass, Baseline, Rebound, Comer bick, etc. GymnasticsParellel bar, Horizontal bar, Floor exercise, Uneven bar, Push up, Sit up. etc. JudoCocoa, Blue, white, Green belt, etc. HockeyBully Sudden death, Short corner, Hat trick, Goal, Penalty Corner, Penalty stroke, Pushin, Cut, Dribble, Scoop, Centre forward, Half back, Astroturf, Left in, Left out, Off-side, Tie breaker, Carried, Stick, Striking circle, Under cutting, etc. SwimmingFreestyle, Breast stroke, Back stroke, Butterfly, Lane, Pool, Crawl, etc. PoloPolo-Bunker, Chukker, Mallet, etc. TennisService, Grandslam, Advantage, Deuce, Game Point, Breakpoint; Smash, Shot, Grass Court. Break, Drop shot, Netplay, Baseline, etc. ShootingRapidfire Pistol, Standard rifle, Air rifle, Free pistol, Range, Bull's eye, etc. Table TennisVolley, Late service, Half volley, Back hand, Drive spin, Chop, etc. Weight LiftingSnatch, Jerk, etc. VolleyballDeuce, Spikers, Booster, Smash, Sidearm, Panetration, etc. WrestlingFree style, Hal Nelson, Point, Heave, etc.

III.

Standard Measurements In Sports:

Baseball Home plate to pitcher's box Plate to second base Distance from base to base (home plate included) Size of bases Pitcher's plate Batter's box Home plate Home plate to backstop Weight of ball Circumference of ball Bat 60 feet 6 inches. 127 feet 3 3/8 inches. 90 feet. 15 inches by 15 inches. 24 inches by 6 inches. 4 feet by 6 feet. Five-sided, 17 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 8 1/2 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches, cut to a point at rear. Not less than 60 feet (recommended). Not less than 5 ounces nor more than 5 1/4 ounces. Not less than 9 inches nor more than 9 1/4 inches. Must be one piece of solid wood, round, not over 2 3/4 inches in diameter at thickest part, nor more than 42 inches in length.

Basketball (National Collegiate A.A. Men's Rules) Playing court Baskets College: 94 feet long by 50 feet wide (ideal dimensions). High School: 84 feet long by 50 feet wide (ideal dimensions). Rings 18 inches in inside diameter, with white cord 12-mesh nets, 15 to 18 inches in length. Each ring is made of metal, is not more than 5/8 of an inch in diameter, and is bright orange in color. 10 feet (upper edge). Not less than 20 ounces nor more than 22. Not greater than 30 inches and not less than 29 1/2. 15 feet from the face of the backboard, 2 inches wide. 19 feet, 9 inches from the center of the basket. In the National Basketball Association, the distance is 22 feet.

Height of basket Weight of ball Circumference of ball Free-throw line Three-point field goal line Soccer Playing field

Goal area

Goals Weight of ball Circumference of ball Penalty area

Center circle Flagposts Corner arc

Minimum 100 yards long by 50 yards wide; maximum: 130 yards long by 100 yards wide. International matches: Minimum 110 yards long by 70 yards wide; Maximum: 120 yards long by 80 yards wide. Longer boundary lines are called touchlines or sidelines, and shorter boundary lines are called goal lines. Two lines drawn at right angles to a goal line, 6 yards from the inside of each goalpost. Lines extend into playing field for 6 yards, and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. Distance between posts is 8 yards. Distance from crossbar to the ground is 8 feet. Width and depth of bars not to exceed 5 inches. Not more than 16 ounces nor less than 14. Not greater than 28 inches nor less than 27. Two lines drawn at right angles to the goal line, 18 yards from the inside of each goalpost. Lines extend into playing field for 18 yards and are joined by a line drawn parallel with the goal line. Radius of 10 yards. Center at midpoint of halfway line. Not less than 5 feet high, and not less than 1 yard outside the touchline. Quarter circle with a radius of 1 yard from each corner flagpost drawn inside playing field.

Bowling Lane dimensions Overall length 62 feet 10 3/16 inches, measuring from foul line to pit (not including tail plank), with 1/2 inch tolerance permitted. Foul line to center of No. 1 pinspot 60 feet, with 1/2 inches with a tolerance of 1/2 inch permitted. Approach, not less than 15 feet. Gutters, 9 5/16 inches wide with plus 3/16 inch or minus 5/16 inch tolerances permitted. Circumference, not more than 27.002 inches. Weight, 16 pounds maximum.

