Sports Cockpit · Every sport · A–Z
Every sport that is really played — and where
Education Margdarshan's full list of sports played at the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games and Khelo India Games, and the 65 sports that count for central government sports-quota jobs. One line on what each sport is, and the big events it is played at.
01 Levels of play
From school ground to the Olympics — the seven steps
Almost every sport climbs the same steps. You start in school or a club and go up one level at a time. A medal at one level is your ticket to the next.
| Level | Main events in India and abroad | Who runs it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. School & club | School games, district championships | School, district sports office, district association |
| 2. State | State championships, state school games | State association of that sport |
| 3. National | Junior and Senior National Championships, National Games, Khelo India Youth, University and Winter Games, all-India inter-university and school nationals | National federation recognised by the Sports Ministry, Indian Olympic Association, SAI |
| 4. Asia | Asian Championships, Asian Games | Asian federation, Olympic Council of Asia |
| 5. Commonwealth | Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth Games Federation |
| 6. World | World Cups, World Championships, World Games (for sports not in the Olympics) | World federation of that sport, IWGA |
| 7. Top | Olympic Games and Paralympic Games | IOC, IPC |
For a government sports-quota job, the order of preference is: played for India first; then a medal (top 3) for your state at Senior or Junior Nationals or the National Games; then a university medal; then a school-games medal. [12][13]
02 The big Games
The events and lists used in the tables below
Each sport row below shows a tag for every event where that sport is played. The last tag, Govt job quota, means the sport counts for central government sports-quota jobs.
| Tag | Event | When | What is in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olympics | Olympic Games — Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) | Starts 14 July 2028; held every 4 years | 36 sports, 351 medal events. Cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse, squash and baseball/softball are added for LA28. [1][3][2] |
| Paralympics | Paralympic Games — LA28 | 15–27 August 2028 | 23 sports for athletes with an impairment, 560 medal events. Para climbing is new. [5][4] |
| Asian Games | Asian Games — Aichi-Nagoya 2026 (Japan) | The 20th Asian Games, 2026 | 41 sports decided by the Olympic Council of Asia, including kabaddi, cricket (T20), sepaktakraw, wushu, kurash and esports. [6][7] |
| Commonwealth Games | Commonwealth Games — Glasgow 2026 | 2026 | Only 10 sports this time, with para events inside six of them. [8] |
| World Games | The World Games — Chengdu 2025 | Next: Karlsruhe 2029 | 34 sports that are mostly not in the Olympics — korfball, tug of war, kickboxing, life saving and more. [9] |
| Khelo India | Khelo India Youth Games 2025 (Bihar) | Yearly national games for under-18s | 27 sports including Indian sports — gatka, kalaripayattu, mallakhamb, thang-ta, yogasana, kho-kho. [10] |
| Khelo India Winter | Khelo India Winter Games 2026 (Leh & Gulmarg) | Leh (ice) from 20 Jan 2026; Gulmarg (snow) after | 6 sports: ice hockey, ice skating, ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, snowboard, Nordic skiing. [11] |
| Govt job quota | Central government sports-quota list (DoPT) | In force | 65 sports whose players can get Group C central government jobs on sports quota. [12] |
03 25 sports
Team ball games
Two teams, one ball. You need a squad, so clubs, schools and state teams are the way in.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| FootballFull guide → | 11 a side; kick the ball into the other goal. Hands only for the goalkeeper. | |
| CricketFull guide → | 11 a side, bat and ball; score runs, take 10 wickets. LA28 and Asian Games play T20. | |
| HockeyFull guide → | 11 a side; hit the ball with a stick into the goal from inside the circle. | |
