A national sport is a physical activity or sport that is culturally significant or deeply embedded in a nation, serving as a national symbol and an intrinsic element to a nation's identity and culture.
Several sovereign states and constituent states have formally recognized a specific activity as their national sport, typically favouring sports with origins stemming from their own countries. Conversely, in many other nations, the designation of a national sport is an informal acknowledgment bestowed upon an activity that is either widely embraced or holds historical and cultural significance to that nation.
Official national sports
editAn official national sport is an activity that has been formally recognized and designated as a national sport of a particular nation by government authorities. This recognition often comes through legislation or decrees.
The following is a list official national sports:
Country/territory | Sport | Year of official recognition | Basis | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Argentina | Pato | 1953 | Argentina Decree Nº 17468 | [1] |
Canada | Ice hockey (winter) Lacrosse (summer) |
1994 | National Sports of Canada Act | [2] |
Chile | Chilean Rodeo | 1962 | Official letter No. 269 of the Consejo Nacional de Deportes and Chilean Olympic Committee | [3] |
Colombia | Tejo | 2000 | Colombia Law 613 | [4][5] |
Mexico | Charrería | 1933 | Presidential decree by Abelardo L. Rodríguez | [6] |
Nepal | Volleyball | 2017 | Cabinet of Nepal decision | [7] |
Philippines | Arnis | 2009 | Republic Act No. 9850 | [8] |
Puerto Rico | Paso Fino | 1966 | Puerto Rico Act 64 of 2000 | [9] |
South Korea | Taekwondo | 2018 | National Sport Designation Act for Taekwondo | [10][11] |
Uruguay | Destrezas Criollas | 2006 | National Law Nº 17958 | [12][13] |
Unofficial national sports
editAn unofficial national sport is an activity that holds significant popularity or cultural and historical significance within a particular nation but lacks legal recognition as the official national sport. These informal national sports typically reflect a nation's preferences and their perceived connection to the nation's culture and identity. The designation of an unofficial national sport can be contentious, as it can vary within a nation based on regional preferences and traditions.
The following is a list of unofficial national sports:
See also
editReferences
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- ^ "National Sports of Canada Act S.C. 1994, c. 16". Justice Laws Website. 12 May 1994. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
The game commonly known as ice hockey is hereby recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada and the game commonly known as Hockey and Lacrosse is hereby recognized and declared to be the national summer sport of Canada.
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A reconocerse, en 1962, el rodeo como deporte nacional y oficial [10 de enero de 1962, oficio N°269 del Consejo Nacional de Deportes y Comité Olímpico de Chile]
- ^ Sherriff, Lucy (9 September 2021). "Gunpowder and beer: Playing Colombia's national sport of tejo". CNN Travel. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
The game originated amongst Colombian indigenous groups around 500 years ago and was declared the Latin American country's sport in 2000 under Law 613.
- ^ "Colombia Law 613 of 4 September 2000". Global Legal Information Network. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
- ^ "La Charrería "Nuestro Deporte Nacional"" (in Spanish). Mexican Department of Tourism. Archived from the original on 8 February 2009. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
El año de 1933 fue muy importante, ya que el general Abelardo L. Rodríguez, emite un decreto presidencial, dando a la Charrería el título de único Deporte Nacional.
- ^ a b "It's official: Volleyball is the national sport of Nepal". OnlineKhabar. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 23 May 2017.
The government on Monday decided to recognize volleyball as the national sport of Nepal.
- ^ "Republic Act No. 9850: An Act declaring Arnis as the national martial art and sport of the Philippines". Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2010.
- ^ "Puerto Rico Act 64 of 2000, S.B. 1856" (PDF). Office of Legislative Services of Puerto Rico. 11 April 2000. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
In 1966, the Public Parks and Recreation Administration and the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee awarded official recognition of the "paso fino" horse riding sport as the autochthonous sport of Puerto Rico.
- ^ "Taekwondo designated as South Korea's flagbearing national sport". insidethegames. 4 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
- ^ "Taekwondo is Korea's national martial art - now by law". The Korea Times. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2021.
The National Assembly on Friday passed a revised act on taekwondo promotion, which states that the sport is the South Korean national martial art. / Taekwondo has customarily been perceived as the national martial art but wasn't officially recognized by the law.
- ^ "Uruguay Law 17958 of 21 April 2006". Global Legal Information Network. Archived from the original on 21 June 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2008.
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displays of traditional gaucho skills (destrezas criollas)
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Director of Sports, Alkins Rogers, […] reported that the Government recognizes boat racing as the national sport of Anguilla and was giving financial resources for its development.
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Cricket, a left-over from the British rule, is the national sport of Antigua and Barbuda.
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Ha-du-du was given the name kabadi and the status of National Game in 1972.
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The national sport of Barbados is cricket
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Bermuda are one of the few sides who count cricket as a national sport.
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However, it (archery) was only declared as a national sport in 1971
- ^ Lowell, John (1992). Ring of Liberation: Deceptive Discourse in Brazilian Capoeira. University of Chicago Press. p. 61. ISBN 978-0-226-47683-4.
In 1972, capoeira was officially proclaimed a Brazilian national sport, under the jurisdiction of the Federacao Barsileiro de Pugilismo
- ^ Kun, Khmer (8 August 2012). "Cambodia". The Atlantic.
