Sport history as an area of comparative study between Canada and India

Abstract

Sport history has been in recent decades a rapidly growing field of global enquiry. Sport, in forms ranging from spontaneous recreation to highly codified and professionalized activity, has characterized every human society. The study of sport history therefore not only is important itself, but also offers key insights into social and cultural history. This is true of both India and Canada as individual societies, but also opens up comparative possibilities. At first sight, the sport histories of the two countries would appear to have differed greatly, to the point that few direct comparisons might come to mind. When considered in a way that takes account of sport diffusion and adaptation, however, at least two major forms of sport present opportunities to study both comparison and contrast. This essay seeks to illustrate these opportunities with particular attention to the two sports of cricket and hockey.