Ball

Boxing Ring Professional matches take place in an area not less than 18 nor more than 24 feet square including apron. It is enclosed by four covered ropes, each not less than one inch in diameter. The floor has a 2-inch padding of Ensolite (or equivalent) underneath ring cover that extends at least 6 inches beyond the roped area in the case of elevated rings. For USA Boxing or Olympic-style boxing, not less than 16 nor more than 20 feet square within the ropes. The floor must extend beyond the ring ropes not less than 2 feet. The ring posts shall be connected to the four ring ropes with the extension not shorter than 18 inches and must be properly padded. In professional fights, not less than 8-ounce gloves generally are used. USA Boxing, 10 ounces for boxers 106 pounds through 156 pounds; 12-ounce for boxers 165 pounds through 201+ pounds; for international competition, 8 ounces for lighter classes, 10 ounces for heavier divisions. Mandatory in Olympic-style boxing.

Gloves

Headguards

Football Length of field Width of field Height of goal posts Height of crossbar Width of goal posts (above crossbar) Length of ball Circumference of ball 120 yards (including 10 yards of end zone at each end). 53 1/3 yards (160 feet). At least 30 feet. 10 feet. 18 feet 6 inches, inside to inside. 10 7/8 to 11 7/16 inches (long axis). 20 3/4 to 21 1/4 inches (middle); 27 3/4 to 28 1/2 inches (long axis).

Golf Specifications of ball Broadened to require that the ball be designed to perform as if it were spherically symmetrical. The weight of the ball shall not be greater than 1.620 ounces avoirdupois, and the size shall not be less than 1.680 inches in diameter. Not greater than 250 feet per second when tested on USGA apparatus, with 2 percent tolerance. 4 1/4 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep. 14 is the maximum number permitted. A brand of ball shall not exceed a distance of 280 yards plus 6% when tested on USGA apparatus under specified conditions, on an outdoor range at USGA Headquarters.

Velocity of ball Hole Clubs Overall distance standard

Hockey Size of rink Size of goal Puck Length of stick 200 feet long by 85 feet wide surrounded by a wooden wall not less than 40 inches and not more than 48 inches above level of ice. 6 feet wide by 4 feet in height. 1 inch thick and 3 inches in diameter, made of vulcanized rubber; weight 5 1/2 to 6 ounces. Not more than 60 inches from heel to end of shaft nor more than 12 1/2 inches from heel to end of blade. Blade should not be more than 3 inches in width but not less than 2 inchesexcept goal keeper's stick, which shall not exceed 3 1/2 inches in width except at the heel, where it must not exceed 4 1/2 inches, nor shall the goalkeeper's stick exceed 15 1/2 inches from the heel to the end of the blade.

Tennis Size of court Height of net Ball Service line 120 feet long by 60 feet wide, with rectangle marked off at 78 feet long by 27 feet wide (singles) and 78 feet long by 36 feet wide (doubles). 3 feet in center, gradually rising to reach 3-foot 6-inch posts at a point 3 feet outside each side of court. Shall be more than 2 1/2 inches and less than 2 5/8 inches in diameter and weigh more than 2 ounces and less than 2 1/6 ounces. 21 feet from net.

IV.

Cups & Trophies Associated With Sports:

International

National

American Cup : Yacht Racing Ashes : Cricket Benson and Hedges : Cricket Canada Cup : Golf Colombo Cup : Football Corbitton Cup : Table Tennis (Women) Davis Cup : Lawn Tennis Derby : Horse Race Grand National : Horse Streple Chase Race Jules Rimet Trophy : World Soccer Cup King's Cup : Air Races Merdeka Cup : Football Rydet Cup : Golf Swaythling Cup : Table Tennis (Men) Thomas Cup : Badminton U. Thant Cup : Tennis

Uber Cup : Badminton (Women) Walker Cup : Golf Westchester Cup : Polo Wightman Cup : Lawn Tennis World Cup : Cricket World Cup : Hockey Reliance Cup : Cricket Rothman's Trophy : Cricket William's Cup : Basketball European Champions Cup : Football Eisenhower Cup : Golf Essande Champions Cup : Hockey Rene Frank Trophy : Hockey Grand Prix : Table Tennis Edgbaston Cup : Lawn Tennis Grand Prix : Lawn Tennis World Cup : Weight-lifting

Agarwal Cup : Badminton Agha Khan Cup : Hockey All-India Women's Guru Nanak Championship : Hockey Bandodkar Trophy : Football Bangalore Blues Challenge Cup : Basketball Barna-Bellack Cup : Table Tennis Beighton Cup : Hockey Bombay Gold Cup : Hockey Burdwan Trophy : Weight-lifting

Kuppuswamy Naidu Trophy : Hockey Lady Rattan Tata Trophy : Hockey MCC Trophy : Hockey Moinuddaula Gold Cup : Cricket Murugappa Gold Cup : Hockey Modi Gold Cup : Hockey Narang Cup : Badminton Nehru Trophy : Hockey Nixan Gold Cup : Football Obaid Ullah Gold Cup : Hockey

