The National sport reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

National sport

Several countries have either official or unofficial national sports. Many countries have a traditional or official national sport that differs from the one that is currently the most popular. Other countries have no clear national sport, with many that are popular.

List of Countries' National Sports

• Afghanistan - Buzkashi
• Argentina - football
• Australia - cricket is the official summer sport, Rugby League is the official winter sport in the northern states (New South Wales and Queensland) and Australian Rules Football is the official winter sport in the others.
• Austria - skiing
• Barbados - cricket
• Belgium - football
• Bhutan - archery
• Brazil - football
• Canada - lacrosse is the official summer sport and ice hockey is the official winter sport, but hockey is by far the sport most closely followed, and most closely linked to national pride. Designating lacrosse as an official sport is more of a nod to history that a reflection of the present-day situation: sports like baseball, Canadian football, soccer, golf, tennis are all much more popular.
• China - table tennis
• Cuba - baseball
• Dominican Republic - baseball
• Estonia - basketball
• Fiji - Rugby Union
• Finland - Pesäpallo
• Gambia - wrestling
• Germany - football
• Hong Kong - Dragon boat racing
• Iceland - glima
• India - field hockey is the official sport (winners of 8 Olympic Golds), but cricket is the most popular (Winners of 1983 World Cup)
• Iran - wrestling
• Ireland - hurling & Gaelic football
• Italy - football
• Japan - sumo wrestling is traditionally viewed as Japan's national sport, but baseball is today more popular, and football is rapidly increasing in popularity
• Korea - Tae kwon do, but StarCraft has sometimes sarcastically been referred to as the national sport
• Latvia - ice hockey
• Lithuania - basketball
• Mexico - Charrería
• Nauru - Australian rules football
• New Zealand - Rugby Union
• Norway - Skiing
• Pakistan - field hockey is the official sport (winners of the Gold in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994), but cricket is the most popular (winners of the world cup in 1992)
• Papua New Guinea - Rugby League
• Philippines - basketball
• Russia - Sambo
• Samoa - Rugby Union
  • Note: In American Samoa, American football is more popular.
• Soviet Union - chess
• South Africa - football has historically been most popular with blacks, Rugby Union with Afrikaners, and cricket with British-descended whites
• Spain - bull fighting is traditional, but football is the most popular
• Switzerland - Hornussen, a traditional game, is popular in rural Switzerland, although football is most popular overall
• Thailand - Muay Thai
• Tonga - Rugby Union
• Turkey - kirkpinar, but football is the most popular
• United Arab Emirates - Camel racing is traditional, but football is the most popular
• United States - baseball is generally named as "the American national pastime"
• Uzbekistan - Kurash
• Venezuela - baseball
• Wales - Rugby Union

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