The Commonwealth Games were first held in 1930 at

Hamilton, Canada, as the British Empire Games

London, England, as the Commonwealth Games

Hamilton, Canada, as the British Empire Games

Auckland, New Zealand, as the British Commonwealth Games

Sydney, Australia, as the Empire Games

Which of the following Indian medals at Paris 2024 are correctly stated? Select all that apply.

Neeraj Chopra, silver in the javelin

Manu Bhaker, bronze in the 10 m air pistol

Neeraj Chopra, silver in the javelin

Manu Bhaker, bronze in the 10 m air pistol

Neeraj Chopra, gold in the javelin

Match the award to its recipient: (a) Dronacharya Award; (b) MAKA Trophy; (c) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar; (d) Arjuna Award.

a-coach, b-university, c-organisation promoting sport, d-sportsperson

a-sportsperson, b-university, c-coach, d-organisation promoting sport

a-university, b-coach, c-sportsperson, d-organisation promoting sport

a-coach, b-organisation promoting sport, c-university, d-sportsperson

a-coach, b-university, c-organisation promoting sport, d-sportsperson

Assertion (A): The Indian Olympic Association is the body that enters Indian teams in the Olympic Games. Reason (R): The Indian Olympic Association was founded in 1927. Choose the correct option.

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

Which statements about sports bodies are correct? Select all that apply.

World Athletics was founded in 1912 as the IAAF

The ICC was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference

The National Anti-Doping Act 2022 gave NADA statutory status

World Athletics was founded in 1912 as the IAAF

The ICC was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference

The National Anti-Doping Act 2022 gave NADA statutory status

FIFA is headquartered in Lausanne

Foundations of Physical Education III: the Ancient and Modern Olympic Games, the Asian and Commonwealth Games, the Structure and Functions of the International and National Bodies Controlling Games and Sports, and Prominent Honours and Awards in Games and Sports

The last items of Unit I are the great multi-sport Games, the bodies that govern sport and the honours that reward it. This chapter follows the Olympic Games from Olympia in 776 BCE to Coubertin's revival and the Games of Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032; the Asian Games from New Delhi in 1951 and the Commonwealth Games from Hamilton in 1930; the structure of the IOC, the international federations, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Commonwealth Games Federation, and in India the Ministry, SAI, IOA and the national federations under the newer governance law; and India's national sports awards, with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna under its name since 2021. Years are given where they are certain, and results of Games still under way are not.

1. The ancient and modern Olympic Games

The ancient Olympic Games were a religious festival in honour of Zeus held at Olympia in the western Peloponnese every four years; the traditional date of the first recorded Games is 776 BCE, when Coroebus of Elis won the stadion, a sprint of about 192 metres and for decades the only event. The four-year interval between Games was the Olympiad, used by the Greeks to count time. A sacred truce (ekecheiria) let athletes and spectators travel safely. The programme grew to include the diaulos and dolichos (longer races), the pentathlon (running, long jump, discus, javelin and wrestling), wrestling, boxing, the pankration, which combined the two, and chariot and horse races. Winners received an olive wreath (kotinos). Married women were barred from watching. The Games declined under Rome and are traditionally said to have ended after the Christian emperor Theodosius I banned pagan festivals in 393–394 CE.

The modern Games were revived by the French educationist Pierre de Coubertin. At a congress he convened at the Sorbonne in Paris, the International Olympic Committee was founded on 23 June 1894, the date now marked as Olympic Day, with the Greek Demetrios Vikelas as its first president; the first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896. Women first competed in 1900 in Paris. The five interlocking rings, designed by Coubertin in 1913 to represent the five inhabited continents united, first flew on the Olympic flag at Antwerp in 1920, where the athletes' oath was also first taken; the Olympic flame was first lit at Amsterdam in 1928, and the torch relay from Olympia began at Berlin in 1936. The Winter Games began at Chamonix in 1924. The motto "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger) was extended in 2021 to "Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter", adding "together". The Paralympic movement grew from Ludwig Guttmann's Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948, and the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960.