| KabaddiFull guide → | 7 a side; a raider touches defenders and returns in one breath-length raid; defenders try to hold him. | |
| Basketball & 3x3Full guide → | 5 a side (or 3 a side on a half court); shoot the ball through a ring 3.05 m high. | |
| Volleyball & beach volleyballFull guide → | 6 a side (2 on sand); hit the ball over a high net, at most three touches a side. | |
| HandballFull guide → | 7 a side; pass with the hands and throw into the goal. Beach handball at the World Games. | |
| Rugby sevensFull guide → | 7 a side; run with an oval ball and ground it over the line. No forward passes. | |
| Baseball & softballFull guide → | 9 a side bat-and-ball games; hit, then run round four bases. Softball uses a bigger ball. | |
| Kho-KhoFull guide → | Indian chase game; chasers sit in a line, and one at a time they run and tag the runners. | |
| SepaktakrawFull guide → | Volleyball with the feet, knees and head — 3 a side, rattan or plastic ball. | |
| Netball | 7 a side; pass by hand and shoot into a ring with no backboard. No running with the ball. | |
| Water poloFull guide → | 7 a side in a deep pool; swim and throw the ball into the goal. | |
| Flag footballFull guide → | American football without tackling — pull the flag off the runner's belt. 5 a side. | |
| Lacrosse (sixes)Full guide → | 6 a side; catch and throw a ball with a net on a stick. | |
| Korfball | Mixed team of men and women; shoot a ball into a basket on a tall pole. | |
| Floorball | Indoor hockey with a light plastic stick and a ball with holes. | |
| Fistball | Hit the ball over a low tape with the fist or arm; 5 a side. | |
| Ultimate & disc golf (flying disc) | Throw and catch a flying disc to score (ultimate), or throw it into baskets (disc golf). | |
| Teqball | Football skills on a curved table — hit the ball over the net with any body part except the hands. | |
| Tug of war | Two teams of 8 pull a rope; pull the other team over the line. | |
| Ball badminton | Indian game; 5 a side hit a light wool ball over a net with rackets. | |
| Atya-patya, roll ball, shooting ball & tenni-koit | Smaller Indian team games that are on the central job-quota list. | |
| Tennis-ball cricket | Cricket played with a taped tennis ball — on the job-quota list. | |
| Polo & cycle polo | Hit a ball into the goal with a long mallet while riding a horse (polo) or a bicycle (cycle polo). |
04 7 sports
Racket & table games
One against one, or two against two. Rankings come from tournament points, so you must keep playing events.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| BadmintonFull guide → | Hit a shuttle over a 1.55 m net with a racket; it must not touch the floor on your side. | |
| Table tennisFull guide → | Hit a small 40 mm ball over a net on a table; the ball must bounce once on each side. | |
| TennisFull guide → | Hit a ball over the net with a racket on a big court; one bounce allowed. | |
| SquashFull guide → | Two players in a closed court hit a ball against the front wall in turns. | |
| Soft tennis | Tennis with a soft rubber ball, very popular in East Asia. | |
| Padel | Doubles game in a small walled court; a mix of tennis and squash. | |
| Racquetball | Like squash, but every wall, floor and roof can be used. |
05 19 sports
Combat & strength sports
One against one in a weight class. The scale matters as much as the fight — make weight or you cannot play.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| WrestlingFull guide → | Throw or pin the opponent's back to the mat. Freestyle and Greco-Roman (no holds below the waist). | |
| BoxingFull guide → | Punch with gloves above the belt for three rounds; judges score, or a knockout ends it. | |
| WeightliftingFull guide → | Lift the heaviest bar overhead in two lifts — snatch and clean & jerk. | |
| JudoFull guide → | Japanese sport; throw the opponent flat on the back or hold them down. Uses a jacket (judogi). | |
| TaekwondoFull guide → | Korean kicking sport; points for kicks and punches to the body protector and head. | |
