From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
|
This article or section needs to be updated.
Please update the article to reflect recent events / newly available information, and remove this template when finished. |
Map of the World showing the most popular sports by nation.
A national sport is a sport or game that is considered to be a popularly intrinsic part of the culture or is the most popular sport of a country or nation.[1] In American English the term national pastime is often used.
Although there are normally no official parameters towards defining what is a national sport, there are some general characteristics that most national sports share:[citation needed]
- The rules and objectives of the sport or game are known in fairly great detail in the country or nation.[citation needed]
- The game or sport is widely played or watched in the country or nation.[citation needed]
- The game or sport has a long history of popularity or extreme current popularity in the country or nation.[citation needed]
In some countries, sport or game can become the official national pastime by mandate of the government, such as in Canada with lacrosse and ice-hockey in 1994.[2] In other countries, where the sport or game has such a long history, such as with baseball in the United States or sumo wrestling in Japan, the sport or game is often considered a de facto "official" national pastime. This article generally goes by the popularity of the sports in all the countries.
[edit] List of countries' national sports
- Afghanistan - Buzkashi is the traditional sport. Although Association Football is popular, cricket has taken over in terms of popularity.[3] Boxing and kung fu are also popular.
- Albania - Association Football.[4]
- Andorra - Skiing is the national sport, while Rugby Union and Association Football are popular too.[5]
- Angola - Association Football and Basketball.[6]
- Anguilla - Sailing, Anguilla is unique in this regard as it is the only former British Colony in the West Indies in which the National Sport is not Cricket, however, Cricket is still very popular and is the most popular team sport.
- Antigua and Barbuda - Cricket is the national and most popular sport.[7]
- Argentina - Association Football is the national passion. Rugby Union and Basketball are also popular. Pato is the national traditional sport while the nation has had historically the best Polo players and tournaments in the world. Cricket is also growing fast in Argentina [1]. This is mainly due to Argentina national cricket team's recent successes in the World Cricket League Division 3 where they were runners up.[citation needed]
- Armenia - Football is most popular; competitively wrestling, boxing and chess.[8]
- Australia – Australians have a vast range of sporting interests and as such there is no single official national sport. Cricket is often described as the national sport,[9] both because it has significant historical connections to Australian nationhood[10], and as it draws significant interest nationwide. The popularity of the dominant football codes are segmented by regions.[11] Australian rules football, is the most popular sport in terms of match attendance[12] and is the most popular sport in the states of Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, whilst Rugby League is the major sport in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory.
- Austria - Alpine skiing is national and most popular sport followed by Association Football.[13]
- Azerbaijan - Chess, Association Football,[14]
- Canada - Lacrosse and ice hockey (although Canadians just refer to the sport as Hockey, dropping the word ice) are the official summer and winter sports respectively, but hockey is by far the sport most closely followed, and most closely linked to national identity. Lacrosse is a national sport for primarily historical reasons: sports like basketball, Canadian football (also American football), soccer, golf, baseball, are all much more popular. However, besides hockey, lacrosse by far has more talented Canadians players than any other sport. Canada also fields one of the major national teams in the sport of curling.[23]
- Cambodia - Association Football, Kickboxing is second.[citation needed]
- Cameroon - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Cayman Islands - Cricket is the national and most followed sport, closely followed by rugby union.[24]
- Chile - Association Football and Tennis. Chilean rodeo is the national traditional sport.
- People's Republic of China - Table tennis is the most popular sport and Association Football is the most watched sport on television.[25]Basketball is also very popular.
- Colombia - Association Football is the main attraction, the Tejo is a traditional sport in a region, bullfighting, followed by baseball
- Costa Rica - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Côte d'Ivoire - Association Football and rugby union.