Recent and future hosts of the Summer Games are Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021 because of the pandemic), Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032. India's Olympic story begins with men's hockey, which won eight gold medals (1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980). K. D. Jadhav won independent India's first individual medal, a wrestling bronze at Helsinki in 1952; Abhinav Bindra won the first individual gold, in the 10 m air rifle at Beijing in 2008; and Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold at Tokyo, India's first in athletics. At Paris 2024 India won six medals, one silver and five bronze: Neeraj Chopra's javelin silver; bronzes for Manu Bhaker in the 10 m air pistol and with Sarabjot Singh in the mixed team air pistol, Swapnil Kusale in the 50 m rifle three positions, the men's hockey team and Aman Sehrawat in wrestling. Manu Bhaker became the first Indian to win two medals at a single Games since independence.

⚠️ 1894 is the IOC, 1896 is the Games

The IOC was founded in 1894 in Paris; the first modern Games were held in 1896 in Athens. The flag and oath date from Antwerp 1920, the flame from Amsterdam 1928 and the torch relay from Berlin 1936. Questions routinely swap these pairs.

2. The Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games

The Asian Games grew from an idea of India's Guru Dutt Sondhi, and the first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in March 1951; India hosted again in 1982, when the Games in New Delhi brought colour television to the country and led to the creation of new sports infrastructure and, soon after, the Sports Authority of India. The Games are held every four years and are governed today by the Olympic Council of Asia, headquartered in Kuwait; the motto is "Ever Onward". The 19th Games, awarded as Hangzhou 2022, were held in September and October 2023 after the pandemic, and India won 107 medals (28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze), its best tally. The 20th Games are scheduled in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from 19 September to 4 October 2026.

The Commonwealth Games began as the British Empire Games at Hamilton, Canada, in 1930. The name changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970 and the Commonwealth Games in 1978. They are held every four years and governed by the Commonwealth Games Federation, headquartered in London; the Queen's (now King's) Baton Relay precedes each Games. New Delhi hosted the 2010 Games, where India won 101 medals, 38 of them gold, and finished second. At Birmingham 2022 India won 61 medals (22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze). Glasgow hosted the 2026 Games from 23 July to 2 August on a reduced programme of ten sports.

Games	First held	Governing body today	Note
Ancient Olympics	776 BCE, Olympia	—	Festival of Zeus; ended 393–394 CE
Modern Olympics	1896, Athens	IOC (1894), Lausanne	Next: Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032
Asian Games	1951, New Delhi	Olympic Council of Asia, Kuwait	Hangzhou 2022 held in 2023; Aichi-Nagoya 2026
Commonwealth Games	1930, Hamilton (British Empire Games)	Commonwealth Games Federation, London	Delhi 2010; Glasgow 2026
Paralympic Games	1960, Rome	International Paralympic Committee	Roots in Stoke Mandeville, 1948

3. International and national bodies controlling games and sports

The Olympic Movement has three main constituents: the IOC, the international federations (IFs) that govern each sport worldwide, and the National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The IOC, headquartered in Lausanne since 1915, is the supreme authority of the movement: it owns the Games, chooses hosts, decides the programme, recognises NOCs and IFs and applies the Olympic Charter through its Session (the general assembly of members), its Executive Board and its President. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe was elected in March 2025 as the tenth President and the first woman to hold the office, succeeding Thomas Bach. The international federations frame and enforce the rules of their sport, sanction world championships, certify equipment and venues and set eligibility; examples with founding years are given in the table. The World Anti-Doping Agency (1999) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (1984) complete the global system.

