year winner runner-up
1975 West Indies Australia
1979 West Indies Australia
1983 India West Indies
1987 Australia England
1992 Pakistan England
1996 Sri Lanka Australia
1999 Australia Pakistan
2003 Australia India
2007 Australia Sri Lanka
2011
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
OLYMPIC MOVEMENT
Olympic Movement
A number of organizations are involved in organizing the Olympic Games. Together they form the Olympic Movement. The rules and guidelines by which these organizations operate are outlined in the Olympic Charter.
At the heart of the Olympic Movement is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), currently headed by Jacques Rogge. It can be seen as the government of the Olympics, as it takes care of the daily problems and makes all important decisions, such as choosing the host city of the Games, and the programme of the Olympics.
Three groups of organisations operate on a more specialised level:
* International Federations (IFs), the governing bodies of a sport (e.g. FIFA, the IF for football (soccer), and the FIVB, the international governing body for volleyball.)
* National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which regulate the Olympic Movement within each country (eg. USOC, the NOC of the United States)
* Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), which take care of the organisation of a specific celebration of the Olympics.
At present, 202 NOCs and 35 IFs are part of the Olympic Movement. OCOGs are dissolved after the celebration of each Games, once all subsequent paperwork has been completed.
More broadly speaking, the term Olympic Movement is sometimes also meant to include everybody and everything involved in the Olympics, such as national sport governing bodies, athletes, media, and sponsors of the Olympic Games.
Criticism
Most Olympic Games have been held in European and North American cities; only a few games have been held in other places, and all bids by countries in South America and Africa have failed. Many non-westerners believe the games should expand to include locations in poorer regions. Economists point out that the massive infrastructure investments could springboard cities into earning higher GDP after the games.[citation needed] However, many host cities regret the high costs associated with hosting the games as a poor investment[citation needed].
In the past, the IOC has often been criticised for being a monolithic organisation, with several members remaining a member at old age, or even until their deaths. The leadership of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch especially has been strongly criticised. Under his presidency, the Olympic Movement made great progress, but has been seen as autocratic and corrupt. Samaranch's ties with the former fascist government in Spain, and his long term as a president (21 years)—until he was 81 years old—have also been points of critique.
In 1998, it became known that several IOC members had taken bribes from the organising committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, in exchange for a vote on the city at the election of the host city. The IOC started an investigation, which led to four members resigning and six being expelled. The scandal set off further reforms, changing the way in which host cities are elected to avoid further bribes. Also, more active and former athletes were allowed in the IOC, and the membership terms have been limited.
The same year (1998), four European groups organized the International Network Against Olympic Games and Commercial Sports to oppose their cities' bids for future Olympic Games. Also, an Anti-Olympic Alliance had formed in Sydney to protest the hosting of the 2000 Games. Later, a similar movement in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia organized to protest the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games. These movements were particularly concerned about adverse local economic impact and dislocation of people to accommodate the hosting of the Olympics.
A BBC documentary aired in August 2004, entitled Panorama: "Buying the Games", investigated the taking of bribes in the bidding process for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The documentary claimed it is possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. In an airborne television interview on the way home, the Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, specifically accused the British Prime Minister (Tony Blair) and the London Bid Committee (headed by former Olympic athlete Lord (Sebastien) Coe of breaking the bid rules with flagrant financial and sexual bribes. He cited French President Jacques Chirac as a witness but President Chirac gave rather more guarded interviews. In particular, Bulgaria's member Ivan Slavkov, and Muttaleb Ahmad from the Olympic Council of Asia, were implicated. They have denied the allegations. And Mayor Delanoë never mentioned the matter again. (Indeed two days later when London was attacked by suicide bombers on buses and trains, 52 Londoners were killed and over 700 Londoners were injured, it was both Mayor Delanoë and President Chirac -in an Olympian spirit of which Pierre de Coubertin would have been proud- who were among the first to express their solidarity with London and to send practical help in the form of rescue teams etc.) Others have alleged that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in Turin because officials bribed the IOC and so Turin got the games and Sion, Switzerland (which was the favorite) did not.
The Olympic Movement has been accused of being overprotective of its symbolism (in particular, it claims an exclusive and monopolistic copyright over any arrangement of five rings and the term "olympics"), and have taken action against things unrelated to sport, such as the role-playing game Legend of the Five Rings. It was accused of homophobia in 1982 when it successfully sued the Gay Olympics, an event now known as the Gay Games, to ban it from using the term "olympics" in its name.[27]
A number of organizations are involved in organizing the Olympic Games. Together they form the Olympic Movement. The rules and guidelines by which these organizations operate are outlined in the Olympic Charter.