- Croatia - Association Football. Handball, water polo and basketball are also widely popular.[citation needed]
- Cuba - Baseball. followed by Association Football and boxing. Cricket is also one of the most popular sports.[citation needed]
- Czech Republic - Association football and Ice hockey are the most popular sports.[citation needed]
- Iceland - Glima, but Association Football is the most popular.[citation needed]
- India - Hockey is the national game. Cricket is the most popular sport.[29]
- Indonesia - Association Football is the most followed sport.[30]
- Iran - Freestyle Wrestling is the traditional national sport, all kinds of combat sports and martial arts are popular such as: Greco-Roman wrestling, taekwondo, karate and kung fu. but Association Football is by far the most popular. Futsal and Volleyball are also widely practised, as is competitive weightlifting.[citation needed]
- Iraq – Association Football.[citation needed]
- Ireland - The traditional national sport is hurling[31], which was recorded being played in Ireland as long ago as 1272 BC . Gaelic football is the most popular sport; Association Football and rugby union are widely popular as are horse racing and golf. With the exception of Association Football and the Commonwealth games most sports have continued to be played on an all Ireland basis since the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland were formed in 1922.
- Israel - Association Football is the most popular sport and Basketball is second.
- Italy - Association Football is the most popular sport. Car racing (Maserati, Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Osella, Dallara), motorcycle racing (Benelli, MV Agusta, Mondial, Ducati, Aprilia, Beta) and cycling (Giro d'Italia) are part of the national identity, too. Rugby, basketball, volleyball, alpine skiing and tennis are popular in various places throughout Italy. Tamburello and bocce in form of simple pastime are popular too. Pallone col bracciale was ancient national and most popular sport in the 18th century and 19th century.[32]
- Republic of Macedonia - Association Football, handball and basketball are the national sports.[citation needed]
- Madagascar - Ping Pong has recently suffered a huge blow to its popularity due to a severe ping-pong ball shortage brought on by a feud with China. An international tournament is scheduled to "settle the score." Rugby Union and Association Football are the most popular spectator sports. Rugby Union has vast numbers turning up to watch the national team play. However Association Football has a larger player base.[37]
- Malaysia - Silat, gasing, and wau are traditional sports, but Association Football followed a close second by badminton as the most popular sports today.
- Maldives - Cricket
- Mauritius - Cricket, rugby union and Association Football.
- Mexico - Charrería and bullfighting are traditional sports, but Association Football is most popular by far. Lucha libre is the second most watched sport. Baseball and American football are also widely played and followed.[citation needed]
- Moldova - Rugby union and Association Football are the most widely followed sport.
- Mongolia - Wrestling and archery.[citation needed]
- Montenegro - Association Football and basketball.[citation needed]
- Morocco - Association Football, athletics, basketball, rugby union, Handball[citation needed]
- Mozambique - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Myanmar/Burma - Association Football. Cricket is growing rapidly [2][38]
- Saint Kitts and Nevis - Cricket is the national sport, with intense inter-island rivalry.[48]
- Saint Lucia - Cricket is the most popular.[49]
- Samoa - Kilikiti and Rugby union.[citation needed]
- San Marino - Motorcycle racing, Baseball, Shooting
- Saudi Arabia - Falconry and horse racing are traditional, but Association Football draws the largest number of spectators.[citation needed]. Basketball is also popular.
- Senegal - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Serbia - Basketball is most popular sport and Association Football is second not far behind. Water polo and volleyball are also popular.[citation needed]
- Singapore - Cricket, swimming, Association Football, badminton and table tennis.[citation needed]
- Slovakia - Ice hockey is most popular sport. Association Football is very popular as well.[citation needed].
