Why is football more important than hockey in India?
Sure, football's a bigger sport globally but we have won 2 consecutive medals in hockey. And yet, no one gives a crap about hockey when the Olympics are not on.
I'm no better.
It is weird to me that Sunil Chhetri is a star without having played at the top level, and hockey player with Olympic medals rarely get any recognition. Nothing against football or Chhetri but this is quite sad.
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Globally not comparable viewership: Hockey globally doesn't have the same viewership as football. You may not know much of football but will know who Messi is (country, WC winning etc), but not even one hockey player from WC or gold champion team. It's visually less engaging/theatrical and harder to market is what I guess.
Lack of even minute playing experience in childhood: football is something you can play as kids with just a football and open field (Hockey needs bats, and playing with a dangerously heavy ball), so number for kids who played hockey in childhood is way way less than football.
Now coming to Chettri - he's a outlier of talent in the Indian team, who deserved to play in elite football leagues in England (but couldn't due to fifa player work permit rules, not favouring inferiorly ranked countries). He and Baichung Bhutia are the outlier famous Indian footballers. Rest others - even me an ardent EPL, UCL following fan can't name 3 Indian team footballers.
Excellent excellent answer. Cheers!
Football? You mean cricket?
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