At the heart of the Olympic Movement is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), currently headed by Jacques Rogge. It can be seen as the government of the Olympics, as it takes care of the daily problems and makes all important decisions, such as choosing the host city of the Games, and the programme of the Olympics.
Three groups of organisations operate on a more specialised level:
* International Federations (IFs), the governing bodies of a sport (e.g. FIFA, the IF for football (soccer), and the FIVB, the international governing body for volleyball.)
* National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which regulate the Olympic Movement within each country (eg. USOC, the NOC of the United States)
* Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), which take care of the organisation of a specific celebration of the Olympics.
At present, 202 NOCs and 35 IFs are part of the Olympic Movement. OCOGs are dissolved after the celebration of each Games, once all subsequent paperwork has been completed.
More broadly speaking, the term Olympic Movement is sometimes also meant to include everybody and everything involved in the Olympics, such as national sport governing bodies, athletes, media, and sponsors of the Olympic Games.
Criticism
Most Olympic Games have been held in European and North American cities; only a few games have been held in other places, and all bids by countries in South America and Africa have failed. Many non-westerners believe the games should expand to include locations in poorer regions. Economists point out that the massive infrastructure investments could springboard cities into earning higher GDP after the games.[citation needed] However, many host cities regret the high costs associated with hosting the games as a poor investment[citation needed].
In the past, the IOC has often been criticised for being a monolithic organisation, with several members remaining a member at old age, or even until their deaths. The leadership of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch especially has been strongly criticised. Under his presidency, the Olympic Movement made great progress, but has been seen as autocratic and corrupt. Samaranch's ties with the former fascist government in Spain, and his long term as a president (21 years)—until he was 81 years old—have also been points of critique.
In 1998, it became known that several IOC members had taken bribes from the organising committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, in exchange for a vote on the city at the election of the host city. The IOC started an investigation, which led to four members resigning and six being expelled. The scandal set off further reforms, changing the way in which host cities are elected to avoid further bribes. Also, more active and former athletes were allowed in the IOC, and the membership terms have been limited.
The same year (1998), four European groups organized the International Network Against Olympic Games and Commercial Sports to oppose their cities' bids for future Olympic Games. Also, an Anti-Olympic Alliance had formed in Sydney to protest the hosting of the 2000 Games. Later, a similar movement in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia organized to protest the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games. These movements were particularly concerned about adverse local economic impact and dislocation of people to accommodate the hosting of the Olympics.
A BBC documentary aired in August 2004, entitled Panorama: "Buying the Games", investigated the taking of bribes in the bidding process for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The documentary claimed it is possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. In an airborne television interview on the way home, the Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, specifically accused the British Prime Minister (Tony Blair) and the London Bid Committee (headed by former Olympic athlete Lord (Sebastien) Coe of breaking the bid rules with flagrant financial and sexual bribes. He cited French President Jacques Chirac as a witness but President Chirac gave rather more guarded interviews. In particular, Bulgaria's member Ivan Slavkov, and Muttaleb Ahmad from the Olympic Council of Asia, were implicated. They have denied the allegations. And Mayor Delanoë never mentioned the matter again. (Indeed two days later when London was attacked by suicide bombers on buses and trains, 52 Londoners were killed and over 700 Londoners were injured, it was both Mayor Delanoë and President Chirac -in an Olympian spirit of which Pierre de Coubertin would have been proud- who were among the first to express their solidarity with London and to send practical help in the form of rescue teams etc.) Others have alleged that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in Turin because officials bribed the IOC and so Turin got the games and Sion, Switzerland (which was the favorite) did not.
