I agree. I think we need to popularize other sports.
We did win in hockey, but notice, there is not much discussion on that subject.
it all started when kapil dev lifted that world cup at lords , it started the passion for the cricket and reason for that is something happened back then dont know what it was , me wasnt even born then ,
maybe it gave indians some national pride ,
india was still new country back then coming out of the history of british raj and devastation of partition , a hugh country but with nothing to show for except poverty and misery and lifting that world cup may gave people a sense of worldwide acclamation ,
maybe it was a new sport for new country ,
india had a lot of traditional sports but they were all local and not international sports even though these may played by few at other countries and cricket was game of rich people like golf and it is played by british and royals only but now a common person could get access and more importantly success at cricket ,
it became sport for new generation of new country ,
so what indians thought that cricket is a truly international sport which gives them international recognition ,
maybe it was hugely televised sport ,
it was early eighties and many indian were getting their first television set so it must be very exciting to follow a new sport , an international sport on their television set where indians did something hugh for the first time ,
maybe it was hugh media impact ,
the picture and television clip of british handing over that golden world cup to kapil dev and kapil dev lifting that golden world cup up to the air made a hugh impact on the minds of the young middle class educated people ,
lower class people or poor people just followed the craze and new trend ,
maybe it was a bigger challenge than other widely played sports at india ,
after lifiting that world cup at lords doing it again remained challenge for country for next three decades ,
wheres at hockey country was getting fair success ,
every time cricket team went at world cup with hopes that it would repeat that glorious history again for new generation but that didnt happened for other three decades ,
maybe pakistan factor ,
when pakistan got at the game of cricket and then it was obvious that there gonna be india and pakistan rivalry at the game of cricket to which only made country more cricket craze country .