- Slovenia - Basketball is most popular sport and alpine skiing is second. Association Football is very popular as well.[citation needed]
- South Africa - Association Football and cricket are most popular sports among all race groups, and then rugby. Cricket is the second most popular and the only sport to feature in the top two sports amongst all the race groups. [50]
- Spain - Association Football is very popular in Spain, followed by auto racing, tennis, basketball and motorcycle racing. Bullfighting is traditional spectacle and sport; Basque pelota and Valencian pilota are traditional sports too.[51]
- Sri Lanka - Cricket is the most popular and seen as the national sport[52], while Volleyball is the national sport.[53]
- Sudan - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Switzerland - Schwingen, stone throwing and Hornussen, all traditional games, are popular in rural Switzerland, although ice hockey is most popular overall, Association Football and Alpine skiing are rising in popularity.[citation needed]
- Sweden - Association Football and Ice hockey are the two dominant sports. [54][55]
- Syria - Association Football.[citation needed]
- Uganda - Football and cricket are the most popular sports, while Rugby union is growing in popularity thanks to the national team's recent successes.[61]Cricket has become more popular since Uganda won the World Cricket League Division 3.[62]
- Ukraine - Association Football.[citation needed]
- United Arab Emirates - Camel racing is traditional, but Cricket is the most popular in the UAE, particularly amongst expats, and the UAE participated in the 1996 World Cup. UAE will host the 2009 World Cup Qualifiers.[63]. Soccer is also very popular being the 2nd most popular in the country. The Dubai ruling family, the Al Maktoums, have put a lot of money into horse racing, with a top class facility at Nad Al Sheba hosting a number of the world's richest races, including the Dubai World Cup.
- United Kingdom
- United States - American football is the most popular nationwide,[68] but baseball—both amateur and professional—is considered America's "national pastime" and an aspect of American culture. Basketball is the third most popular sport. Ice hockey and Association football are also popular, especially in certain regions. Car racing, motorcycle racing, golf, tennis, wrestling, boxing, Arena football or Indoor football, lacrosse, box lacrosse and inline hockey have significant followings.
- Uruguay - Football is by far the most popular, followed by basketball and rugby union. The traditional national sports are pato and bocce.[citation needed]
- Uzbekistan - Kurash (traditional) and Association Football.[citation needed]
[edit] Countries by most popular sport
Countries grouped by their most popular sport.
- Total number of countries where given sport is most popular is shown in brackets
[edit] American Football (2)
[edit] Archery (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Bhutan |
2,185,569 |
[edit] Association Football (77)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Indonesia |
222,781,000 |
 Brazil |
187,104,851 |
 Nigeria |
131,530,000 |
 México |
107,029,000 |
 Vietnam |
84,238,000 |
 Germany |
82,689,000 |
 Egypt |
74,033,000 |
 Turkey |
73,193,000 |
 Iran |
69,515,000 |
 Thailand |
62,828,706 |
 France |
60,496,000 |
 Italy |
58,093,000 |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo |
57,549,000 |
 England |
50,714,000 |
 Myanmar |
50,519,000 |
 Ukraine |
46,481,000 |
 Spain |
43,064,000 |
 Colombia |
41,600,000 |
