Quick Theory

Sports-related questions in Indian railway exams usually revolve around three pillars:

1. Major international multi-discipline events (Olympics, Commonwealth, Asian Games)
2. Individual achievements of Indian athletes (Olympic/World medals, firsts, records)
3. Playing area dimensions, equipment, terminology and award winners (Arjuna, Khel Ratna, Dronacharya).

Roughly 70 % of the questions are factual one-liners—who, when, where—while the rest test fine details such as the length of a badminton court, weight of a shot-put or the state that hosted the National Games. Sticky points: Olympics are held every 4 years (Summer & Winter staggered), Commonwealth Games are only for former British colonies, and the Asian Games are organised by the Olympic Council of Asia. India has hosted the Asian Games twice (1951 & 1982, both Delhi) and the Commonwealth Games once (2010, Delhi).

For domestic honours, remember the “BIG 3” national sports awards: Arjuna (outstanding performance), Dronacharya (coaching), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (lifetime/exceptional). Capping theory with current affairs—last Olympic medal winners, host of the upcoming Games and latest Padma sports awardees—will net you 2-3 extra marks without extra effort.

Practice MCQs

Easy

1. Which country hosts the Summer Olympics 2024?
   A. Japan
   B. France
   C. USA
   D. Australia

   Answer

   Correct: Option B. Paris, France will host the 33rd Summer Olympics from 26 Jul – 11 Aug 2024.

2. The term “Birdie” is associated with which sport?
   A. Golf
   B. Tennis
   C. Hockey
   D. Boxing

   Answer

   Correct: Option A. In golf, a birdie means completing a hole in one stroke under par.

3. India won its first individual Olympic gold medal in which event?
   A. Hockey
   B. Shooting
   C. Athletics
   D. Wrestling

   Answer

   Correct: Option B. Abhinav Bindra won 10 m air rifle gold at Beijing 2008.

4. The Commonwealth Games 2022 were held in
   A. Birmingham
   B. Glasgow
   C. Gold Coast
   D. Manchester

   Answer

   Correct: Option A. Birmingham, England hosted the 2022 edition.

5. How many players are there in a standard Kabaddi team on the field?
   A. 5
   B. 6
   C. 7
   D. 9

   Answer

   Correct: Option C. A kabaddi side fields 7 players at a time.

6. “Grand Slam” tournaments are played in
   A. Badminton
   B. Cricket
   C. Tennis
   D. Chess

   Answer

   Correct: Option C. Australian, French, Wimbledon & US Open make the tennis Grand Slam.

7. The Asian Games 2022 (held in 2023) took place in
   A. Jakarta
   B. Hangzhou
   C. Incheon
   D. Doha

   Answer

   Correct: Option B. Hangzhou, China hosted the 19th Asian Games.

8. Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold in
   A. Discus Throw
   B. Javelin Throw
   C. Shot Put
   D. Hammer Throw

   Answer

   Correct: Option B. Tokyo 2021, men’s javelin throw 87.58 m.

9. The Ranji Trophy is related to
   A. Football
   B. Hockey
   C. Cricket
   D. Volleyball

   Answer

   Correct: Option C. India’s premier first-class cricket championship.

10. “Dribble” is commonly used in
    A. Basketball & Football
    B. Tennis
    C. Boxing
    D. Swimming

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Dribbling means close ball control while moving.

Medium

11. Match the stadium with the city:

    1. Eden Gardens   a. Mumbai
    2. Wankhede     b. Kolkata
    3. Feroz Shah Kotla  c. Delhi
    4. M. A. Chidambaram d. Chennai
       Select the correct code.
       A. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d
       B. 1-b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-d
       C. 1-c, 2-a, 3-b, 4-d
       D. 1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c
    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Eden-Gardens/Kolkata, Wankhede/Mumbai, Kotla/Delhi, Chidambaram/Chennai.

12. Which of the following is NOT a Kho-Kho equipment?
    A. Wooden poles
    B. Cross lane
    C. Centre bar
    D. Rib line

    Answer

    Correct: Option C. Kho-Kho uses poles, lanes & rib-line; no “centre bar”.

