National sport

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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 of a country or nation. 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:

The rules and objectives of the sport or game are known in fairly great detail in the country or nation.
The game or sport is widely played or watched in the country or nation.
The game or sport has a long history of popularity or extreme current popularity in the country or nation.

In some countries, sport or game can become the official national pastime by mandate of the government, such as with Canada and lacrosse in 1995.

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.

1 List of current countries' national sports
2 Countries By National Sport
3 References

[edit] List of current countries' national sports

Afghanistan - Buzkashi (traditional) and football (soccer) (most popular). Boxing, kung fu and Cricket are also popular.^{[citation needed]}
Albania - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Antigua and Barbuda - Cricket.^{[citation needed]}
Angola - Football, Basketball.^{[citation needed]}
Argentina - football (soccer) 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.^{[citation needed]}
Armenia - Chess and Football are most popular; competitively Weightlifting and Wrestling.^{[citation needed]}
Australia - Cricket is the national Sport. Different football codes are the most popular winter sports in different parts of the country. Australian rules football is the most popular in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania, while Rugby league and/or Rugby Union are more popular in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
Austria - Alpine skiing, Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Azerbaijan - Chess, Football (soccer), Wrestling ^[1]
Bahrain – Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Bangladesh - Kabaddi is the National Game. Cricket is the most popular game. Football also popular.^{[citation needed]}
Barbados - Cricket.^{[citation needed]}
Belarus - Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. Ice Hockey is also popular.^{[citation needed]}
Belgium - Cycling is the most popular sport in Belgium: during winter a variant of cycling called cyclo-cross ("veldrijden") is the pastime for most Belgians (certainly in Flanders). football (soccer) is also quite popular.^{[citation needed]}
Bhutan - Archery.^{[citation needed]}
Bolivia - Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Brazil - football (soccer) is considered the national sport, Futsal an indoor variant of Football is the most practiced and volleyball also has a large number of participants.^{[citation needed]}
Bulgaria - football (soccer). Competitively weightlifting and in chess.^{[citation needed]}
Canada - Lacrosse and ice hockey are the official sports, 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 (but probably also American football), soccer among women, golf, baseball, tennis are all much more popular. Canada also fields one of the major national teams in the sport of curling.^[2]
Cambodia - Kickboxing.^{[citation needed]}
Cameroon - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Chile - football (soccer) and Tennis.^{[citation needed]}
People's Republic of China - Table tennis, basketball and football. Football is the most popular sport since a short time. Many people also practice Kung Fu.^{[citation needed]}
Ethiopia – Athletics.^{[citation needed]}
Hong Kong - Dragon boat racing, badminton, windsurfing, rugby, fencing and Cricket, football is the most widely followed televised sport.^{[citation needed]}
Colombia - Tejo is the traditional sport, as is bullfighting, but football (soccer) is the main attraction, followed by baseball and basketball.^{[citation needed]}
Costa Rica - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Croatia - Football (soccer). Handball, water polo and basketball are also widely popular.^{[citation needed]}
Cuba - Baseball. followed by Football (soccer) and boxing.^{[citation needed]}
Czech Republic - Ice hockey and football (soccer) are almost equally popular.^{[citation needed]}
Denmark - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Dominican Republic - Baseball.^{[citation needed]}
Egypt - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Estonia - Basketball and football (soccer) are almost equally popular. Cross-country skiing in winter.^{[citation needed]}
Fiji - Rugby union, particularly Sevens.^{[citation needed]}
Finland - Pesäpallo (or Finnish baseball) is the de-facto national sport, but ice hockey is most followed. Formula 1 and ski jump are watched and floorball is played widely.^{[citation needed]}
France - Football (soccer) is the national sport and the symbol of national pride, it's followed by tennis. Rugby union and bocce are popular in the South of France.^{[citation needed]}
Gambia - Wrestling.^{[citation needed]}
Georgia - Football and Rugby Union.^{[citation needed]}
Germany - football (soccer) is the most popular sport, the second place holds handball which are the national sports. Behind this sports are basketball and ice hockey. Field Hockey are played on a very high level in germany.^{[citation needed]}
Greece - football (soccer) is most popular, closely followed by basketball and volleyball.^{[citation needed]}