Charminar Trophy : Athletics Chadha Cup : Badminton C. K. Naydu Trophy : Cricket Chakoia Gold Trophy : Football Divan Cup : Badminton Deodhar Trophy : Cricket Duleep Trophy : Cricket D. C. M. Cup : Football Durand Cup : Football Dhyan Chand Trophy : Hockey Dr. B. C. Roy Trophy : Football (Junior) Ezra Cup : Polo F. A. Cup : Football G. D. Birla Trophy : Cricket Ghulam Ahmed Trophy : Cricket Gurmeet Trophy : Hockey Gura Nanak Cup : Hockey Gyanuati Devi Trophy : Hockey Holkar Trophy : Bridge lrani Trophy : Cricket I. F. A. Shield : Football lndira Gold Cup : Hockey Jawaharlal Challenge : Air Racing Jaswant Singh Trophy : Best Services Sportsman

Prithi Singh Cup : Polo Rani Jhansi Trophy : Cricket Ranjit Trophy : Cricket Rangaswami Cup : Hockey Ranjit Singh Gold Cup : Hockey Rajendra Prasad Cup : Tennis Ramanujan Trophy : Table Tennis Rene Frank Trophy : Hockey Radha Mohan Cup : Polo Raghbir Singh Memorial : Football Rohinton Baria Trophy : Cricket Rovers Cup : Football Sanjay Gold Cup : Football Santosh Trophy : Football Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee : Football Subroto Cup : Football Scindia Gold Cup : Hockey Sahni Trophy : Hockey Sheesh Mahal Trophy : Cricket Todd Memorial Trophy : Football Tommy Eman Gold Cup : Hockey Vittal Trophy : Football Vizzy Trophy : Cricket Vijay Merchant Trophy : Cricket Wellington Trophy : Rowing Wills Trophy : Cricket

V.

Famous Stadiums, Venues & Related Sports:

Stadium National Stadium Brabourne Stadium Indraprastha Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Firoz Shah Kotla Ambedkar Stadium National Stadium Talkatora Stadium Eden Garden Ranjit Stadium Green Park Keenan Stadium Chepauk Stadium Epsom Black heath Headingly, Manchester, Lords, Ovel, Leeds Wimbledon Roland Garros Flushing Meadow Brookland Timbukhum Wembley Venue Mumbai Mumbai Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi Kolkata Kolkata Kanpur Jamshedpur Chennai Britain London Britain Britain Britain France U.S Britain Britain Britain Sports Hockey & others Cricket Indoor games Athletics Cricket Football Hockey & others Swimming Cricket Football Cricket Cricket Cricket Derby Rugby Football Cricket Cricket Lawn Tennis Lawn Tennis Lawn Tennis Football Rugby Football

VI.

Places Associated With Sports: Sport

Baseball Boxing 1. 2. Brooklyn (USA) Madison Square Garden (USA) Yankee Stadium, New Delhi

Associated Places

Cricket

Football

Golf Greyhound Race Hockey

1. Aden Park (Aukland) 2. Brabourne Stadium (Mumbai) 3. Chepauk Ground (Chennai) 4. Eden Gardens (Kolkata) 5. Ferozeshah Kotla Ground (Delhi) 6. Green Park (Kanpur) 7. Leeds (London, England) 8. Lord's (London, England) 9. Nehru Stadiums (Chennai and New Delhi) 10. Melbourne (Australia) 11. Old Trafford (Manchester, England) 12. Oval (London, England) 13. Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) 1. Brookland (England) 2. Wembley (London) 3. Blackheath (London) 4. Twickenham (London) 5. Corporation Stadium (Kolkata) 6. Ambedkar Stadium (New Delhi) 7. Nehru Stadium (New Delhi) 8. Yuba Bharati Stadium (Kolkata) Sanday Lodge (Scotland) White City (England) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1. 2. 3. Dhayn Chand Stadium (Lucknow) Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium (Hyderabad) Merdeka Stadium (Kuala Lumpur) National Stadium (Delhi) Nehru Stadium (Delhi) Sawai Man Singh Stadium (Jaipur) Shivaji Stadium (New Delhi) Aintree (England)Grand National Race Doncaster (England)Derby Race Epsom (England)Derby Race Hurlingham (England) Bisley (England) Florence (Chadwick) Blackpool (England) 1. 2. 1. 2. Cape Gris Nez (Cross-channel swimming) Putney-Mort-Lake (England) Wimbledon (England) Forest Hill (US)