Body	Founded	Headquarters
International Olympic Committee (IOC)	1894, Paris	Lausanne
FIFA (football)	1904, Paris	Zurich
International Cricket Council (ICC)	1909, as the Imperial Cricket Conference	Dubai
World Athletics	1912, as the IAAF (renamed 2019)	Monaco
FIH (hockey)	1924, Paris	Lausanne
Badminton World Federation (BWF)	1934, as the International Badminton Federation (renamed 2006)	Kuala Lumpur
FIBA (basketball)	1932, Geneva	Mies, Switzerland
FIVB (volleyball)	1947, Paris	Lausanne
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)	1999	Montreal

In India the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports makes policy and funds sport; the Sports Authority of India (1984) is its main implementing body, running national centres of excellence, training centres, coaching, talent schemes and stadiums, and absorbed the Society for National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports, which ran NIS Patiala and LNCPE. The Indian Olympic Association, founded in 1927, is India's NOC: it enters Indian teams in the Olympic, Asian and Commonwealth Games and affiliates the national sports federations; P. T. Usha was elected its president in December 2022. The national sports federations govern individual sports, select national teams and conduct national championships; the government recognises and regulates them under the National Sports Development Code of India 2011, and Parliament passed the National Sports Governance Act in August 2025, which provides for a National Sports Board to recognise and oversee national sports bodies and a National Sports Tribunal for sports disputes; its commencement and rules should be checked. The National Anti-Doping Agency (2005) and the National Dope Testing Laboratory were given statutory status by the National Anti-Doping Act 2022. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, founded in 1928, is a society not funded by the government. School and university sport are organised by the School Games Federation of India and the Association of Indian Universities.

4. Prominent honours and awards in games and sports

India's national sports awards are conferred by the President on the recommendation of selection committees of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The highest is the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, instituted in 1991–92 as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and renamed in August 2021 after the hockey legend; it honours the most outstanding performance by a sportsperson over the preceding four years, and its first recipient was the chess player Viswanathan Anand. The Arjuna Award (1961) recognises consistent outstanding performance over four years together with leadership, sportsmanship and discipline. The Dronacharya Award (1985) honours coaches who have produced medal winners at major international events, with a separate lifetime category. A separate lifetime-achievement award for sportspersons who continue to contribute to sport after retiring was instituted in 2002 in Dhyan Chand's name; its current title should be checked, since the scheme has been revised. The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar (2009) recognises corporate bodies, organisations and individuals for promoting and developing sport, and the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy, first awarded in 1956–57, goes to the university with the best overall performance in inter-university, national and international competitions. The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award recognises adventure on land, water and in the air. National Sports Day is 29 August, Dhyan Chand's birthday.

Award	Instituted	For
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna	1991–92 (renamed 2021)	Most outstanding sportsperson over four years
Arjuna Award	1961	Consistent outstanding performance, with leadership and sportsmanship
Dronacharya Award	1985	Coaches of medal winners
Lifetime-achievement award for sportspersons	2002 (in Dhyan Chand's name; current title to be checked)	Contribution to sport after retirement
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar	2009	Organisations and corporates promoting sport
MAKA Trophy	1956–57	Best university in inter-university and other competitions

🧠 Arjuna for players, Dronacharya for coaches

The names follow the Mahabharata: Arjuna the pupil-archer rewards players, Dronacharya the teacher rewards coaches. The Khel Ratna has been named after Major Dhyan Chand since 2021, and the MAKA Trophy goes to a university, not to a person.

Key takeaways

The ancient Games began at Olympia in 776 BCE and ended in 393–394 CE; Coubertin's IOC was founded in Paris on 23 June 1894 and the first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896.
Olympic symbols date from 1920 (flag and oath), 1928 (flame) and 1936 (torch relay); the motto added "Communiter" in 2021; after Paris 2024 come Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032.
The Asian Games began in New Delhi in 1951 and are governed by the Olympic Council of Asia; the Commonwealth Games began as the British Empire Games at Hamilton in 1930.
The IOC, the international federations and the NOCs form the Olympic Movement; in India the Ministry, SAI, IOA (1927) and the national federations govern sport, with NADA and the NDTL statutory since 2022.
The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (renamed 2021), Arjuna (1961), Dronacharya (1985), Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar (2009) and MAKA Trophy (1956–57) are India's main sports honours.

