The most popular sports played in

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

are

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

and

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

. 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 Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...

and cricket are popular among the current generation and apart from modern sports the Indian traditional wrestling (known as ''Kushti'' or ''

Pehlwani Pehlwani, also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in the Indian subcontinent. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Pahlevani and zoorkhaneh rituals, Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla- ...

'') is popular among all group of people in Hyderabad.

History

During the rule of the

Nizams of Hyderabad Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...

, the Nizams as well as the nobility patronized the games. The sixth

Nizam Nizam of Hyderabad was the title of the ruler of Hyderabad State ( part of the Indian state of Telangana, and the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka). ''Nizam'' is a shortened form of (; ), and was the title bestowed upon Asaf Jah I ...

, 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 The Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Tournament is an Indian cricket competition that has been held in Hyderabad (and sometimes nearby Secunderabad) since the 1930–31 season. From 1930–31 to 1937–38, and from 1962–63 to 1973–74, it had first-cla ...

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 India national football team represents India in men's international Association football, football and is governed by the All India Football Federation, the governing body for Football in India, football in India. It is a member of FIFA, ...

. The prominent players of this time include

Syed Abdul Rahim Syed Abdul Rahim (17 August 1909 – 11 June 1963), popularly known as Rahim Saab, was an Indian football coach and manager of the India national team from 1950 until his death in 1963, and a former player. He is regarded as the architect of m ...

Peter Thangaraj Havildar Peter Thangaraj (24 December 1935 – 24 November 2008) was an Indian football player and a non-commissioned officer in the Indian Army. Thangaraj played for the Indian national side at the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics. ...

and

Shabbir Ali Shabbir Ali (born 26 January 1956) is an Indian football manager and former player. He was awarded the Dhyan Chand Award, the highest award in Indian sports for lifetime achievement, given by Government of India in 2011. He is the first footba ...

Events

At the professional level, the city has hosted national and international sports events such as the 2002

National Games of India The National Games of India (ISO: ) consist of various disciplines in which athletes from the different states of India participate against each other. The country's first few Olympic Games, now renamed as National Games, were held in Lahore ( ...

, the

2003 Afro-Asian Games The 2003 Afro-Asian Games, officially known as the First Afro-Asian Games or I Afro-Asian Games and unofficially known as the Inaugural Afro-Asian Games, was a major international multi-sport event held in Hyderabad, India, from 24 October (ex ...

, the 2004 AP Tourism Hyderabad Open women's tennis tournament, the

2007 Military World Games The 2007 Military World Games, officially the 4th CISM Military World Games were held at the twin-cities Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad - Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India from 14–21 October 2007. Some parts of the games were also hel ...

, the

2009 World Badminton Championships The 2009 BWF World Championships was the 17th tournament of the World Badminton Championships, a global tournament in the sport of badminton. It was held at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, from 10–16 Augus ...

and the 2009

IBSF World Snooker Championship The IBSF World Snooker Championship (also known as the World Amateur Snooker Championship) is the premier non-professional snooker tournament in the world. The event series is sanctioned by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation. ...

. Regular events held in Hyderabad are;

and Deccan Derby. The city is set to host the

Hyderabad ePrix The 2023 Hyderabad ePrix, known for sponsorships reasons as the 2023 Greenko Hyderabad ePrix, was a Formula E event held at the Hyderabad Street Circuit in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India on 11 February 2023 as the fourth round of the 20 ...

from 2022 onwards, as a part of the

Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars ...

calendar

Sports persons

International-level sportspeople from Hyderabad include: cricketers Ghulam Ahmed,

M. L. Jaisimha Motganhalli Laxminarsu Jaisimha (3 March 1939 – 6 July 1999) was an Indian Test cricketer. Playing career Jaisimha was a right-handed batsman who was noted for his style on and off the field. He bowled medium pace, often opening the bowlin ...

, mahesh devnani,

Mohammed Azharuddin Mohammad Azharuddin (born 8 February 1963) is an Indian politician and a former cricketer who also served as the Indian national cricket team's captain. He was a right-handed middle order batter and an occasional medium fast bowler. He play ...