Grenada - Football (soccer) is most popular, with cricket close behind.^{[citation needed]}
Guyana - Cricket, with Football (soccer) being the next popular sport^[3]
Haiti - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Hungary - football (soccer) and water polo although water polo has historically been the most successful sport.^{[citation needed]}
Iceland - Glima, but Football (soccer) is the most popular.^{[citation needed]}
India - Field Hockey is the National Game of India while Cricket is the most popular. Football (soccer) is the major game in Kerala, West Bengal , Goa and Manipur.^{[citation needed]}
Indonesia - Football (soccer), badminton.^{[citation needed]}
Iran - freestyle Wrestling is the traditional national sport, all kinds of combat sports and martial arts are popular suuch as: Greco-Roman wrestling, taekwondo, karate and kung fu. but football is by far the most popular. Futsal and Volleyball also widely practised. and comptetivelly in weightlifting.^{[citation needed]}
Iraq – football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Ireland - of indigenous games promoted by the Gaelic Athletic Association, hurling is the most ancient (featuring in such pre-Christian legends as Cúchulainn) but Gaelic football is the most widely played and popular. Gaelic handball is increasingly rare. Soccer and golf are widely popular and rugby union is increasing in popularity, particularly in the southwest and major cities.^{[citation needed]}
Israel - football (soccer) and basketball.^{[citation needed]}
Italy - football (soccer) is the most practised sport by young men. Volleyball is the most practised sport by young women. Bocce is the most practised sport by seniors. Cycling is also widely popular. However, only men's football has high TV coverage.^{[citation needed]}
Jamaica - Cricket and football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Japan - Sumo wrestling, karate and Judo are traditionally viewed as Japan's national sports, but baseball is today more popular, and football and rugby union are rapidly increasing in popularity.^{[citation needed]}
Kazakhstan - boxing, Ice Hockey and Football (soccer) are popular as well.^{[citation needed]}
Kenya - football (soccer) is the most watched and followed sport with Athletics being the most competitively successful. Rugby and cricket are rapidly gaining in popularity.^{[citation needed]}
Korea - Tae kwon do is the traditional national sport, though baseball is highly popular as is football (soccer) and table tennis. The computer game StarCraft is so popular in South Korea that is commonly (and jokingly) referred to as a "national sport".^{[citation needed]}
Latvia - Basketball is the national sport while Ice Hockey is considered the most popular sport followed by football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Lebanon - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Libya - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Lithuania - Basketball is most closely linked to national identity, with football also widely followed.^{[citation needed]}
Malaysia - Silat, gasing, and wau are traditional sports, but football followed a close second by badminton are the most popular sports today.
Maldives - football (soccer)^{[citation needed]}
Mexico - Charrería and bullfighting are traditional sports, but football is most popular by far. Baseball and American football are also widely played and followed.^{[citation needed]}
Mongolia - Wrestling and archery.^{[citation needed]}
Montenegro - football (soccer) and basketball.^{[citation needed]}
Morocco - football (soccer), athletics and basketball.^{[citation needed]}
Mozambique - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Myanmar/Burma - football (soccer).^[4]
Namibia - football (soccer). Rugby union is also popular.^{[citation needed]}
Nauru - Australian rules footballand weightlifting.^[5]
Nepal - Football and Cricket.^{[citation needed]}
Netherlands - football (soccer) has the largest following, but cycling and speed skating are seen as traditional sports; volleyball, baseball (known locally as honkbal) and field hockey are also played.^{[citation needed]}
New Zealand - Rugby union is the easily the most widely followed and most closely linked to national pride (rugby league gaining popularity), although some young children today play soccer. Netball is one of the most popular sports among girls and young women, and men have organised some teams of their own. Cricket is played during summer and is the national summer sport. Yachting and rowing are also popular.^{[citation needed]}
- Cook Islands - Rugby Union.^{[citation needed]}
Nicaragua - Baseball.^{[citation needed]}
Nigeria - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Norway - Skiing, both Nordic and Alpine, but football is the most popular sport.^{[citation needed]}
Pakistan - Field hockey is the official national sport while Cricket is the most popular. Polo is the official secondary national sport on a state-level. Pakistan also has had a long history in the game of squash.^{[citation needed]}
Panama - Baseball is the national and most practiced sport. They're also successful at boxing and basketball. Soccer although is not so successful, it is growing in popularity.^{[citation needed]}