Practice questions (10)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

In which year were the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens? Type the year.
Numerical answer — type the value.
Show answer
Answer: 1896
The first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896. The IOC itself had been founded two years earlier, on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne, which is why 1894 is the tempting wrong answer.
At which Games was the Olympic torch relay from Olympia first held?
1. London 1948
2. Antwerp 1920
3. Amsterdam 1928
4. Berlin 1936
Show answer
Answer: D — Berlin 1936
The torch relay began at Berlin in 1936. The flame itself was first lit at Amsterdam in 1928, and the flag and athletes' oath were introduced at Antwerp in 1920.
How many Olympic gold medals has India won in men's hockey? Type the number.
Numerical answer — type the value.
Show answer
Answer: 8
India won hockey gold in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980, eight in all. The bronzes of Tokyo and Paris are medals but not golds, so they do not change the count.
The first Asian Games were held in
1. Jakarta, 1962
2. Manila, 1954
3. New Delhi, 1951
4. Tokyo, 1958
Show answer
Answer: C — New Delhi, 1951
The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi in March 1951, following Guru Dutt Sondhi's initiative. Manila, Tokyo and Jakarta hosted the second, third and fourth Games.
The Commonwealth Games were first held in 1930 at
1. London, England, as the Commonwealth Games
2. Hamilton, Canada, as the British Empire Games
3. Auckland, New Zealand, as the British Commonwealth Games
4. Sydney, Australia, as the Empire Games
Show answer
Answer: B — Hamilton, Canada, as the British Empire Games
The first Games were the British Empire Games at Hamilton in 1930. The name "Commonwealth Games" was adopted only in 1978, after intermediate names from 1954 and 1970.
Which of the following Indian medals at Paris 2024 are correctly stated? Select all that apply.
1. Neeraj Chopra, silver in the javelin
2. The men's hockey team, gold
3. Manu Bhaker, bronze in the 10 m air pistol
4. Neeraj Chopra, gold in the javelin
Show answer
Answer: A — Neeraj Chopra, silver in the javelin; C — Manu Bhaker, bronze in the 10 m air pistol
India won six medals at Paris 2024, one silver (Neeraj Chopra) and five bronze, including Manu Bhaker's individual bronze and the men's hockey bronze. Neeraj Chopra's gold was at Tokyo, and India won no gold at Paris.
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in
1. 2002
2. 2021
3. 1991
4. 2014
Show answer
Answer: B — 2021
The award was renamed in August 2021. It had been instituted in 1991–92, and 2002 is the year the lifetime-achievement award in Dhyan Chand's name began, which is the usual confusion.
Match the award to its recipient:
(a) Dronacharya Award;
(b) MAKA Trophy;
(c) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar;
(d) Arjuna Award.
1. a-sportsperson, b-university, c-coach, d-organisation promoting sport
2. a-university, b-coach, c-sportsperson, d-organisation promoting sport
3. a-coach, b-organisation promoting sport, c-university, d-sportsperson
4. a-coach, b-university, c-organisation promoting sport, d-sportsperson
Show answer
Answer: D — a-coach, b-university, c-organisation promoting sport, d-sportsperson
The Dronacharya honours coaches, the MAKA Trophy goes to the best university, the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar to bodies that promote sport and the Arjuna Award to sportspersons. The MAKA Trophy is the one most often wrongly given to a person.
Assertion (A): The Indian Olympic Association is the body that enters Indian teams in the Olympic Games. Reason (R): The Indian Olympic Association was founded in 1927. Choose the correct option.
1. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true
Show answer
Answer: B — Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
Both statements are true, but R does not explain A. The IOA enters Indian teams because the IOC recognises it as India's National Olympic Committee, and only a recognised NOC can enter a country's athletes; its founding year is a fact about it, not the reason for its role.
Which statements about sports bodies are correct? Select all that apply.
1. World Athletics was founded in 1912 as the IAAF
2. The ICC was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference
3. The National Anti-Doping Act 2022 gave NADA statutory status
4. FIFA is headquartered in Lausanne
Show answer
Answer: A — World Athletics was founded in 1912 as the IAAF; B — The ICC was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference; C — The National Anti-Doping Act 2022 gave NADA statutory status
World Athletics (IAAF, 1912), the ICC (1909) and the statutory NADA under the 2022 Act are correct. FIFA is headquartered in Zurich; Lausanne is the seat of the IOC and of several other federations such as FIH and FIVB.