| FencingFull guide → | Sword fight with electric scoring — foil, épée and sabre. | |
| KarateFull guide → | Japanese striking art; kata (set moves, judged) and kumite (point fighting). | |
| WushuFull guide → | Chinese martial art; taolu (set routines, judged) and sanda (kick-boxing style fights). | |
| Ju-jitsu / jiu-jitsuFull guide → | Grappling art; win by holds, joint locks and chokes on the ground. | |
| KurashFull guide → | Central Asian standing wrestling in jackets; throw the opponent on the back. | |
| Mixed martial arts (MMA)Full guide → | Striking plus wrestling and ground holds in one bout. | |
| Kickboxing & Muaythai | Punches and kicks (Muaythai also uses knees and elbows). | |
| Sambo | Russian wrestling and self-defence style with jackets. | |
| PowerliftingFull guide → | Lift the most in three lifts — squat, bench press and deadlift. | |
| GatkaFull guide → | Sikh martial art with wooden sticks and shields. | |
| KalaripayattuFull guide → | Kerala's martial art — strikes, kicks, weapons and flexibility drills. | |
| Thang-TaFull guide → | Manipur's martial art with sword (thang) and spear (ta). | |
| BodybuildingFull guide → | Build muscle size, shape and balance; judges compare physiques in seven set poses on stage. | |
| Pencak silat and kudo | Other fighting sports on the central job-quota list. |
06 13 sports
Athletics, gym & endurance
Run, jump, throw, flip or climb — judged by the clock, the tape or the judges.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| AthleticsFull guide → | Running, jumping and throwing — 100 m to marathon, high and long jump, shot put, discus, javelin, hammer, race walk. | |
| GymnasticsFull guide → | Artistic (vault, bars, beam, floor), rhythmic (with ribbon, ball, hoop) and trampoline routines scored by judges. | |
| CyclingFull guide → | Road races, track races in a velodrome, BMX and mountain bike. | |
| TriathlonFull guide → | Swim, then cycle, then run, without stopping. The World Games hold duathlon (run-cycle-run). | |
| Modern pentathlonFull guide → | One athlete, many sports in a day: fencing, swimming, obstacle course, then a run with laser shooting. | |
| Sport climbingFull guide → | Climb a wall fast (speed), solve short walls (boulder) or climb as high as you can (lead). | |
| SkateboardingFull guide → | Tricks on a skateboard in a street course or a bowl park, scored by judges. | |
| BreakingFull guide → | Competitive break-dancing battles judged on skill and style. | |
| MallakhambFull guide → | Indian sport; yoga and gym moves on a wooden pole or a hanging rope. | |
| YogasanaFull guide → | Yoga poses done as a sport and scored by judges. | |
| Roller sports | Speed skating, inline freestyle and inline hockey on wheels. | |
| Cheerleading & DanceSport | Team cheer routines and ballroom and Latin dance, scored by judges. | |
| Orienteering | Run through a forest with a map and compass to find checkpoints fastest. |
07 7 sports
Target & precision
Steady hands and a calm mind. Scores, not strength, decide the winner.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| ShootingFull guide → | Rifle, pistol and shotgun events at paper or electronic targets and flying clay targets. | |
| ArcheryFull guide → | Shoot arrows at a target 70 m away (recurve) or 50 m (compound). | |
| GolfFull guide → | Hit a ball into 18 holes in the fewest strokes. | |
| Billiards & snooker | Cue sports on a cloth table — pot the balls in the right order. | |
| Bowls | Roll a heavy ball (bowl) on grass as close as you can to a small white ball (jack). | |
| Tenpin bowling | Roll a ball down a lane to knock over 10 pins. | |
| Boules (pétanque) | Throw metal balls as close as possible to a small target ball. |
08 9 sports
Water sports
Pool, river, lake or sea. Learn to swim well first — it is the gate to every water sport.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| SwimmingFull guide → | Race in a pool in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly or medley. | |
| DivingFull guide → | Jump from a 3 m springboard or 10 m platform with twists and somersaults; judges score. | |