Papua New Guinea - Rugby league. Australian rules football is also very popular.^{[citation needed]}
Peru - Football (soccer) is the national sport.^{[citation needed]}
Philippines - Basketball is the de facto national pastime since the 1950s, attracting large crowds.[1] Boxing, Billiards and Bowling are the other sports with the largest number of participants. Sipa and Eskrima are the main traditional sports, with the former being the official national sport.^{[citation needed]}
Poland - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Portugal - football (soccer), rink hockey, cycling are very popular and have a great tradition.^{[citation needed]}
Romania - Oina (very similar but unrelated to baseball) is the traditional sport, but football (soccer) is much more popular nowadays. Rugby also has a fairly strong following.^{[citation needed]}
Russia - Football (soccer), Tennis, Ice Hockey, Sambo.^{[citation needed]}
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Cricket is the national sport, with intense inter-island rivalry.^{[citation needed]}
Saint Lucia - Cricket.^{[citation needed]}
Samoa - Rugby union.^{[citation needed]}
Saudi Arabia - Falconry and horse racing are traditional, but football draws the largest number of spectators.^{[citation needed]}
Senegal - football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Serbia - Basketball, with football (soccer), water polo and volleyball not far behind.^{[citation needed]}
Singapore - Football (soccer), swimming, badminton, basketball and table tennis.^{[citation needed]}
Slovakia - Ice hockey and football (soccer) are almost equally popular.^{[citation needed]}.
Slovenia - Alpine skiing, but basketball is very popular. Football (soccer) is very popular as well.^{[citation needed]}
South Africa - football (soccer) has historically been most popular with black South Africans, rugby union with Afrikaners, and cricket with British-descended whites. This ethnic division still exists to some degree, though considerably less so than during the apartheid era.^{[citation needed]}
Spain - Football (soccer) is very popular in Spain, followed by basketball, the traditional sport is bullfighting.^{[citation needed]}
Sri Lanka - Cricket is the most popular.^{[citation needed]}
Sudan - Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Switzerland - Schwingen, stone throwing and Hornussen, all traditional games, are popular in rural Switzerland, although football (soccer) is most popular overall, ice hockey and Alpine skiing are rising in popularity.^{[citation needed]}
Sweden - football (soccer) and ice hockey are almost equally popular. Bandy is the traditional Swedish winter sport. Although floorball is the sport with the most active athletes.^{[citation needed]}
Syria - Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
Taiwan (Republic of China) - baseball.^{[citation needed]}
Thailand - Muay Thai is traditional sport. Soccer is very popular.^{[citation needed]}
Tonga - Rugby union.^[6]
Trinidad and Tobago- football (soccer) is the most popular sport with cricket a close second.^{[citation needed]}
Turkey - football (soccer), followed by basketball and volleyball. But wrestling and weightlifting are historically popular.^{[citation needed]}
Turkmenistan –horse racing and kurash are traditional. football is popular.^{[citation needed]}
Tuvalu - darts.^{[citation needed]}
Ukraine - Football (soccer).^{[citation needed]}
United Arab Emirates - Camel racing is traditional, but football (soccer) is the most popular. Cricket is also popular.^{[citation needed]}
United Kingdom
- England - Football (soccer) is the most popular. Cricket, Rugby Union and Rugby League, are also popular.^{[citation needed]}
- Scotland - Native sport is Shinty, but football (soccer) attracts much larger crowds. Scotland was also the birthplace of golf and curling. Rugby Union is also popular.^{[citation needed]}
- Wales - Traditionally rugby union, but Football (soccer) is played by more people and attracts much higher attendances.
- Overseas territories and crown dependencies of the United Kingdom traditionaly played cricket but have since followed Britain into Football (soccer).
  - Bermuda - Cricket.^{[citation needed]}
United States - Baseball has historically been considered America's national pastime and a significant aspect of American culture. However, American football currently enjoys somewhat greater popularity nationwide than baseball.^[7]
- American Samoa - American football.^{[citation needed]}
- Puerto Rico - Baseball, Basketball and Boxing. Volleyball is also popular, specially women's volleyball and soccer has gained some raise in popularity recently.^{[citation needed]}
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 football.^{[citation needed]}
Venezuela - Baseball is by far the most popular sport in Venezuela, Basketball and Football (soccer) are played as well by a great part of the population.^{[citation needed]}
Vietnam - Football (soccer) is the dominant sport, followed by a number of sports including tennis, badminton, volleyball, table tennis and martial arts.^{[citation needed]}
Zimbabwe - Football (soccer) and cricket.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Countries By National Sport