V. V. S. Laxman Vangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman (; born 1 November 1974) is an Indian former international cricketer and a former cricket commentator and pundit. A right-handed batsman known for his elegant stroke play, Laxman played as a middle-order batsman in ...

Venkatapathy Raju Sagi Lakshmi Venkatapathy Raju, better known as Venkatapathy Raju (born 9 July 1969), is a former Indian cricketer, cricket administrators and cricket coach. He came into the Indian side in 1989–90 after capturing 32 wickets in the domestic s ...

Shivlal Yadav Shivlal Yadav (born 26 January 1957) is a former Indian cricketer who played in 35 Test matches and seven One Day Internationals from 1979 to 1987. A right arm offbreak bowler, he made his Test debut in 1979 during a rebuilding stage in Indi ...

Arshad Ayub Arshad Ayub (born 2 August 1958) is a former Indian cricketer who played in 13 Test matches and 32 One Day Internationals from 1987 to 1997. In January 2010, he became the manager for the Indian Cricket team for the series held in Banglades ...

Syed Abid Ali Syed Abid Ali (9 September 1941 – 12 March 2025) was an all-rounder Indian cricketer who was a lower-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler. He also played an important role in Indian cricket in the 1960s and '70s. Early life Abid Ali att ...

Mithali Raj Mithali Raj (born 3 December 1982) is an Indian former cricketer who captained the national team from 2004 to 2022. She is the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket, and ESPN ranked her as one of the greatest female cricketers of ...

and

Noel David Noel Arthur David (born 26 February 1971) is a former Indian cricketer. He played domestic cricket for Hyderabad and played four One Day Internationals for India in 1997. Early life When he was five years old, his family moved to Hyderabad ...

; football players

, Syed Khaja Moinuddin,

Syed Nayeemuddin Syed Nayeemuddin (born 1944), known as Nayeem, is an Indian football coach and former player. He played for and captained the India national team.

and

; tennis player

Sania Mirza Sania Mirza (; born 15 November 1986) is an Indian former professional tennis player. A former doubles world No. 1, she won six major titles – three in women's doubles and three in mixed doubles. From 2003 until her retirement from singles ...

; badminton players S. M. Arif,

Pullela Gopichand Pullela Gopichand (born 16 November 1973) is an Indian former badminton player. Currently, he is the Chief National Coach for the India national badminton team. He won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001, becoming the second ...

Saina Nehwal Saina Nehwal (; born 17 March 1990) is an Indian badminton player. A former world no. 1, she has won 24 international titles, which includes ten Superseries titles. Although she reached the world's 2nd in 2009, it was only in 2015 that she was ...

P. V. Sindhu Pusarla Venkata Sindhu (born 5 July 1995), popularly known as P. V. Sindhu, is an Indian badminton player. Considered as one of India's most successful athletes, Sindhu has won medals at tournaments such as the Olympic Games, the World Champi ...

Jwala Gutta Jwala Gutta (born 7 September 1983) is an Indian badminton player. Beginning in the late 1990s, she represented India at international events in both mixed and women's doubles. She has a total of 316 match wins in both the disciplinesthe most ...

and Chetan Anand; hockey players

Syed Mohammad Hadi Syed Mohammad Hadi (12 August 1899 – 14 July 1971) was one of the most gifted pioneering athletes of India. He not only represented India in cricket and tennis, but was also proficient in field hockey, football, table tennis, chess, and polo. ...

and Mukesh Kumar; rifle shooters

Gagan Narang Gagan Narang (born 6 May 1983) is an Indian sport shooter, supported by the Olympic Gold Quest. He won the bronze medal in the Men's 10 m Air Rifle Event at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with a final score of 701.1 on 30 July 2012. He was ...

and

Asher Noria Asher Noria (born 20 November 1992) is an Indian shooter. He has won several national and international medals for India. He is the only shooter in the world who has won the double trap event of the International Shooting Junior World Cup for ...

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 Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium may refer to: * Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad, a multi-purpose stadium in Hyderabad, India * Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam, a multi-purpose stadium in Kollam, India {{disambiguation ...