| Artistic swimmingFull guide → | Dance-like routines to music in water, scored by judges. | |
| Open-water swimming | Long swim races (10 km) in lakes, rivers or the sea. | |
| RowingFull guide → | Row a boat backwards with oars; races over 2,000 m. Coastal beach sprints are new at LA28. | |
| Canoe & kayakFull guide → | Paddle forwards in a canoe or kayak — sprint on flat water or slalom through gates on a fast river. | |
| SailingFull guide → | Race boats and windsurf boards using the wind. | |
| SurfingFull guide → | Ride sea waves on a board; judges score each wave. | |
| Life saving, underwater sports, waterski & powerboating | Rescue races, finswimming and freediving, waterski and wakeboard, motor-surf — World Games sports. |
09 3 sports
Horse, motor & air
You ride or drive a horse, car or drone. Costly to start — clubs, the Army and federations run most training.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| EquestrianFull guide → | Horse riding events — dressage, jumping and eventing. | |
| Motor sports | Car and bike racing — on the central job-quota list. | |
| Air sports (drone racing) | Fly a drone through a race course. |
10 4 sports
Mind & screen games
No weight or height rule — ratings, rankings and titles show your level.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| ChessFull guide → | Board game of strategy; win by checkmating the king. | |
| Bridge | Card game for two pairs; bid and win tricks. | |
| Carrom | Flick a striker to pocket wooden pieces on a square board. | |
| Esports | Video games played as a competition. |
11 3 sports
Winter sports (ice & snow)
Played in India mainly in Ladakh, Kashmir and Himachal. Khelo India Winter Games are the national stage.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | Hockey on ice with skates, sticks and a rubber puck; 6 a side. | |
| Ice skating | Speed skating (races) and figure skating (jumps and spins scored by judges). | |
| Skiing & snowboarding | Alpine skiing (downhill through gates), Nordic (cross-country), ski mountaineering, and snowboard. |
12 16 sports
Para sports (athletes with an impairment)
Athletes are put in classes by their impairment, so they compete fairly. All Paralympic and Para Asian Games sports count for the job quota.
| Sport | In simple words | Played at |
|---|---|---|
| Para athletics | Running, jumping and throwing in classes for vision, limb, intellectual and other impairments; wheelchair racing. | |
| Para swimming | Swimming races in impairment classes. | |
| Para badminton & para table tennis | Standing and wheelchair classes. | |
| Para archery & shooting para sport | Archery and rifle/pistol shooting, standing or seated. | |
| Para powerlifting | Bench press only, lying on a bench. | |
| Para cycling | Road and track, on bicycles, tandems (with a sighted pilot), tricycles and handbikes. | |
| Para judo & para taekwondo | Judo for vision-impaired athletes; taekwondo for limb impairments. | |
| Para canoe, para rowing & para triathlon | Paddling, rowing and triathlon with adapted equipment. | |
| Para equestrian & para climbing | Dressage on horseback; climbing (new at LA28). | |
| Wheelchair basketball, rugby, tennis & fencing | Team and racket sports played from a sports wheelchair. 3x3 wheelchair basketball is in the Commonwealth Games. | |
| Boccia | Throw or roll balls close to a white jack — for athletes with severe impairments. | |
| Goalball | 3 a side for blind and vision-impaired players; roll a ball with bells into the goal. | |
| Blind football | 5 a side football with a ball that makes sound; sighted goalkeeper. | |
| Sitting volleyball | Volleyball played sitting on the floor with a low net. | |
| Para bowls | Lawn bowls for athletes with an impairment. | |
| Deaf sports | Sports for deaf athletes (the Deaflympics) — on the central job-quota list. |
13 Official sources & verification
Where these lists come from
Education Margdarshan built this list only from the organisers' own programme pages and Government of India files below, read on 17 October 2026. Programmes change for every edition — open the current page before you plan around one event.
