Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Sports Categories
SSC focuses on five main sports - Cricket, Football, Tennis, Olympics, and Indoor Games like Chess and Badminton. Each sport has specific terminology, major tournaments, and governing bodies you must memorize
Key Components to Study
Sports Terminology - Specific terms used in each sport
2. Major Tournaments - Names, venues, frequency
3. Awards and Trophies - Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award
4. Governing Bodies - Both national and international
5.
Venues and Stadiums - Famous sports venues worldwide
6. Records and Achievements - Recent records by Indian players
Formula for Sports Questions:
Sport + (Tournament/Award/Term/Venue) = Direct Answer
Example: Cricket + Governing Body = ICC (International), BCCI (National)
Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
1
'Which award is known as...' (Answer: Specific award name)
2
'The term ... is associated with which sport' (Answer: Sport name)
3
'Wimbledon is related to...' (Answer: Tennis)
4
'Who is the current... champion' (Answer: Player name)
ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question
#1 - Sport-Term Association:
Cricket: Silly Point, Googly, Yorker, Maiden Over
Football: Offside, Corner Kick, Penalty, Red Card
Tennis: Deuce, Love, Ace, Grand Slam
Badminton: Smash, Drop Shot, Clear, Net Shot
Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1
Identify the term 'Checkmate'
2
Step 2
Recall sport associations - Checkmate means the king is trapped
3
Step 3
This happens in Chess
Answer: Chess
Worked Example 2:
Question: Arjuna Award is given for excellence in which field?
1
Step 1
Identify 'Arjuna Award'
2
Step 2
Recall award categories - Arjuna Award recognizes outstanding achievement
3
Step 3
It is specifically for sports excellence
4
Step 4
Given annually by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Answer: Sports
Shortcut Trick #2 - Major Tournament Frequency:
Annual: IPL, Wimbledon, US Open
Bi-annual: Commonwealth Games (every 4 years), Asian Games (every 4 years)
Quadrennial: Olympics, FIFA World Cup
Shortcut Trick #3 - Award Hierarchy (Highest to Lowest):
1. Khel Ratna (Highest sporting honor)
2. Arjuna Award (Outstanding performance)
3. Dronacharya Award (Coaching excellence)
4. Dhyan Chand Award (Lifetime achievement)
Exam TrapsCommon mistakes students make — avoid these
#1: Students confuse Dronacharya Award with player awards. Remember: Dronacharya is ONLY for coaches and trainers, not players. Arjuna Award is for players.
This confusion appears in 60% of wrong answers.
Recent Updates: Questions increasingly focus on current champions, recent Olympic medals, and new records. Always check the latest 2-3 years of achievements before the exam.
Memory Technique: Create associations between sports and their unique terms. For example, 'Silly Point' sounds funny - only Cricket has such amusing position names. 'Love' in Tennis means zero score - remember 'Love = Zero'.
Important Note: SSC often asks about sports persons in news, recent tournament winners, and new records.
Keep updated with current sports affairs from the last 1-2 years. Focus on Indian players' international achievements as these are highly probable questions.
Key Points to Remember
Sports & Games appears 3-4 times per SSC CGL paper with direct factual questions
Khel Ratna is the highest sporting honor, followed by Arjuna Award for players
Dronacharya Award is exclusively for coaches, not players - common exam trap
Formula: Sport + Unique Term = Direct identification (Cricket + Googly = Cricket)
Grand Slam in Tennis: Wimbledon, US Open, French Open, Australian Open
Olympics held every 4 years, Commonwealth Games every 4 years
ICC governs Cricket internationally, BCCI governs Cricket in India
Chess terms: Checkmate, Stalemate, Castling, En passant
Current affairs in sports from last 2 years are highly probable
Shortcut: Annual tournaments (IPL, Wimbledon) vs Quadrennial (Olympics, World Cup)
Exam-Specific Tips
Khel Ratna Award was renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021
Wimbledon Tennis Championship is played on grass courts in London
IPL (Indian Premier League) was founded in 2008
ICC Cricket World Cup is held every 4 years
Thomas Cup is associated with Badminton for men's teams
FIFA governs international football/soccer worldwide
Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium is located in Kolkata
Chess has 64 squares on the board (8x8 grid)
Practice MCQs
Sports & Games — Practice Questions
27graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis · showing 20 of 27