 Argentina |
38,747,000 |
 Poland |
38,530,000 |
 Tanzania |
38,329,000 |
 Sudan |
36,233,000 |
 Algeria |
32,854,000 |
 Morocco |
31,478,000 |
 Iraq |
28,807,000 |
 Peru |
27,968,000 |
 Uzbekistan |
26,593,000 |
 Malaysia |
25,347,000 |
 Saudi Arabia |
24,573,000 |
 North Korea |
22,488,000 |
 Ghana |
22,113,000 |
 Romania |
21,711,000 |
 Yemen |
20,975,000 |
 Mozambique |
19,792,000 |
 Syria |
19,043,000 |
 Côte d'Ivoire(Ivory Coast) |
18,154,000 |
 Netherlands |
16,337,000 |
 Cameroon |
16,322,000 |
 Chile |
16,295,000 |
 Cambodia |
13,971,000 |
 Ecuador |
13,228,000 |
 Guatemala |
12,599,000 |
 Senegal |
11,658,000 |
 Greece |
11,120,000 |
 Portugal |
10,569,592 |
 Serbia |
10,150,265 |
 Tunisia |
10,102,000 |
 Hungary |
10,098,000 |
 Guinea |
9,402,000 |
 Bolivia |
9,182,000 |
 Haiti |
8,528,000 |
 Benin |
8,439,000 |
 Somalia |
8,228,000 |
 Bulgaria |
7,726,000 |
 Honduras |
7,205,000 |
 Israel |
7,026,000 |
 El Salvador |
6,881,000 |
 Paraguay |
6,158,000 |
 Libya |
5,853,000 |
 Jordan |
5,703,000 |
 Denmark |
5,431,000 |
 Scotland |
5,094,800 |
 Turkmenistan |
4,833,000 |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina |
4,552,198 |
 Croatia |
4,551,000 |
 Costa Rica |
4,327,000 |
 Lebanon |
3,577,000 |
 Uruguay |
3,463,000 |
 Liberia |
3,283,000 |
 Albania |
3,130,000 |
 Armenia |
3,016,000 |
 Kuwait |
2,687,000 |
 Oman |
2,567,000 |
 Bahrain |
698,585 |
 Montenegro |
630,000 |
 Iceland |
305,309 |
[edit] Athletics (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Ethiopia |
75,067,000 |
[edit] Australian rules football (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Nauru |
25,000 |
[edit] Baseball (9)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Japan |
127,433,494 |
 South Korea |
49,024,737 |
 Venezuela |
26,749,000 |
 Republic of China (Taiwan) |
22,894,384 |
 Cuba |
11,269,000 |
 Dominican Republic |
8,895,000 |
 Nicaragua |
5,487,000 |
 Puerto Rico |
3,912,054 |
 Panama |
3,232,000 |
[edit] Basketball (5)
[edit] Biathlon (2)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Belarus |
9,724,723 |
 Norway |
4,721,600 |
[edit] Cricket (25)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 India |
1,169,016,000 |
 Pakistan |
161,488,000 |
 Bangladesh |
150,448,340 |
 Afghanistan |
31,500,000 |
 Uganda |
27,616,000 |
 Nepal |
27,133,000 |
 Australia |
21,290,000 |
 Sri Lanka |
20,743,000 |
 Zimbabwe |
13,010,000 |
 United Arab Emirates |
4,496,000 |
 Jamaica |
2,651,000 |
 Trinidad and Tobago |
1,305,000 |
 Mauritius |
1,219,220 |
 Guyana |
751,000 |
 Maldives |
359,008 |
 The Bahamas |
323,000 |
 Saint Lucia |
160,765 |
 Grenada |
103,000 |
 Jersey |
89,300 |
 Antigua and Barbuda |
82,786 |
 Bermuda |
65,773 |
 Guernsey |
65,573 |
 Cayman Islands |
45,017 |
 Saint Kitts and Nevis |
42,696 |
 Gibraltar |
28,875 |
[edit] Kilikiti (cricket) (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Tuvalu |
11,992 |
[edit] Horse Racing (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Hong Kong |
7,041,000 |
[edit] Hurling (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Ireland |
5,950,148 |
[edit] Ice Hockey (5)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Canada |
32,668,000 |
 Switzerland |
7,252,000 |
 Slovakia |
5,401,000 |
 Finland |
5,276,571 |
 Latvia |
2,307,000 |
[edit] Kick Boxing (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Laos |
5,924,000 |
[edit] Rugby Union (6)
[edit] Sailing (1)
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 Anguilla |
13,477 |
[edit] Skiing (3)
[edit] Wrestling (2)