The Olympic Movement has been accused of being overprotective of its symbolism (in particular, it claims an exclusive and monopolistic copyright over any arrangement of five rings and the term "olympics"), and have taken action against things unrelated to sport, such as the role-playing game Legend of the Five Rings. It was accused of homophobia in 1982 when it successfully sued the Gay Olympics, an event now known as the Gay Games, to ban it from using the term "olympics" in its name.[27]
POLITICS AND VIOLENCE IN OLYMPICS
Politics
Main article: Politics in the Olympics
Politics interfered with the Olympics on several occasions, the most well-known of which was the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the games were used as propaganda by the German Nazis. At this Olympics, a true Olympic spirit was shown by Luz Long, who helped Jesse Owens (a black athlete) to win the long jump, at the expense of his own silver medal.[20] The Soviet Union did not participate in the Olympic Games until the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Instead, the Soviets organized an international sports event called Spartakiads, from 1928 onward. Many athletes from Communist organizations or close to them chose not to participate or were even barred from participating in Olympic Games, and instead participated in Spartakiads.[21]
A political incident on a smaller scale occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Two American track-and-field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, performed the Black Power salute on the victory stand of the 200-meter track and field race. In response, the IOC's autocratic president Avery Brundage told the USOC to either send the two athletes home, or withdraw the complete track and field team. The USOC opted for the former.[22]
In a political policy move that flouts the spirit of the Olympic movement, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran specifically orders its athletes not to compete in any olympic heat, semi-final, or finals that includes athletes from Israel. At the 2004 Olympics, an Iranian judoka refused to compete in a heat against an Israeli judoka, but did so surreptitiously to avoid the possibility of Iran being removed from the games for political intrigue (the athlete deliberately didn't make weight.) The Iranian returned home to a hero's welcome.[23]
Violence
Despite what Coubertin had hoped for, the Olympics did not bring total peace to the world. In fact, three Olympiads had to pass without Olympics because of war: due to World War I the 1916 Games were canceled, and the summer and winter games of 1940 and 1944 were canceled because of World War II.
Terrorism has also become a recent threat to the Olympic Games. In 1972, when the Summer Games were held in Munich, West Germany, eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September in what is known as the Munich massacre. A bungled liberation attempt led to the deaths of the nine abducted athletes who had not been killed prior to the rescue as well as that of a policeman, with five of the terrorists also being killed.[24]
During the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, a bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park killed two and injured 111 others. The bomb was set by Eric Robert Rudolph, an American domestic terrorist, who is currently serving a life sentence at Supermax in Florence, Colorado.[25]
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were the first Olympic Games since the September 11, 2001 attacks. They were also the first games held in a nation at war. Olympic Games since then have required an extremely high degree of security due to the fear of possible terrorist activities.[26]
Main article: Politics in the Olympics
Politics interfered with the Olympics on several occasions, the most well-known of which was the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the games were used as propaganda by the German Nazis. At this Olympics, a true Olympic spirit was shown by Luz Long, who helped Jesse Owens (a black athlete) to win the long jump, at the expense of his own silver medal.[20] The Soviet Union did not participate in the Olympic Games until the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Instead, the Soviets organized an international sports event called Spartakiads, from 1928 onward. Many athletes from Communist organizations or close to them chose not to participate or were even barred from participating in Olympic Games, and instead participated in Spartakiads.[21]
A political incident on a smaller scale occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Two American track-and-field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, performed the Black Power salute on the victory stand of the 200-meter track and field race. In response, the IOC's autocratic president Avery Brundage told the USOC to either send the two athletes home, or withdraw the complete track and field team. The USOC opted for the former.[22]
In a political policy move that flouts the spirit of the Olympic movement, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran specifically orders its athletes not to compete in any olympic heat, semi-final, or finals that includes athletes from Israel. At the 2004 Olympics, an Iranian judoka refused to compete in a heat against an Israeli judoka, but did so surreptitiously to avoid the possibility of Iran being removed from the games for political intrigue (the athlete deliberately didn't make weight.) The Iranian returned home to a hero's welcome.[23]
Violence
Despite what Coubertin had hoped for, the Olympics did not bring total peace to the world. In fact, three Olympiads had to pass without Olympics because of war: due to World War I the 1916 Games were canceled, and the summer and winter games of 1940 and 1944 were canceled because of World War II.
