The most popular sports played in Hyderabad are cricket and association football. At the professional level, the city has hosted national and international sporting events.
The city had produced highest number of Olympian footballers in India. Field hockey and cricket are popular among the current generation and apart from modern sports the Indian traditional wrestling (known as Kushti or Pehlwani) is popular among all group of people in Hyderabad.
History
During the rule of the Nizams of Hyderabad, the Nizams as well as the nobility patronized the games. The sixth Nizam, or Asaf Jah VI was fond of horse racing and established the Hyderabad Race Club in 1868.
A Paigah nobleman, Moin ud-Dowlah established the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament in 1930.
Football became the most popular sport in Hyderabad during the "Golden Period" from the 1950s to the 1970s. During this period, Hyderabad-based players formed the nucleus of the Indian Football Team. The prominent players of this time include Syed Abdul Rahim, Peter Thangaraj and Shabbir Ali.
Events
At the professional level, the city has hosted national and international sports events such as the 2002 National Games of India, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the 2004 AP Tourism Hyderabad Open women's tennis tournament, the 2007 Military World Games, the 2009 World Badminton Championships and the 2009 IBSF World Snooker Championship.
Regular events held in Hyderabad are; Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament and Deccan Derby.
The city is set to host the Hyderabad ePrix from 2022 onwards, as a part of the Formula E calendar
Sports persons International-level sportspeople from Hyderabad include: cricketers Ghulam Ahmed, M. L. Jaisimha, mahesh devnani, Mohammed Azharuddin, V. V. S. Laxman, Venkatapathy Raju, Shivlal Yadav, Arshad Ayub, Syed Abid Ali, Mithali Raj and Noel David; football players Syed Abdul Rahim, Syed Khaja Moinuddin, Syed Nayeemuddin and Shabbir Ali; tennis player Sania Mirza; badminton players S. M. Arif, Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, P. V. Sindhu, Jwala Gutta and Chetan Anand; hockey players Syed Mohammad Hadi and Mukesh Kumar; rifle shooters Gagan Narang and Asher Noria and bodybuilder Mir Mohtesham Ali Khan. Abbas Ali Baig. He played ten test matches in a career spanning 21 years, he scored 12,367 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 34.16.
Sports and Stadiums
The Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. The new Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium has a capacity of 55,000 spectators, including an ultra-modern Gymnasium along with a swimming pool. It has been recently accorded Test match status by the International Cricket Council. and serves as a home ground of Hyderabad Cricket Association.
The Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex and the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium at Gachibowli are associated specially for Field hockey and football. SAAP Tennis Complex has a central court that holds 4000 spectators and has seven courts with synthetic surface, a sophisticated Velodrome for cycling at Osmania University. The Saroornagar Indoor Arena and The Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium are multi-purpose indoor sports facilities for, Table tennis, Basketball, Equestrianism, Boxing, Powerlifting, Gymnastics, Archery, Sepak takraw and Shooting. The Aquatics Complex Stadium at Gachibowli, can host all water sports and synchronized events, with a capacity of 3000 spectators. Water games like rowing, yachting, kayaking, and canoeing are conducted at Hussain Sagar lake. The city also has five Kart racing tracks and a Paintball Field.
G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium This stadium has a capacity of 30,000 spectators. It is an ultra modern stadium with 8 line competition synthetic athletic track and 4-lane synthetic practice track. It uses the latest high-mast lighting for day-night events and provides obstruction-free viewing for all spectators and is a very picturesque stadium amidst breath-taking landscape.
G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium This stadium has a capacity of around 5,000 spectators, fully air-conditioned, and a multi-purpose stadium. It has wooden flooring which is approved by International Federation and is up to DIN standards.
Aquatics Complex This stadium has a capacity of 2000 spectators, is an aquatic complex for swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized events. It is a temperature controlled pool through modern heating systems and fibre-reinforced polymer filters.
Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex Located in Gachibowli, this sports complex uses a synthetic turf with sophisticated sprinkler system for watering and drainage and has galleries with RC flat slabs and unique suspended steel roof structure. Pavilion housing the Federation Office and amenities including lounges for players, guests and media.
Fateh Maidan Sports Complex One of the oldest sports establishments of the city, it is located at Basheerbagh in central Hyderabad. Literally translated, the name 'Fateh Maidan' means 'victory ground'. It consists of the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, the newly constructed ultra-modern SAAP Tennis Complex & a multi-purpose Indoor Stadium among other establishments.
The Lal Bahadur Stadium This stadium has a capacity of 25,000 spectators and is equipped with floodlights around the field and provision of internal lights for the spectators. With dimensions 105 m x 70 m field and a grass turf. The Stadium is run by the Sports Authority of Telangana, SAAP, was till recently the main cricket stadium for holding International cricket matches in the city.
SAAP Tennis Complex, Fateh Maidan This central court has a capacity of 4000 spectators and has a 7 top class synthetic surfaces.
G. Bhaskar Rao Indoor Stadium This multi-purpose stadium has a capacity of 2000 spectators and adopts a world class wooden flooring with temperature control.
Shooting Range, Hyderabad Central University This is an outdoor shooting range with a capacity of 600 spectators and facilities for 120 competitors at a time, with facilities for 15 different games at a time using latest electronic target equipment.
Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium This is an exclusive cricket stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad. It has a capacity of 55,000 spectators and is built over space. It provides one of the best facilities for the cricketers and best rest rooms in the world. The first match held in this stadium was between South Africa and India
City based clubs Club Sport League Stadium Span Hyderabad cricket team Cricket Ranji Trophy/Vijay Hazare Trophy/Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium 1934– Hyderabad women's cricket team Senior Women's One-Day Trophy/Senior Women's T20 Trophy 2006-07 - Hyderabad Heroes ICL Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium 2007–2009 Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) IPL Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium 2008–2012 Sunrisers Hyderabad 2013– Hyderabad Sultans Field hockey PHL G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium 2005–2008 Hyderabad Chargers Volleyball IVL Kotla Vijay Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium 2011 Hyderabad HotShots Badminton PBL G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium 2013–2015 Hyderabad Aces Tennis CTL Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad 2014–2015 Hyderabad FC Football Indian Super League G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium 2019–2025 Fateh Hyderabad A.F.C I-League 2 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium 2015– Hyderabad Sky Basketball UBA Pro Basketball League G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium 2015–2017 Hyderabad Hunters Badminton PBL 2016– Telugu Titans Kabaddi PKL 2015– Telugu Warriors Cricket CCL Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium 2011– Hyderabad Kings Telangana Premier League Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium 2016 Hyderabad Bulls Kabaddi Telangana Premier Kabaddi G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium 2017– Kings Hyderabad Poker Poker Sports League 2017– Hyderabad Hustlers Cue Sports Indian Cue Masters League 2017–
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References