The Tokyo Olympics was a morale booster for India. India’s most spectacular medal haul so far at the Maha Kumbh has not only delighted Indians but also raised hopes for better performance in the future. For a long time, it had been annoying for a section of Indians to target cricket without any reason.
It was not only unfair but also against the spirit of sport to use India’s most popular sport as an excuse to reduce resources and interest in other sports. Cricket has become synonymous with India’s national spirit. Although it’s not always like this.
Before and long after independence, hockey dominated the hearts and minds of Indian society. In such a situation, it would be interesting to understand how cricket replaced hockey as India’s most popular sport.
Today, cricket fans in India are the largest in the world and the sport influences many aspects, from tourism, the convection industry, and advertising, to betting-themed entertainment. Please note, that some cricket fans now access the Online Cricket ID app regularly.
Live Broadcast Changed Everything
In fact, live broadcasts add to the appeal of any game. Unfortunately, India’s golden era of success in hockey cannot be shown on television. Perhaps one of the things that Indian sports fans regret most is that because of the lack of technology, they can only read and hear about these golden moments, but can never see them.
In this case, cricket was lucky as the Indian cricket team achieved success in the television era, which worked in its favor. The appeal of any sport grows organically over time. However, there are some revolutionary moments in it that change the entire environment.
Indians of a certain age group will definitely remember the memories of 1982 in their minds. The Asian Games were held in the country that year, and at the same time color TV broadcasts also began. They had high hopes of winning a gold medal in hockey.
The final was against arch-rivals Pakistan at the newly built National Stadium in Delhi at that time. Veterans like Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Amitabh Bachchan were among the audience. This was one of the first events when Doordarshan showed a live color telecast of a big match. Unfortunately, the result of the match proved to be a nightmare.
The Indian team lost 7-1. Of course, bad experiences happen in sports, but the instances when these happen are difficult to digest. The ghost of that loss haunted generations of hockey fans, according to sports historians. The story of ‘Chak De India’ is said to be inspired by that match.
In 1983, the Indian cricket team won the World Cup in England. At a time when India was far behind world standards in various parameters, at a time when international acceptance was rare, their achievements in the field of cricket stood out as a living symbol of excellence.
As a Symbol, Cricket Continues to Grow
Short-term cricket continued to progress in the country. Between 1983 and 1985 they won four major tournaments, leaving aside their only gold success at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, during which period they lost much of their aura. Although the miraculous successes of the past could not be shown on TV, such bad performances continued to be broadcast live on TV.
This background may help explain the interesting circumstances in which cricket overtook hockey. There is no benefit to be gained by feeling cricket envy. It should not be forgotten that there is no alternative to success and excellence in any field deserves prestige. From that era until now, cricket seems to be inseparable from Indian identity.
The Dilemma Regarding the Circulation of Money in Cricket Matches
The presence of online sites that place bets on cricket matches has undoubtedly created a huge turnover of money in the world’s number one cricket market. Cricket matches, just like other popular sports matches, always attract people’s desire to bet. Formally any form of gambling in India is illegal except for some types of horse racing betting but Goa and several other states are planning to legalize land-based casinos which will definitely facilitate cricket betting.
However, the Internet is hard to stop and some bettors can gamble without being caught. It is a shame that the potential taxes that could be generated from the growing online gambling industry in India are not available due to clashing with outdated 19th-century regulations.
Conclusion
It cannot be denied that cricket betting in India is massive and almost no tax is generated from them as it clashes with archaic regulations that are ineffective on the field.
There needs to be a change in the way of viewing betting on cricket and other sports as a form of entertainment that is highly taxed because the desire to bet is one of the oldest human desires. Gambling cannot be eradicated but can only be regulated.