Terrorism has also become a recent threat to the Olympic Games. In 1972, when the Summer Games were held in Munich, West Germany, eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorist group Black September in what is known as the Munich massacre. A bungled liberation attempt led to the deaths of the nine abducted athletes who had not been killed prior to the rescue as well as that of a policeman, with five of the terrorists also being killed.[24]
During the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, a bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park killed two and injured 111 others. The bomb was set by Eric Robert Rudolph, an American domestic terrorist, who is currently serving a life sentence at Supermax in Florence, Colorado.[25]
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were the first Olympic Games since the September 11, 2001 attacks. They were also the first games held in a nation at war. Olympic Games since then have required an extremely high degree of security due to the fear of possible terrorist activities.[26]
OLYMPICS SYMBOLS
Main article: Olympic symbols
The Olympic movement uses many symbols, most of them representing Coubertin's ideas and ideals. The best known symbol is probably that of the Olympic Rings. These five intertwined rings represent the unity of five inhabited continents (with America regarded as one single continent). They appear in five colors on a white field on the Olympic Flag. These colors, white (for the field), red, blue, green, yellow, and black were chosen such that each nation had at least one of these colors in its national flag. The flag was adopted in 1914, but the first Games at which it was flown were Antwerp, 1920. It is hoisted at each celebration of the Games.
The official Olympic Motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius", a Latin phrase meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger". Coubertin's ideals are probably best illustrated by the Olympic Creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
The Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia and brought to the host city by runners carrying the torch in relay. There it plays an important role in the opening ceremonies. Though the torch fire has been around since 1928, the relay was introduced in 1936.
The Olympic mascot, an animal or human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country, was introduced in 1968. It has played an important part of the games since 1980 with the debut of misha, a Russian bear.
French and English are the two official languages of the Olympic movement.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
INTRODUCTION OF OLYMPICS
The Olympic Games (often referred to simply as The Olympics or The Games[1]) is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. The summer and winter games are each held every four years (an Olympiad[2]). Until 1992, they were both held in the same year. Since then, they have been separated two years apart.
The original Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; Olympiakoi Agones) began in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and was celebrated until AD 393.[3] Interest in reviving the Olympic Games proper was first shown by the Greek poet and newspaper editor Panagiotis Soutsos in his poem "Dialogue of the Dead" in 1833.[4] Evangelos Zappas sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859. He paid for the refurbishment of the Panathinaiko Stadium for Games held there in 1870 and 1875.[4] This was noted in newspapers and publications around the world including the London Review, which stated that "the Olympian Games, discontinued for centuries, have recently been revived! Here is strange news indeed ... the classical games of antiquity were revived near Athens".[5]
The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 on the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. The first of the IOC's Olympic Games were the 1896 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, Greece. Participation in the Olympic Games has increased to include athletes from nearly all nations worldwide. With the improvement of satellite communications and global telecasts of the events, the Olympics are consistently gaining supporters.[6] The most recent Summer Olympics were the 2004 Games in Athens and the most recent Winter Olympics were the 2006 Games in Turin. The upcoming games in Beijing are planned to comprise 302 events in 28 sports.[7] As of 2006, the Winter Olympics were competed in 84 events in 7 sports.
ancient olympics
In the early seventeenth century, an "Olympick Games" sports festival was run for several years at [[Chipping Campden]] in the English [[Cotswolds]], and the present day local [[Cotswold Games]] trace their origin to this festival. They were a local sports event with extraordinary sports, such as shin-kicking.
In 1850, an "Olympian Class" was begun at [[Much Wenlock]] in [[Shropshire]], [[England]]. This was renamed "Wenlock Olympian Games" in 1859 and continues to this day as the [[Wenlock Olympian Games|Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games]]. A national Olympic Games was organised by their founder, Dr William Penny Brookes, at Crystal Palace in London, in 1866.
Meanwhile, a wealthy Greek philanthropist called [[Evangelos Zappas]] sponsored the revival of the first modern international Olympic Games. The first was held in an Athens city square in 1859. Zappas paid for the refurbishment of the ancient Panathenian stadium that was first used for an Olympic Games in 1870 and then again in 1875. That same stadium was refurbished a second time and used for the Athens 1896 Games. The revival sponsored by Zappas was a dedicated Olympic Games with athletes that participated from two countries: Greece and the Ottoman Empire.
The interest in reviving the Olympics as an international event grew further when the ruins of ancient [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]] were uncovered by German [[archaeologist]]s in the mid-nineteenth century. At the same time, [[Pierre de Coubertin]] was searching for a reason for the French defeat in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] (1870–1871). He thought the reason was that the French had not received proper physical education, and sought to improve this. Coubertin also sought a way to bring nations closer together, to have the youth of the world compete in sports, rather than fight in war. In 1890 he attended a festival of the Wenlock Olympian Society, and decided that the recovery of the Olympic Games would achieve both of his goals.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin stood on the ideas of both Dr Brookes and the foundations of Evangelis Zappas to found the International Olympic Committee. In a [[Olympic Congress|congress]] at the [[University of Paris|Sorbonne]] University, in [[Paris]], [[France]], held from [[June 16]] to [[June 23]], [[1894]] he presented his ideas to an international audience. On the last day of the congress, it was decided that the first IOC Olympic Games would take place in 1896 in [[Athens]], in the country of their birth. To organise the Games, the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) was established, with the Greek [[Demetrius Vikelas]] as its first president. The Panathenian stadium that was used for Olympic Games in 1870, and 1875 was refurbished and reused for the Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896.