. The new

Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, commonly known as Uppal Stadium, is an international cricket stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is owned and operated by Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It is the home ground of ...

has a capacity of 55,000 spectators, including an ultra-modern

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

nasium along with a

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

. It has been recently accorded Test match status by the

International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global Sports governing body, governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. In 1965, the body wa ...

. and serves as a home ground of

Hyderabad Cricket Association Hyderabad Cricket Association is the governing body of cricket activities in Hyderabad and other districts in the state of Telangana in India and the Hyderabad cricket team. It is an affiliated member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India ...

. The

Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex is a sports complex in Gachibowli, Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), M ...

and the G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium at

Gachibowli Gachibowli is a neighbourhood in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, located in the Serilingampally mandal of the Ranga Reddy district. It is situated about 5 km away from HITEC City, another IT hub. Gachibowli is home to numerous tech companies ...

are associated specially for

hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...

and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. SAAP Tennis Complex has a central court that holds 4000 spectators and has seven courts with synthetic surface, a sophisticated

Velodrome A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement ...

for cycling at

Osmania University Osmania University is a collegiate university, collegiate Public university, public State university (India), state university located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Mir Osman Ali Khan, the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad, issued a ''firman'' calling f ...

. The Saroornagar Indoor Arena and The KBR Stadium are multi-purpose indoor sports facilities for,

ping-pong Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

weightlifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...

, sepak takraw and

shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missile ...

. The Aquatics Complex Stadium at Gachibowli, can host all water sports and synchronized events, with a capacity of 3000 spectators. Water games like

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

yachting Yachting is recreational boating activities using medium/large-sized boats or small ships collectively called yachts. Yachting is distinguished from other forms of boating mainly by the priority focus on comfort and luxury, the dependence on ma ...

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

, and

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

are conducted at

Hussain Sagar Hussain Sagar (alternatively referred to as Tank Bund; ) is a heart-shaped lake in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, built by Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah in 1562. It is spread across an area of and is fed by the Musi River (India), River Musi. A large mo ...

lake. The city also has five

Go-Karting Kart racing or karting is a motorsport discipline using open-wheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motor ...

tracks and a

Paint Ball Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy ...

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 SATS Indoor Stadium : This stadium has a capacity of around 5,000 spectators, fully air-conditioned, and a

multi-purpose stadium A multi-purpose stadium is a type of stadium designed to be easily used for multiple types of events. While any stadium could potentially host more than one type of sport or event, this concept usually refers to a design philosophy that stres ...

. 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 Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, such as saltwater or freshwater environments, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Swimmers achieve locomotion by coordinating limb and body movements to achieve hydrody ...

diving Diving most often refers to: * Diving (sport), the sport of jumping into deep water * Underwater diving, human activity underwater for recreational or occupational purposes Diving or Dive may also refer to: Sports * Dive (American football), ...

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

and synchronized events. It is a temperature controlled pool through modern heating systems and fibre-reinforced polymer filters. *

: Located in Gachi Bowli, 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 Basheerbagh is a neighbourhood of importance in Hyderabad. Now it is a commercial and business centre. The area's importance has increased because of its close proximity to other bigger commercial areas such as Abids, Koti, Nampally and Hima ...

in central

. Literally translated, the name 'Fateh Maidan' means 'victory ground'. It consists of the

, 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

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 A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue, or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice, or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by milita ...

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 Electronic scoring systems or electronic targets are automated scoring systems used for shooting sport, sport shooting where the shot placement and score is automatically calculated using electronics and presented on screens to the organizer and s ...

equipment. *

(formerly known as Visaka International 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

Gallery

File:Gachibowli Outdoor 75.JPG, G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium File:Gachibowli Outdoor 35.JPG, G. M. C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium File:Gachibowli Indoor 09.JPG, G. M. C. Balayogi SATS Indoor Stadium File:Gachibowli Swimming 53.JPG, Gachibowli Aquatic Complex Image:hockystadium.jpg, Swarnandhra Pradesh Sports Complex, Gachibowli Image:Flagbearers 2003.jpg, A view of the Participants' flag-bearers.

References

{{Hyderabad topics Sport in Hyderabad, India