Kun Khmer, root back since ancient time of Khmer Empire, inscripted on stone wall, mark as one of the oldest martial art in Southeast Asia"
- ^ Gao, Helen (8 August 2012). "China, Still the World Champ, Is Falling Out of Love With Table Tennis". The Atlantic. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
Table tennis, China's unofficial national sport since the 1950s, has given millions of Chinese a taste of national glory and prestige long before their country's more recent rise." / "Mao Zedong decreed table tennis the national sport, and invested heavily in cultivating competitive players."
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Baseball is so ingrained in Cuba that it has thrived as the "national sport" through forty years of a bitterly anti-American revolution.
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Most Cubans, after all, consider baseball to be their national sport, a game entwined in history with their struggle for independence from Spain and the birth of their nation.
- ^ Castro, Fidel (13 August 1999). "Speech at a meeting with Pan American Games delegation members". cuba.cu. Retrieved 24 July 2008.
the game that […] is […] our national sport […] I am talking of baseball
- ^ Johny Payne (17 July 2021). "Islam Makhachev explains why Dagestani fighters excel in wrestling". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
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Baseball is the Dominican Republic's national sport.
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Basketball is the unofficial national sport
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rugby (or Rakavi) is the national sport
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in the first Grenada Cricket Classics [, h]eroes such as Sir Viv Richards, Joel Garner and Curtley Ambrose came together to promote what is considered by many to be the national sport in Grenada.
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Cricket lovely Cricket! One cannot miss out on Guyana's national sport without participating in a game of cricket while in Guyana.
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[E]ven though soccer football was and is considered the Hungarian national pastime
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- ^ a b Ansari, Aarish. "Did you know that India does not have a national game!". Retrieved 11 February 2022.
However, in contrast to common perception, hockey is not the national game of India. The next best answer, kabaddi, is also incorrect..." "...And those siding with the currently popular cricket are also mistaken.
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The ministry of youth affairs and sports has said that the central government has not declared any sport as the 'national game' of the country (India)
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Today's announcement ensures that the public will enjoy quality coverage of our national games across all of RTÉ's media platforms.
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It's [the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final] a big deal in Ireland, where Gaelic games are the national sport, but the problem for the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) is that no-one outside the country, save for committed expatriates, gives a fig.
- ^ "History of Jamaica". Jamaican Embassy, Washington. Archived from the original on 20 June 2008. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
The legacy of Britain also lives on in Jamaica in many ways […] the game of cricket is the national sport.
- ^ "What Is Sumo?". Kids Web Japan sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
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Lithuania is a country that loves basketball. It is our national sport and we are proud to be reigning European Champions.
- ^ Winn, Luke (15 August 2011). "Lithuania Calling". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
Basketball is the only sport the 3.2 million Lithuanians truly care about—it's their second religion, after Catholicism—and their success is proportionately stunning.
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If you went to school in the 90s in Nepal, chances are that you were taught that dandi-biyo is Nepal's national sport.
- ^ Alves, Thalita (21 September 2017). "How Rugby Became New Zealand's National Sport". Culture Trip. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
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Regarded as New Zealand's national game from the early 20th century, when the All Blacks swept triumphantly across Britain, rugby remains hugely popular.
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the national sport could become a fine weapon in time of war. In 1943, Norway's resistance movement won an epochal victory – on skis, of course
- ^ Berglund, Nina (20 February 2006). "Few cheers for Norway". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 21 February 2006. Retrieved 21 July 2008.
The scoreboard shows how the Norwegians placed, a performance considered much too poor in a country where cross-country skiing is a national sport.
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But it would still be one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history if Papua New Guinea – the only country to have rugby league as its national sport – were to qualify for the last four.
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Basketball is the major national sport in the Philippines.
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The Filipinos adpted basketball as their national sport, and Filipino boxers...
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Dar nici deciziile luate de autorităţile comuniste nu au salvat sportul naţional românesc de la uitare.
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Basketball is the national sport of Serbia
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National sport No.1 – In Serbia, basketball is a religion
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The Trophy Tour had Serbia on its schedule in mid-June. But the land of basketball wants to show it to an even bigger crowd, if they win it all in China in September
- ^ "Svečana akademija Košarkaškog saveza Srbije za pamćenje!". Basketball Federation of Serbia. 12 December 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
Today we celebrate 95 years since the first basketball match in Serbia and the 70th birthday of the national federation, which fans of the game all over Europe and the world, describe as "Land of basketball".
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Baseball can be called Taiwan's national sport
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Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and is also known as 'The Art of Eight Limbs' as the hands, shins, elbows and knees are used extensively in this art.
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Baseball justified its privileged legal status by citing the special nature and cultural significance of America's national pastime.
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Tradition – that quality so instrumental in elevating baseball to its century-old status as national pastime – has become less important
- ^ Gmelch, George (1 January 2006). Baseball Without Borders: The International Pastime. U of Nebraska Press. p. 308. ISBN 978-0-8032-5606-4. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
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rugby used to be the undisputed national sport of Wales […] Rugby Union's assumed position as "the national game" has often been questioned on the basis that it is predominantly a game played and followed in South Wales.