Horse Racing

Pole Shooting Sking Snooker Swimming and Rowing Tennis

VII.
1.

Olympic Games:
History: The first historical mention of the ancient Olympic games is dated back to 776 B.C. During the first six Olympic Games, however, the prize had been a portion of meat or `meria' taken from an animal sacrificed to the Gods. The 31st Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 7-23 February 2014. The origin of the ancient Olympic Games is lost the midst of pre-history, but for many centuries they were only a festival of the Greek people. The Games were first held in honour of the Greek God, Zeus in 776 BC in the plain of kingdom of Elis, nestled in lush valley between the Alpheus River and Mount Kronion, 15 km from the Ionian Sea. The Olympiad celebrated that year was considered as the first and was used to date subsequent historic events. But religious ceremonies and games were held in Olympia before that time. The oldest sanctuary of Greece was there, the altar of the Great Mother of Gods, Rhea (Earth). On the day

of the feast, the priest stood in front of the altar, ready to perform a sacrifice. Women were forbidden to be present and the male contestants were naked. Young men waited at a distance on one stadium (about 200 yds). As soon as a signal was given they ran and the first to arrive at the altar received the torch from the priests hand and lit the sacrificial fire. The old Olympiads were held after every four years and the Greeks measured time in terms of Games started on the first new moon after the summer solstice, around mid-July. The ancient Olympic Games lasted for five days and the events took place in a precise order. On the first day, there were sacrifices and opening ceremonies. On the second day there were special competitions for the ephebians. The third day was devoted to events for adult competitors: dromos, diaulos, dolichos, pugilism, wrestling, pancratium. On the fourth day, there were equestrian events, pentathlon, and race with arms. On the fifth and the final day, there were closing ceremonies and proclamation of the heroes. During the first six Olympic games, however, the prize had been a portion of meat or meria taken from an animal sacrificed to the Gods. It was only after VII Games that the olive crown was given to the winners and the moral significance of the prize was considerable. Once the prizes were awarded, a flock of pigeons was releases to carry the names of the champions to all the corners of the Greece. The Games came to a sudden end when the Roman Emperor Theodosius banned the competitions and their attendant sacrificial offerings as pagan manifestations. From 395 AD onwards the fall of Olympia was very rapid. In that year the first damage was caused by the invasion of Alarics barbarians. A year earlier the famous crysele-phantide statute of Zeus had been taken to Constantinople. It was destroyed in 475 AD during the great fire. Following the attacks of the Goths, a fire destroyed the temple of Zeus; earth quakes from 522 to 551 and the most severe of all in 580 brought down whatever had remained standing. Glory had vanished and of the vast riches there were now left but a few ruins and the name of Olympia. Something immortal remained, however, and that was the Olympic spirit. The revival work of the Games was undertaken by Baron Pierre de Coubertin nearly 1,500 years after the last of the ancient Games. He was born into a family of Italian origin which had settled in France. It was on November 25, 1892, during a conference at Sorbonne about the history of physical exercises, that he first pronounced those famous six words in public The Restoration of the Olympic Games. He said that the games would ennoble and strengthen amateur sports, to give them strength and lasting quality for an essential role in the world of modern education. It was at the International Congress for the for the Study of the Propagation of the Principles of Amateurism held in Paris in June 1894 that the delegates led by Baron Pierre de Coubertin and associates unanimously voted to restore the Olympic Games and to create an International Olympic committee to oversee them. De Coubertin had planned to propose Paris for the site of the first modern Olympics in 1900 but the enthusiasm and zeal of the delegates was so great that they insisted the first Games to be held in 1896. Athens was, there fore, the venue for the 1896 Games. Since then these Games are held very four years.The aims of the Olympic Movement are to promote the development of these fine physical and moral qualities which are the basis of amateur sports and to bring together the athletes of the world in a great quadrennial festival of sports. The honour of holding the Olympic Games is entrusted to a city ad not a country or area. The choice of a city for the celebration of an Olympiad is with the International Olympic Committee. OLYMPIC GAMES (1896-2020) : AT A GLANCE
S. No. Year Place and Host Country Countries securing first, second and third positions

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948

Athens, Greece Paris, France St. Louis, U.S.A. London, U.K. Stockholm, Sweden Berlin, Germany Antwerp, Belgium Paris, France Amsterdam, Netherland Los Angles, USA Berlin, Germany Helsinki, Finland London, U.K. London, U.K.

USA, Greece, Germany France, USA, UK USA, Cuba, Germany UK, USA, Sweden USA, Sweden, UK Abandoned due to World War-I USA, Sweden, UK USA, Finland, France USA, Germany, Finland USA, Italy, France Germany, USA, Hungary Abandoned due to World War-II Abandoned due to World War-II USA, Sweden, France

S. No.

Year

Place and Host Country

Countries securing first, second and third positions

15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.