The total number of athletes at the [[1896 Summer Olympics|the first IOC Olympic Games]], less than 250, seems small by modern standards, but the games were the largest international sports event ever held until that time. The Greek officials and public were also very enthusiastic, and they even proposed to have the monopoly of organizing the Olympics. The IOC decided differently, however, and the [[1900 Summer Olympics|second Olympic Games]] took place in [[Paris]], [[France]]. Paris was also the first Olympic Games where women were allowed to compete.
national sports of al the countries of world
List of countries' national sports
A
* Afghanistan - Buzkashi is the traditional sport but football (soccer) is the most popular, Boxing and kung fu are also popular. Cricket is rapidly gaining popularity in Afganistan, mostly beacause of their proximity with Pakistan, though they have never qualified for a World Cup their U-19 squad reached the finals of the Asia U-19 Qualifier.[2] Cricket is gaining so much popularity that it is believed that it is the most popular sport at the moment.
* Albania - Football (soccer).[3]
* Antigua and Barbuda - Cricket is the national and most popular sport.[4]
* Angola - Football (soccer).[5]
* 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.
* 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] Cricket is also growing fast.[6]
* Armenia - Football is most popular; competitively wrestling, boxing and chess.[7]
* Andorra - Skiing is the national sport, while Rugby Union and soccer are popular too.[8]
* Australia - Well Australia really doesn't have a national sport but each state has a national sport of there own Victoria is Australian Rules Football and Soccer (Football) , New South Wales is Rugby union and Rugby League Soccer (Football) also being popular Tasmania is Cricket, Queensland is Rugby League and Soccer(Football), The Northern Territory is Rugby league and Australian Rules Football, Western Australia is Australian Rules Football And Soccer (Football) South Australia is Australian Rules Football and Soccer (Football).
* Austria - Alpine skiing, Football (soccer).[9]
* Azerbaijan - Chess, Football (soccer),[10]
B
* The Bahamas - Cricket is the national sport.[11]
* Bahrain – Football (soccer). [12]
* Bangladesh - Kabaddi is the National Game while Cricket is the most popular sport,[13]. Football also popular.[14]
* Barbados - Cricket is the most popular sport.[15]
* Belarus - Biathlon is the most popular sport. Football (soccer) and hockey are also popular.[16]
* 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). Motocross and football (soccer) are also quite popular.[17]
* Bhutan - Archery.[18]
* Bolivia - Football (soccer).[19]
* Bosnia and Herzegovina - handball, and all kinds of combat sports:karate,taekwondo, judo
* Brazil - Football (soccer) is considered the sporto national, 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 chess.[citation needed]
C
* 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.[20] Canada also boasts an international cricket team, to date they have taken part in three Cricket World Cups- 1979, 2003 and 2007.
* Cambodia - Kickboxing.[citation needed]
* Cameroon - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Cayman Islands - Cricket is the national and most followed sport, closely followed by rugby union.[21]
* Chile - Football (soccer), rugby union and Tennis. Chilean rodeo is the national traditional sport.
* People's Republic of China - Table tennis is the most popular sport but football is the most widely followed.[22] Basketball and badminton are also very popular.
o Hong Kong - Football is by far the most popular sport, both in terms of number of participants and is certainly the most widely followed. Cricket is also popular as a result of heavy British influence.
* 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]
* Côte d'Ivoire - Football (soccer) and rugby union.
* 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]
[edit] D
* Denmark - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Dominican Republic - Baseball.[citation needed]
F
* Fiji - Rugby union is the most popular sport, particularly Sevens; Cricket is also popular.[23]
* 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 - Tour de France Cycling is the most popular sport competition in the country.Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Basketball, Tennis and Rugby union are also popular.