13. “Follow-on” rule is applicable in which sport?
    A. Test cricket
    B. Tennis
    C. Chess
    D. Badminton

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. A team 200+ runs behind may be asked to bat again.

14. Who was the flag-bearer for India at Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony?
    A. P. V. Sindhu
    B. Mary Kom
    C. Neeraj Chopra
    D. Manpreet Singh & Mary Kom

    Answer

    Correct: Option D. Hockey captain Manpreet Singh & boxer Mary Kom were co-flag-bearers.

15. Standard length of a Badminton court for singles is
    A. 11.88 m
    B. 13.4 m
    C. 13.4 m including 0.76 m alleys
    D. 12.8 m

    Answer

    Correct: Option B. 13.4 m × 5.18 m (singles); doubles uses full 6.1 m width.

16. The “Sin bin” is used in
    A. Rugby & Hockey
    B. Chess
    C. Table Tennis
    D. Athletics

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Temporary penalty zone in rugby & modern hockey rules.

17. “Duckworth-Lewis-Stern” method is associated with
    A. Football penalty shoot-out
    B. Rain-affected cricket matches
    C. Tennis tie-break
    D. Badminton scoring

    Answer

    Correct: Option B. DLS sets revised targets in limited-overs cricket.

18. “Pelota” is the traditional name of the ball in
    A. Jai-Alai (Basque pelota)
    B. Polo
    C. Sepak Takraw
    D. Handball

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Jai-Alai, played with a curved basket (cesta) and hard ball (pelota).

19. India’s first Paralympic gold (individual) was won by
    A. Devendra Jhajharia
    B. Murlikant Petkar
    C. Mariyappan Thangavelu
    D. Sumit Antil

    Answer

    Correct: Option B. Murlikant Petkar, 1972 Heidelberg, swimming 50 m freestyle 3rd category.

20. “Golden Goal” rule existed earlier in
    A. Hockey
    B. Cricket
    C. Football
    D. Basketball

    Answer

    Correct: Option C. FIFA used golden goal (sudden death) in extra-time from 1993-2004.

Hard

21. Weight of a men’s Olympic discus (outer metallic shell) is
    A. 1 kg
    B. 1.5 kg
    C. 2 kg
    D. 2.5 kg

    Answer

    Correct: Option C. 2 kg for men; women throw 1 kg discus.

22. “Chinaman” in cricket refers to
    A. A left-arm bowler’s googly
    B. A right-arm off-spinner’s faster ball
    C. A bouncer on a slow pitch
    D. A fielding position

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Left-arm wrist-spinner’s googly turning away from the right-hander.

23. “Bishop” is a piece in
    A. Chess
    B. Polo
    C. Billiards
    D. Bridge

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Bishop moves diagonally any number of squares.

24. “Super-max” is a type of
    A. Formula-1 power unit mode
    B. NBA time-out
    C. NFL salary cap rule
    D. ATP tennis ranking point

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Mercedes & others use “party mode” aka super-max for qualifying engine boost.

25. “Stonewall” formation is famous in
    A. Chess (Dutch Defence)
    B. Rugby scrum
    C. Baseball batting order
    D. Marathon pacing strategy

    Answer

    Correct: Option A. Dutch Defence chess setup with pawns on f5-e6-d5-c6 forming a “stonewall”.

Shortcuts & Tips

1. 4-2-1 Formula: Olympics (4 yrs), Commonwealth (4 yrs but offset by 2 from Olympics), Asian Games (4 yrs, midway).
2. Firsts: First Olympic medal (Norman Pritchard 1900), First individual gold (Abhinav Bindra 2008), First Paralympic gold (M. Petkar 1972).
3. Award trio: Arjuna (performance), Dronacharya (coach), Khel Ratna (lifetime); remember A-D-K alphabetical order.
4. Dimensions: Cricket pitch 22 yd ≈ 20.12 m; Badminton court 13.4 m; Basketball hoop 3.05 m (10 ft); Football goal 7.32 m × 2.44 m.
5. Current-affairs hack: Note last major Games host & Indian medal tally; 60 % questions repeat facts from the most recent event.