1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020

Helsinki, Finland Melbourne, Australia Rome, Italy Tokyo, Japan Mexico City, Mexico Munich, W. Germany Montreal, Canada Moscow, Russia Los Angles, U.S.A. Seoul, S. Korea Barcelona, Spain Atlanta, U.S.A. Sydney, Australia Athens, Greece Beijing, China London (UK) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

USA, USSR, Hungary USSR, USA, Australia USSR, USA, Italy USA, USSR, Japan USA, USSR, Japan USSR, USA, East Germany USSR, East Germany, USA USSR, East Germany, Bulgaria USA, Rumania, West Germany USSR, East Germany, USA CIS, USA, Germany USA, Russia, Germany USA, Russia, Germany USA, China, Russia USA, China, Russia USA, China, UK Scheduled To be determined

2.

Olympic Symbol/Logo: It comprises of five rings or circles, linked together to represent the sporting friendship of all people. The rings also symbolize the continents Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and America. Each ring is of a different colour, i.e., blue, yellow, black, green and red.

3.

Olympic Flag: The Olympic flag created in 1913 at the suggestion of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, was solemnly inaugurated in Paris in June 1914 but it was raised over an Olympic stadium for the first time at the Antwerp Games (Belgium) in 1920. There is also a second Olympic flag, which is used for the Winter Games. These Flags are made of white silk and contain five intertwined rings. From left to right the rings are blue, yellow, black, green and red. The rings are meant to represent five continents viz., Africa (black), America (red), Asia (yellow), Australia (green) and Europe (blue). At least one of these colours is found on the flag of every country. Olympic Flame: It was at the Amsterdam Games in 1928 that for the first time an Olympic flame was ceremonially lighted and burned in a giant torch at the entrance of the stadium. The modern version of the flame was adopted in 1936 at the Berlin Games. The Olympic flame symbolizes the continuity between the ancient and modern Games. The torch used to kindle the flame, is first lit by the suns rays at Olympia, Greece, and then carried to the site of the Games by relay of runners. Ships and planes are used when necessary. On July 15, 1976, space age technology was used to transport the flame from one continent to another. Olympic Motto: The Olympic motto is Citius-Altius-Fortius (faster, higher, stronger). Rev. Father Didon (1840-1900), headmaster of a school near Paris and a great promoter of sports in the French Catholic colleges near the end of the nineteenth century, first used the motto and had it embroidered on the pennants of his school clubs. This succinct definition of the philosophy of sport appealed to father Didons friend, Baron pierre de Coubertin who was responsible for the revival work of the Olympic Games nearly 1,500 yeas after the last of the ancient games. It was adopted at his suggestion at the International Congress for the Study and Propagation of the Principles of Amateurism on June 23, 1894, the same day on which the restoration of the Olympic Games and the creation of the International Olympic Committee were also decided.

4.

5.

6.

Olympic Prizes, Medals and Certificates: While in ancient times the Olympic heroes received a crown of olive branches for their exploits, modern Olympic champions are rewarded with medals and certificates. The winning athlete now receives a gold medal, the athlete in the second place is awarded a Silver medal and the third placed athlete wins a Bronze medal. In addition, all athletes ranking from first to sixth receive a certificate. Each medal is 60 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick. The first and second place medals are made of 92.5 per cent silver and the medal for the first winner is then plated with 6 gram of fine gold. Thus this medal is not of full gold. The third place medal is of bronze. London 2012 Olympics Medal Tally: Country USA China Great Britain Russia Republic of Korea Germany France Italy Hungary Australia Japan Kazakhstan Netherlands Ukraine Cuba New Zealand Islamic Republic of Iran Jamaica Czech Republic DPR Korea Spain Brazil Belarus South Africa Ethiopia Croatia Romania Kenya Denmark Poland Azerbaijan Turkey Switzerland Lithuania Norway Canada Sweden Colombia Georgia Mexico Ireland Gold 46 38 29 24 13 11 11 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 Silver 29 27 17 25 8 19 11 9 4 16 14 1 6 5 3 3 5 4 3 0 10 5 5 2 1 1 5 4 4 2 2 2 2 1 1 5 4 3 3 3 1 Bronze 29 22 19 33 7 14 12 11 5 12 17 5 8 9 6 5 3 4 3 2 4 9 5 1 3 2 2 5 3 6 6 1 0 2 1 12 3 4 3 3 3 Total 104 87 65 82 28 44 34 28 17 35 38 13 20 20 14 13 12 12 10 6 17 17 13 6 7 6 9 11 9 10 10 5 4 5 4 18 8 8 7 7 5

7.

Country Serbia Argentina Slovenia Tunisia Dominican Republic Trinidad & Tobago Uzbekistan Latvia Algeria Grenada Bahamas Uganda Venezuela India Mongolia Thailand Egypt Slovakia Armenia Belgium Finland Puerto Rico Taipei (Chinese Taipei) Indonesia Estonia Bulgaria Malaysia Gabon Botswana Guatemala Cyprus Portugal Greece Singapore Qatar Republic of Moldova Bahrain Afghanistan Honk Kong, China Tajikistan Saudi Arabia Kuwait Morocco

Gold 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Silver 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Bronze 2 2 2 1 0 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 1 0 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Total 4 4 4 3 2 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 6 5 3 2 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

8.