G
* Gambia - Wrestling. Football (soccer) is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Georgia - Georgian wrestling, Football, Rugby Union, Judo.[citation needed]
* Germany - Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Historically, "Turnen" (gymnastics) has been the German national sport, as it was closely linked with the patriotic movement for a united Germany in the 19th century. Since 1945 its popularity has faded. Like gymnastics, handball was invented in Germany and is the second most popular team sport alongside ice hockey. Field hockey is also popular in Germany and Germany is one of the strongest team in field hockey.
* Greece - Football (soccer) is most popular, closely followed by basketball and volleyball.[citation needed]
* Greenland - Handball
* Grenada - Cricket is the most popular sport.[24]
* Guyana - Cricket the national and most popular sport.[25]
* Ghana - Football (soccer)
H
* Haiti - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Honduras - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Hungary - Football (soccer) and water polo, although water polo has historically been the most successful sport.[citation needed]
I
* Iceland - Glima, but Football (soccer) andHandball are the most popular.[citation needed]
* India - Field Hockey is the national game. Cricket is the most popular sport.
* Indonesia - Indonesia has many kinds of traditional sports from many ethnics, such as Pencak Silat, Tarung Drajat, Karapan Sapi or Sepaktakraw, but Football (soccer), and badminton are more commonly played.
* 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 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 - The traditional national sport is hurling[26], which was recorded being played in Ireland as long ago as 1272 BC . Football (soccer), rugby union and Gaelic football are widely popular as are horse racing and golf. With the exception of football (soccer) most sports have continued to be played on an all Ireland basis since the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland were formed in 1922. Cricket remains a minority sport in Ireland, although its profile has increased since Ireland's surprise victory against top seed Pakistan in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
* Israel - Football (soccer) and basketball.[citation needed]
* Italy - Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Cycling (Giro d'Italia) and Formula 1 (Ferrari) are part of the national identity, too. Rugby union, basketball and volleyball are popular in various places throughout Italy.[27]
J
* Jamaica - Cricket is the most popular and national sport[28]
* Japan - Sumo, Judo, Kendo and karate are traditionally viewed as Japan's national sports;[29] while nowadays, baseball and Football (soccer) gain more popularity[30].
K
* Kazakhstan - Boxing, Ice Hockey, rugby union, Football (soccer) are popular as well.[citation needed]
* Kenya - Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. Cricket is rapidly gaining in popularity being the second popular sport especially after the 2003 Cricket World Cup in which they upset several Test teams to be the first Associate Nation to make it to a Semi-Final. Kenya also won the inaugural World Cricket League featuring the top Associate nations and therefore qualified for the T20 World Cup.
* Korea - Taekwondo is the traditional national sport, though football (soccer) is the most popular. Baseball and Table tennis are also popular.[citation needed]
L
* Latvia - Basketball and Novuss are the national sports while Ice Hockey is considered the most popular sport followed by football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Lebanon - Football (soccer) Rugby league also Being a favourite.[citation needed]
* Libya - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Liechtenstein - Skiing is the most popular and widely followed sport.
* Lithuania - Basketball is most closely linked to national identity,[31] with football also widely followed.[citation needed]
M
* Republic of Macedonia - Football (soccer), handball and basketball are the national sports.[citation needed]
* Madagascar - Rugby Union is the most popular spectator sport with vast numbers turning up to watch the national team play. However football (soccer) has a larger player base.[32]
* Malaysia - Silat, gasing, and wau are traditional sports, but football followed a close second by badminton as the most popular sports today. Cricket is growing in popularity and Malaysia will host the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
* Maldives - Cricket
* Mauritius - Rugby Union, cricket and football (soccer).
* Mexico - Charrería and bullfighting are traditional sports, but football is most popular by far. Lucha libre and American football are most watched. Baseball and American football are also widely played and followed.[citation needed]
* Moldova - Rugby union and football (soccer).
* Mongolia - Wrestling and archery.[citation needed]
* Montenegro - Football (soccer) and basketball.[citation needed]
* Morocco - Football (soccer), athletics, basketball, rugby union, Handball[citation needed]
* Mozambique - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Myanmar/Burma - Football (soccer).[33]
N
* Namibia - Rugby Union, and Cricket are the most popular sports.[34]
* Nauru - Australian rules football and weightlifting.[35]
* Nepal - Cricket is the most popular with football (soccer) being the second most popular sport.[36]
* Netherlands - Football 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] The Netherlands also has a cricket team, which participates in World Cups, and they are an ICC High Performance member. Darts is also very popular, with the current world champion (2007) Raymond Van Barneveld originating from there.
