Alongside history, culture and arts India has thrived in the fields of different sports. Cricket, hockey, tennis, shooting, Badminton, footboll, archery and a host of other contemporary sports are played in the country. Besides the contemporary ones the traditional sports are also given due heed. Interestingly sports also form an integral part of entertainment and even religion, for instance, boat racing, jallikattu, kushti and others.The history of sports in India dates back to the Vedic era. Physical culture in ancient India was fed by a powerful fuel--religious rites.There were some well-defined values like the mantra in the Atharva-Veda, saying. In terms of an ideal, these words hold the same sentiments as the traditional Olympic oath.Hockey, in which India has an impressive record with eight Olympic gold medals, is officially the national sport. Other popular games are football, cricket, basketball, volleyball and badminton. Cricket has become a very popular game in India. After the IX Asian Games in New Delhi in 1982, the capital city now has modern sports facilities. Such facilities are also being developed in other parts of the country. Besides sports and games included in the international sporting agenda, there are many which have developed indigenously. Among these are wrestling and several traditional systems of martial arts.