Indias performance at the London Olympics: India competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. The Indian Olympic Association sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games in Olympic history. A total of 83 athletes, 60 men and 23 women, competed in 13 sports. Men's field hockey was the only team-based sport in which India had its representation in these Olympic games. India also marked its Olympic return in weightlifting, after the International Weightlifting Federation imposed a two-year suspension for the nation's athletes in Beijing because of doping scandal. The Indian team featured several Olympic medalists from Beijing, including rifle shooter and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, who failed to advance into the final rounds of his event in London. Wrestler and Olympic bronze medalist Sushil Kumar managed to claim another medal by winning silver in the men's freestyle wrestling. The Indian Olympic Association also appointed him to be the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. This was India's most successful Olympics based on the medal standings, winning a total of 6 medals (2 silver and 4 bronze), and doubling the nation's overall record in Beijing. Two medals were awarded to the athletes in shooting and wrestling. India also set a historical milestone for the female athletes who won two Olympic medals. Badminton player and world junior champion Saina Nehwal became the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic bronze medal in the women's singles. Boxer Mary Kom, on the other hand, lost to Great Britain's Nicola Adams in the semi-final match, but settled for the bronze in the first ever women's flyweight event.

VIII. Commonwealth Games: Ashley Cooper was the first person to propose the idea of having a PanBritannic sporting contest to foster a spirit of goodwill and understanding within the British Empire. In 1928, a key Canadian athlete, Bobby Robinson, was given the task of organizing the first ever Commonwealth Games. These Games were held in 1930, in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and saw the participation of 400 athletes from eleven countries. Since then, the Commonwealth Games have been held every four years, except for the period during the Second World War. The Games have been known by various names such as the British Empire Games, Friendly Games and British Commonwealth Games. Since 1978, they have been known as the Commonwealth Games. Originally having only single competition sports, the 1998 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur saw a major change when team sports such as cricket, hockey and netball made their first appearance. In 2001, the Games Movement adopted the three values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny as the core values of the Commonwealth Games. These values inspire and connect thousands of people and signify the broad mandate for holding the Games within the Commonwealth. After Olympics, Commonwealth Games is the second largest sports festival in the world. The Games are held once in four years but only in between the Olympic years. The Games were originally known as the British Empire Games. The first Commonwealth Games were held in 1930 at Hamilton, Canada. The 10th Commonwealth Games were held at Christchurch, New Zealand in 1974, the 11th in Edmonton (Canada) in 1978, the 12th in Brisbane (Australia) in 1982, the 13th in Edinburgh (Scotland) in 1986, the 14th in Auckland (New Zealand) in 1990 and the 15th in Victoria (Canada) in 1994, where about 3,350 athletes from a record 64 nations (including South Africa, which joined the family of Commonwealth athletes after 36 years) participated. Namibia also, which gained its independence in 1990, made its debut while Hong Kong made its final appearance in the Games before being ceded to China in 1997.

S. No
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Venue
Hamilton, Canada London, United Kingdom Sydney, Australia Auckland, New Zealand Vancouver, Canada Cardiff, United Kingdom Perth, Australia Jamaica, West Indies Edinburgh, United Kingdom Christchurch, New Zealand Edmonton, Canada Brisbane, Australia

Year
1930 1934 1938 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982

No of Countries
11 16 15 12 24 35 35 34 42 38 48 47

S. No
13 14 15 16 17 18 19

Venue
Edinburgh, United Kingdom Auckland, New Zealand Victoria, Canada Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Manchchester, United Kingdom Melbourne, Australia New Delhi, India

Year
1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

No of Countries
26 55 64 70 72 71 71

IX.

Asian Games: The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a 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 the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organized by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), after the breakup of the Asian Games Federation. The Games are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and are described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games. In its history, nine nations have hosted the Asian Games. 46 nations have participated in the Games, including Israel, which was excluded from the Games after their last participation in 1974.The last Asian Games was held at Guangzhou, People's Republic of China last 12 November 27 November 2010. The next Games will be held at Incheon, South Korea.
1. Official logo of the games

2. List of Asian Games

Year
1951 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002

Games
I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV

Host
New Delhi, India Manila, Philippines Tokyo, Japan Jakarta, Indonesia Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok, Thailand Tehran, Iran Bangkok, Thailand New Delhi, India Seoul, South Korea Beijing, China Hiroshima, Japan Bangkok, Thailand Busan, South Korea Doha, Qatar Guangzhou, China Incheon, South Korea