* New Zealand - Rugby union is the most widely followed and most closely linked to national pride, while Cricket is the national and most popular summer sport.[37] Netball is one of the most popular sports among girls and young women, and men have organised some teams of their own.
o 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]
P
* Pakistan - Field hockey is the official national sport while Cricket is the most popular,[38]. 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 is the most popular sport while cricket is the second followed by rugby union.[39] Australian rules football is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Paraguay - Football (soccer)
* Peru - Football (soccer) is the national sport.[citation needed]
* Philippines - Basketball is the de facto national pastime since the 1950s, attracting large crowds.[6] 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] Baseball is increasingly becoming popular.
* Poland - Football (soccer), motorcycle racing.[citation needed]
* Portugal - Football (soccer), rink hockey, cycling are very popular and have a great tradition. Rugby union is a rapidly growing sport.[citation needed]
* Puerto Rico - Basketball, baseball and boxing.
R
* Romania - Oina (very similar but unrelated to baseball) is the traditional sport, but football (soccer) is much more popular nowadays. Handball also has a strong following. Rugby Union is widely followed but financial issues has cost the sport dearly in Romania.[citation needed]
* Russia - Chess, Football (soccer), Tennis, Ice Hockey, Rugby Union, Sambo and Handball.[citation needed]
S
* Saint Kitts and Nevis - Cricket is the national sport, with intense inter-island rivalry.[40]
* Saint Lucia - Cricket is the most popular.[41]
* Samoa - Kilikiti and Rugby union.[citation needed]
* San Marino - Motorcycle racing, Baseball, Shooting
* Saudi Arabia - Falconry and horse racing are traditional, but football draws the largest number of spectators.[citation needed]. Basketball is also popular.
* Senegal - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Serbia - Football (soccer) with basketball not far behind. Water polo and volleyball are also popular.[citation needed]
* Singapore - Cricket, swimming, Football (soccer), badminton 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, with cricket being the second most popular and being the only sport to feature in the top three of all race groups, and then rugby union with being the third popular sport with white Aficans Afrikaans.[42]
* Spain - Football (soccer) is very popular in Spain, followed by auto racing, tennis, basketball and motorcycle racing.[43]
* Sri Lanka - Cricket is the most popular and seen as the national sport[44], while Volleyball is the national sport.[45]
* Sudan - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Switzerland - Schwingen, stone throwing and Hornussen, all traditional games, are popular in rural Switzerland, although ice hockey is most popular overall, football (soccer) and Alpine skiing are rising in popularity.[citation needed]
* Sweden - football (soccer) is the most popular sport, alltough the National ice hockey team is more closely linked with national pride. Innebandy,Bandy and Cross Country Skiing is seen as traditional Swedish sports.
* Syria - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
T
* Taiwan (Republic of China) - Baseball. Basketball is also highly popular .[citation needed]
* Thailand - Muay Thai is the traditional sport, and football (soccer) is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Tonga - Rugby union.[citation needed]
* Trinidad and Tobago- Cricket is the most popular sport.[46]
* Tunisia - Football (soccer) and rugby union.
* 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 (soccer) is popular.[citation needed]
* Tuvalu - Kilikiti. [47] Darts.[citation needed]
U
* Uganda - Rugby Union is the most popular sport, thanks to the national team's recent successes. Cricket and football (soccer) are also very popular.[48]
* Ukraine - Football (soccer).[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.
* United Kingdom
o England - Football (soccer) is the most popular sport, cricket is traditionally popular and the national sport.[49] Both rugby union and rugby league are popular, with the latter drawing most of its support from the north of England.[citation needed]
o Northern Ireland - Among Catholics, Gaelic football and hurling is popular while in Protestant communities cricket, rugby union and field hockey are popular sports.[50] Golf and football (soccer) are also popular in both communities.
o Scotland - The native sport is shinty, but football (soccer) is more popular. Scotland was also the birthplace of golf and curling. Cricket is also popular. Scotland reached the finals and were runners up of the inaugural World Cricket League.
o Wales - rugby union is the main sport, but cricket is also very popular, with football (soccer) being popular in the North.[51]
o Overseas territories and crown dependencies of the United Kingdom traditionally played cricket.