Countries grouped by their national/most popular sport.

[edit] Football (soccer)

Country / Territory	Population
Indonesia	222,781,000
Brazil	187,104,851
Russia	142,400,000
Nigeria	131,530,000
Mexico	107,029,000
Vietnam	84,238,000
Germany	82,689,000
Ethiopia	77,431,000
Egypt	74,033,000
Turkey	73,193,000
Iran	69,515,000
Thailand	64,233,000
France	60,496,000
Italy	58,093,000
Democratic Republic of the Congo	57,549,000
Myanmar	50,519,000
England	50,431,700
South Korea	47,817,000
South Africa	47,432,257
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
Kenya	34,256,000
Algeria	32,854,000
Morocco	31,478,000
Afghanistan	29,863,000
Uganda	28,816,000
Iraq	28,807,000
Peru	27,968,000
Nepal	27,133,000
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
Madagascar	18,606,000
Côte d'Ivoire(Ivory Coast)	18,154,000
Netherlands	16,337,000
Cameroon	16,322,000
Chile	16,295,000
Angola	15,941,000
Niger	13,957,000
Mali	13,518,000
Burkina Faso	13,228,000
Ecuador	13,228,000
Zimbabwe	13,010,000
Malawi	12,884,000
Guatemala	12,599,000
Zambia	11,668,000
Senegal	11,658,000
Greece	11,120,000
Portugal	10,569,592
Czech Republic	10,220,000
Tunisia	10,102,000
Hungary	10,098,000
Serbia	9,778,991
Belarus	9,755,000
Chad	9,749,000
Guinea	9,402,000
Bolivia	9,182,000
Sweden	9,041,000
Rwanda	9,038,000
Haiti	8,528,000
Benin	8,439,000
Azerbaijan	8,411,000
Somalia	8,228,000
Austria	8,189,000
Bulgaria	7,726,000
Burundi	7,548,000
Switzerland	7,252,000
Honduras	7,205,000
Israel	7,026,000
El Salvador	6,881,000
Tajikistan	6,507,000
Paraguay	6,158,000
Togo	6,145,000
Libya	5,853,000
Jordan	5,703,000
Sierra Leone	5,525,000
Denmark	5,431,000
Slovakia	5,401,000
Kyrgyzstan	5,264,000
Scotland	5,094,800
Turkmenistan	4,833,000
Norway	4,620,000
Croatia	4,551,000
United Arab Emirates	4,496,000
Georgia	4,474,000
Eritrea	4,401,000
Costa Rica	4,327,000
Singapore	4,326,000
Moldova	4,148,000
Central African Republic	4,038,000
Republic of the Congo	3,999,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina	3,907,000
Palestinian territories	3,702,000
Lebanon	3,577,000
Uruguay	3,463,000
Liberia	3,283,000
Albania	3,130,000
Mauritania	3,069,000
Armenia	3,016,000
Kuwait	2,687,000
Oman	2,567,000
Republic of Macedonia	2,034,000
Namibia	2,031,000
Slovenia	1,967,000
Lesotho	1,795,000
Botswana	1,765,000
Guinea-Bissau	1,586,000
The Gambia	1,517,000
Gabon	1,384,000
Estonia	1,330,000
Trinidad and Tobago	1,305,000
Mauritius	1,245,000
Swaziland	1,032,000
Bahrain	698,585
Montenegro	630,000
Maldives	359,008
Iceland	305,309
São Tomé and Príncipe	157,000

[edit] Cricket

Country / Territory	Population
India	1,103,371,000
Pakistan	165,803,560
Bangladesh	147,365,352
Sri Lanka	20,743,000
Australia	20,626,900
Jamaica	2,651,000
Trinidad and Tobago	1,305,000
Guyana	751,000
Barbados	279,254
Saint Lucia	161,000
Antigua and Barbuda	81,479
Bermuda	65,773
Saint Kitts and Nevis	42,696

[edit] Baseball

Country / Territory	Population
United States of America	300,322,784
Japan	128,085,000
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