INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN MULTIDISCIPLINARY FIELD

Abstract:   Sports have increasingly emerged as an important instrument of international relations and public diplomacy. In the contemporary international system, sporting competitions are not merely arenas of physical performance; they also provide opportunities for states to communicate national identity, establish interpersonal contacts, strengthen bilateral relationships, improve international visibility and exercise soft power. India, with its enormous population, civilisational heritage, expanding sporting ecosystem and exceptional popularity of cricket, possesses considerable potential to use sports as an instrument of diplomacy. Historically, India's sporting diplomacy has been associated particularly with cricket, hockey, the Commonwealth Games, the Asian Games and the Olympic movement. In recent years, however, its scope has expanded to include sports cooperation agreements, international sporting events, athlete exchanges, sports infrastructure, traditional sports, sport science, gender equality, parasports and India's ambition to become a major global sporting power. The transformation of Indian sports policy is significant in this regard. The Khelo Bharat Niti–2025, the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, India's policy towards international sporting events, and the country's long-term ambition concerning the 2036 Olympic Games indicate that sports are increasingly being connected with national development, international engagement and India's global aspirations.The paper examines the conceptual foundations of sports diplomacy, its historical evolution in India, cricket diplomacy, Olympic and multilateral diplomacy, bilateral sports cooperation, India's engagement with neighboring countries, the role of sporting personalities, sports as an instrument of soft power, and the emerging challenges associated with politicisation, governance, security and geopolitical tensions.