Dates
March 411 May 19 May 28 June 1 August 24 September 4 December 920 December 920 September 116 December 920 November 19 December 4 September 20 October 5 September 22 October 7 October 216 December 620 September 29 October 14 December 115 November 1227 September 19 October 4

Nations
11 19 16 12 16 16 19 19 23 27 36 42 41 44

Athletes
489 970 1,820 1,460 1,945 2,400 3,010 3,842 3,411 4,839 6,122 6,828 6,554 7,711

Sports
6 8 13 13 14 13 16 19 21 25 29 34 36 38

Event s
57 76 97 88 143 135 202 201 147 270 310 337 376 419

2006 2010 2014

XV XVI XVII

45 45

9,520 9,704

39 42

424 476

Future event

X.

FIFA World Cup

1. History: The first international football match was played in 1872 between Scotland and England. At this stage the sport was rarely played outside Great Britain and Ireland. As football started gaining popularity, it was held as a demonstration sport (with no medals awarded) at the 1900 and 1904 Summer Olympics. It became an official competition at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Planned by the Football

Association, the event was for amateur players only and was regarded suspiciously as a show rather than a competition. The 1932 Summer Olympics, held in Los Angeles, did not plan to include football as part of the schedule due to its low popularity of football in U.S. So football was dropped from the Games. FIFA President Jules Rimet thus planned the inaugural World Cup tournament to be held in Uruguay in 1930. The national associations of selected nations were invited to send a team, but the choice of Uruguay as a venue for the competition meant a long and costly trip across the Atlantic Ocean for European sides. Indeed, no European country pledged to send a team until two months before the start of the competition. Rimet eventually persuaded teams from Belgium, France, Romania and Yugoslavia to make the trip. In total 10 nations took part- four from South Africa, four from Europe and two from North America. The issues facing the early Worid Cup tournaments were the difficulties of intercontinental travel and war. Few South American teams were willing to travel to Europe for the 1934 and 1938 tournaments, with Brazil the only South American earn to compete in both. The 1942 and 1946 competitions were cancelled due to World War II and its aftermath. The 1950 World Cup was the first to include British participants. The tournament also saw the return of Uruguay, who had boycotted the previous two World Cups. In the tournament between 1934 and 1978, 16 teams qualified for each finals tournament. The finals were expanded to 24 teams in 1982, then 32 in 1998. 2. Trophy: From 1930 to 1970, the trophy was awarded known as the 'World Cup' or 'Coupe du Monde', but in 1946 set up the first tournament and thus called the 'Jules Rimet tournament entitled them to keep the trophy permanently. has never been recovered. to the Cup winner. It was originally simply it was renamed after the FIFA president who Trophy'. In 1970, Brazil's third victory in the However the trophy was stolen in 1983 and

After 1970, a new trophy known as the FIFA World Cup Trophy was designed. This is not awarded to the winning nation permanently. It will not be retired until the name plaque has been entirely filled with the names of winning nations in 2038. The new trophy is 36 cm high, made of solid 18-carat gold and weighs 10.97 kilogrammes. The base contains two layers of semi-precious malachite while the bottom side of the Trophy bears the engraved year and name of each FIFA World Cup winner since 1974. World Cup winners retain it until the next tournament and are awarded a gold-plated replica rather than the solid gold original. The Golden Boot award is given to the top scorer of the tournament. Eusebio was the first player to be awarded by the Golden Boot in 1966. The Golden Ball award started in 1982.

3. World Cup Winners

Year
1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

Venue
Uruguay Italy France not held not held Brazil Switzerland Sweden Chile England Mexico Germany Argentina Spain Mexico Italy USA France Korea/Japan Germany South Africa

Final
Uruguay 4 - 2 Argentina Italy 2 - 1 Czechoslovakia Italy 4 - 2 Hungary

Uruguay 2 - 1 Brazil Germany 3 - 2 Hungary Brazil 5 - 2 Sweden Brazil 3 - 1 Czechoslovakia England 4 - 2 Germany Brazil 4 - 1 Italy Germany 2 - 1 Netherlands Argentina 3 - 1 Netherlands Italy 3 - 1 Germany Argentina 3 - 2 Germany Germany 1 - 0 Argentina Brazil 0 - 0 [3:2 penalty shootout] Italy France 3 - 0 Brazil Brazil 2 - 0 Germany Italy 1 - 1 [5:3 penalty shootout] France Spain 1-0 Netherlands

XI.