[edit] Countries with two most popular sports
| Country / Territory |
Population |
 People's Republic of China |
1,321,852,000 |
Association football and table tennis |
 Russia |
142,400,000 |
Association football and ice hockey |
 South Africa |
47,900,000 |
Cricket and Association football |
 Kenya |
34,256,000 |
Cricket and Association football |
 Madagascar |
18,606,000 |
Association football and rugby union |
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png) Belgium |
10,584,534 |
Association football and Cycling |
 Czech Republic |
10,349,37 |
Association football and Ice Hockey |
 Sweden |
9,041,000 |
Association football and ice hockey |
 Azerbaijan |
8,411,000 |
Association football and chess |
 Papua New Guinea |
5,887,000 |
Rugby league and Cricket |
 Moldova |
4,148,000 |
Association football and rugby union |
 Republic of Macedonia |
2,034,000 |
Association football and basketball |
[edit] Countries with three most popular sports
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ term
- ^ according to National Sports of Canada Act CHAPTER N-16.7 (1994, c. 16)
- ^ AfghanistanSport Cricket
- ^ Albania Country Information
- ^ Football: Defoe and Crouch help themselves in Andorra's box | Independent on Sunday, The | Find Articles at BNET.com
- ^ FIFA.com
- ^ Antigua and BarbudaSport
- ^ Armenia
- ^ Australia Cricket
- ^ Heathcote, R. L. (1988). The Australian experience: essays in Australian land settlement and resource management. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 19. ISBN 0-582-71178-9.
- ^ Football codes in Australia
- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics, Sports Attendance Australia 2005-06
- ^ Austria Profile
- ^ Azerbaijan Sport.
- ^ Bahamas Sport
- ^ Bahrain Country Information
- ^ Bangladesh Sport
- ^ BarbadosSport
- ^ Sports in Belarus
- ^ Belgium Profile
- ^ Kingdom of Bhutan
- ^ FIFA.com
- ^ Canada Sport. laws.justice.gc.ca. Retrieved on 2-5-2007.
- ^ Cayman Island Sports
- ^ China
- ^ FijiSports
- ^ Grenada sport
- ^ Guyana.Sport. Retrieved on 2007.
- ^ India Sport
- ^ Indonesia's sports
- ^ Ireland sport
- ^ Italy sport
- ^ JamaicaSport
- ^ Japan Sport
- ^ Kenyasport
- ^ Woolf, Alexander (2002). "Lithuania: Forest Brothers in Short Pants", Big Game, Small World: A Basketball Adventure. New York: Warner Books, pp. 18-32. ISBN 0-446-52601-0.
- ^ BBC NEWS | Africa | Madagascar rugby inspires new passion
- ^ Myanmar Sport. irrawaddy.org. Retrieved on 12,17,2004.
- ^ Namibiasport
- ^ Pacific Sporting Needs Assessment
- ^ Nepal Sports
- ^ Netherlands sport
- ^ New Zealand Sport
- ^ Nigeria's sports
- ^ Pakistan Sport
- ^ PNGsport
- ^ Russia's sports
- ^ Saint Kitts and Nevis Sport
- ^ Saint Lucia Sport
- ^ South Africa sports
- ^ Spain Sport (Spanish language reference)
- ^ Sri LankaSportobsession
- ^ Sri Lanka Sport
- ^ Sweden's attendance by television 2006
- ^ Sweden's attendance by television 2007
- ^ Shambaa
- ^ The Business Times-Tanzania
- ^ Tonga - Information at Halfvalue.com
- ^ T&TSport
- ^ BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Testing time for tiny Tuvalu
- ^ allAfrica.com: Uganda: Waiting to Be Crowned (Page 1 of 2)
- ^ Uganda sport
- ^ UAEsport
- ^ England Sport
- ^ Northern Irelandsport
- ^ Wales
- ^ BermudaSport
- ^ Sports. The Gallup Poll. Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
- ^ Zimbabwe Sports
- ^ sports
[edit] External links
United States of America
American Samoa
Philippines
Lithuania
Slovenia
Estonia
New Zealand
Wales
Fiji
Samoa
Tonga
Cook Islands
Austria
Andorra
Liechtenstein
Georgia
Mongolia