- LA28 — 2028 Olympic Games Plan (sports list) (opens in a new tab) Every Olympic sport and discipline at LA28; Games start 14 July 2028; held every four years · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- IOC — LA28 event programme marks strong commitment towards innovation and gender equality (3 June 2025, IOC release as published by 3BL Media) (opens in a new tab) 31 sports + 5 added by LA28, 351 medal events (Paris 2024: 329), 10,500 + 698 athlete places · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- LA28 — Five new sports confirmed for the LA28 Olympic programme (16 Oct 2023) (opens in a new tab) Baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes), squash added at the 141st IOC Session · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- LA28 — 2028 Paralympic Games Plan (sports list) (opens in a new tab) Every Paralympic sport at LA28 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- International Paralympic Committee — LA28 Paralympic medal event programme and athlete quotas (3 June 2025) (opens in a new tab) 23 sports, 560 medal events (with para climbing), 15–27 August 2028 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- Olympic Council of Asia — Executive Board approves sports programme for 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya (15 July 2025) (opens in a new tab) The 41 sports of the 2026 Asian Games · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games — Sports (opens in a new tab) Every sport and discipline page of the 2026 Asian Games (incl. padel, soft tennis, teqball, water polo, diving) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games — Sports (opens in a new tab) The 10 sports and their para events · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- International World Games Association — The World Games 2025, Chengdu (opens in a new tab) 34 sports, 60 disciplines, 256 medal events; next edition Karlsruhe 2029 · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- Khelo India Youth Games 2025 (Bihar) — official site (opens in a new tab) The 27 sports of KIYG 2025 and their venues · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- Khelo India Winter Games 2026 — About (opens in a new tab) Ice sports at Leh (from 20 Jan 2026) and snow sports at Gulmarg; 136 medals · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (consolidated, 18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) List of 65 sports for sports-quota jobs (incl. para sports and deaf sports), order of preference · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- DoPT Office Memorandum 14034/1/2020-Pers. Policy (D), 4 March 2024 — Incentive for Sportspersons (opens in a new tab) Khelo India Games, Junior Nationals and school-games medallists added; order of preference · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
Spotted a missing sport or an old list? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and Education Margdarshan will update it.
Full Margdarshan guides so far
- Wrestling Combat & Mat Sports
- Football Ball & Team Games
- Chess Mind & Strategy
- Cricket Ball & Team Games
- Hockey Ball & Team Games
- Kabaddi Ball & Team Games
- Athletics Solo, Track & Pool
- Boxing Combat & Mat Sports
- Badminton Solo, Track & Pool
- Shooting Solo, Track & Pool
- Swimming Solo, Track & Pool
- Archery Solo, Track & Pool
- Weightlifting Combat & Mat Sports
- Table Tennis Solo, Track & Pool
- Basketball Ball & Team Games
- Volleyball Ball & Team Games
- Judo Combat & Mat Sports
- Taekwondo Combat & Mat Sports
- Wushu Combat & Mat Sports
- Fencing Combat & Mat Sports
- Gymnastics Solo, Track & Pool
- Cycling Solo, Track & Pool
- Kho-Kho Ball & Team Games
- Tennis Solo, Track & Pool
- Squash Solo, Track & Pool
- Rowing Solo, Track & Pool
- Canoe & Kayak Solo, Track & Pool
- Handball Ball & Team Games
- Karate Combat & Mat Sports
- Sepaktakraw Ball & Team Games
- Mallakhamb, Yogasana & Indian martial arts Solo, Track & Pool
- Golf Solo, Track & Pool
- Equestrian Solo, Track & Pool
- Sailing Solo, Track & Pool
- Triathlon Solo, Track & Pool
- Rugby Sevens Ball & Team Games
- Sport Climbing Solo, Track & Pool
- Surfing Solo, Track & Pool
- Skateboarding Solo, Track & Pool
- Modern Pentathlon Solo, Track & Pool
- Diving Solo, Track & Pool
- Water Polo Ball & Team Games
- Artistic Swimming Solo, Track & Pool
- Baseball & Softball Ball & Team Games
- Flag Football Ball & Team Games
- Lacrosse Ball & Team Games
- Breaking Solo, Track & Pool
- Kurash Combat & Mat Sports
- Ju-Jitsu Combat & Mat Sports
- MMA Combat & Mat Sports
- Powerlifting Combat & Mat Sports
- Bodybuilding Combat & Mat Sports
- Kathak Classical Performing Arts
- Bharatanatyam Classical Performing Arts
- Hindustani Music Classical Performing Arts
- Carnatic Music Classical Performing Arts
- Sports & performing arts cockpit Hub