World Cup Cricket:

1. History: The idea of organising a World Cup of cricket was mooted and agreed to in principle in 1971 when such a proposal was discussed at a meeting of the International Cricket Conference in London. However, due to various commitments the tournaments could not be staged until 1975 when the original plan of a South African team's visit to England fell through following opposition to the country's racial policy. England's Prudential Assurance Company came forward with sponsorship and for three consecutive years 1975, 1979 and 1983the one-day limited overs cricket tournament was held in England. It became famous as the Prudential Cup. In the first two tournaments, apart from the six full members of the International Cricket Conference (England, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, India and Pakistan), Sri Lanka, before being elevated to Test status in 1981, had joined East Africa in 1975 and Canada in 1979 (two top teams among the associate members) to complete the groups in the tournaments proper. The West Indies, under Clive Lloyd, not only won the first two tournaments in 1975 and 1979 but in true Calypso style they produced sparkling cricket and confirmed I heir unassailable supremacy in this game. India broke the West Indian stranglehold in 1983 to open a new chapter in the brief annals of this prestigious tournament. Apiirt from some sparkling individual performances, the competition witnessed thrills and upsets. India with a poor total of 183 bowled themselves back into the game and became memorable winners by 43 runs at the sensational final at Lord's. When India managed a total of 183 in the final with useful contributions from Srikkanth (38), Amarnath (26) and Sandeep Patil (27), it seemed an easy total for the West Indies to overcome, but they surprisingly folded up for 140 runs and India pulled off one of the cricket's greatest upsets. Amarnath's performance earned him the coveted Man of the Match award. World Cup Cricket History

Year
1975 1979 1983 1987 1992 1996 1999 2003 2007 2011

Hosting Country
UK UK UK India & Pakistan Australia India, Pakistan & Sri Lanka UK South Africa, Kenya & Zimbabwe West Indies, Bermuda India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka

Result
West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs West Indies beat England by 92 runs India beat west Indies by 43 runs Australia beat England by 7 runs. Pakistan beat England by 22 runs. Sri Lanka beat Australia by 7 wickets Australia beat Pakistan by 8 wickets. Australia beat India by 125 runs Australia beat Sri Lanka India beat Sri Lanka

2. Highest Individual Scores in ODI (Oneday International Cricket) * (Not out) 219 200 * 194* 194 189* 189 188* 186* 183* 183 181* 181 Virender Sehwag, India vs West Indies, Indore, December 2011. Sachin Tendulkar, India vs South Africa, Gwalior, February 2010. Charles Coventry, Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh, Bulawayo, August 2009 Saheed Anwar, Pakistan vs India, Chennai, May 1997 Viv Richards, West Indies vs England, Manchester, May, 1984 Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka vs India, Sharja, October 2000 Gary Kirsten, South Africa vs UAE, Rawalpindi, February 1996 Sachin Tendulkar, India vs New Zealand, Hydrabad, November 1999 Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India vs Srilanka, Jaipur, October 2005 Sourav Ganguly, India vs Sri Lanka, Tauton, May 1999 Mathew Hayden, Australia vs New Zealand, Hamilton, February 2007 Viv Richards, west Indies vs Sri Lanka, Karachi, October 1987.

XII.

Lawn Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments: The four Grand Slam tournaments are considered to be the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world. They are held annually and include, in chronological order, the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Apart from the Olympic Games, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, and Hopman Cup, they are the only tournaments regulated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).The ITF's national associations, Tennis Australia (Australian Open), the Fdration Franaise de Tennis (French Open), the Lawn Tennis Association (Wimbledon) and the United States Tennis Association (US Open) are delegated the responsibility to organize these events. Aside from the historical significance of these events, they also carry larger prize funds than any other tour event and are worth double the number of ranking points to the champion than in the next echelon of tournaments, the Masters 1000 (men) and Premier events (women). Another distinguishing feature is the number of players in the singles draw. There are 128, more than any other professional tennis tournament. This draw is composed of 32 seeded players, other players ranked in the world's top 100, qualifiers, and players who receive invitations through wild cards. Grand Slam men's tournaments have best-of-five set matches while the women play best-of-three. Grand Slam tournaments are among the small number of events that last two weeks, the others being the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Masters. Currently, the Grand Slam tournaments are the only tour events that have mixed doubles contests. Grand Slam tournaments are held in conjunction with wheelchair tennis tournaments and junior tennis competitions. These tournaments also contain their own idiosyncrasies. For example, players at Wimbledon are required to wear predominantly white. Andre Agassi chose to skip Wimbledon from 1988 through 1990 citing the event's traditionalism, particularly its "predominantly white" dress code. Wimbledon has its own particular methods for disseminating tickets, often leading tennis fans to follow complex procedures to obtain tickets.

Grand Slam Tournaments

Date January MayJune JuneJuly AugustSeptember Tournament Australian Open French Open Wimbledon US Open Location Melbourne Paris London New York City Clay Grass Hard (DecoTurf) Surface Hard (Plexicushion) Prize Money A$26,000,000 18,718,000 14,600,000 US$21,016,000 First Held 1905 1925* 1877 1881