+ Bermuda - Cricket is the most popular.[52]
* United States - American football is the most popular nationwide,[53] but baseball—both amateur and professional—is considered America's "national pastime" and an aspect of American culture. Basketball remains a very popular sport in the USA. Ice hockey is also popular, especially in certain regions. NASCAR racing is very popular, especialy in the south. Football (soccer) is not a very popular sport but it is increasing popularity with Major League Soccer as a major factor.
o American Samoa - American football.[citation needed]
o Puerto Rico - Baseball, basketball and boxing. Volleyball is also popular, especially 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]
V
* 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]
Z
* Zimbabwe - Cricket and football (soccer) are the most popular.[54]
* Zambia - Cricket, volleyball and rugby union are the most popular sports.[5
A
* Afghanistan - Buzkashi is the traditional sport but football (soccer) is the most popular, Boxing and kung fu are also popular. Cricket is rapidly gaining popularity in Afganistan, mostly beacause of their proximity with Pakistan, though they have never qualified for a World Cup their U-19 squad reached the finals of the Asia U-19 Qualifier.[2] Cricket is gaining so much popularity that it is believed that it is the most popular sport at the moment.
* Albania - Football (soccer).[3]
* Antigua and Barbuda - Cricket is the national and most popular sport.[4]
* Angola - Football (soccer).[5]
* 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.
* 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] Cricket is also growing fast.[6]
* Armenia - Football is most popular; competitively wrestling, boxing and chess.[7]
* Andorra - Skiing is the national sport, while Rugby Union and soccer are popular too.[8]
* Australia - Well Australia really doesn't have a national sport but each state has a national sport of there own Victoria is Australian Rules Football and Soccer (Football) , New South Wales is Rugby union and Rugby League Soccer (Football) also being popular Tasmania is Cricket, Queensland is Rugby League and Soccer(Football), The Northern Territory is Rugby league and Australian Rules Football, Western Australia is Australian Rules Football And Soccer (Football) South Australia is Australian Rules Football and Soccer (Football).
* Austria - Alpine skiing, Football (soccer).[9]
* Azerbaijan - Chess, Football (soccer),[10]
B
* The Bahamas - Cricket is the national sport.[11]
* Bahrain – Football (soccer). [12]
* Bangladesh - Kabaddi is the National Game while Cricket is the most popular sport,[13]. Football also popular.[14]
* Barbados - Cricket is the most popular sport.[15]
* Belarus - Biathlon is the most popular sport. Football (soccer) and hockey are also popular.[16]
* 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). Motocross and football (soccer) are also quite popular.[17]
* Bhutan - Archery.[18]
* Bolivia - Football (soccer).[19]
* Bosnia and Herzegovina - handball, and all kinds of combat sports:karate,taekwondo, judo
* Brazil - Football (soccer) is considered the sporto national, 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 chess.[citation needed]
C
* 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.[20] Canada also boasts an international cricket team, to date they have taken part in three Cricket World Cups- 1979, 2003 and 2007.
* Cambodia - Kickboxing.[citation needed]
* Cameroon - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Cayman Islands - Cricket is the national and most followed sport, closely followed by rugby union.[21]
* Chile - Football (soccer), rugby union and Tennis. Chilean rodeo is the national traditional sport.
* People's Republic of China - Table tennis is the most popular sport but football is the most widely followed.[22] Basketball and badminton are also very popular.
o Hong Kong - Football is by far the most popular sport, both in terms of number of participants and is certainly the most widely followed. Cricket is also popular as a result of heavy British influence.
* 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]
* Côte d'Ivoire - Football (soccer) and rugby union.
* 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]
[edit] D
* Denmark - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Dominican Republic - Baseball.[citation needed]
F
* Fiji - Rugby union is the most popular sport, particularly Sevens; Cricket is also popular.[23]
* 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 - Tour de France Cycling is the most popular sport competition in the country.Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Basketball, Tennis and Rugby union are also popular.
G
* Gambia - Wrestling. Football (soccer) is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Georgia - Georgian wrestling, Football, Rugby Union, Judo.[citation needed]
* Germany - Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Historically, "Turnen" (gymnastics) has been the German national sport, as it was closely linked with the patriotic movement for a united Germany in the 19th century. Since 1945 its popularity has faded. Like gymnastics, handball was invented in Germany and is the second most popular team sport alongside ice hockey. Field hockey is also popular in Germany and Germany is one of the strongest team in field hockey.
* Greece - Football (soccer) is most popular, closely followed by basketball and volleyball.[citation needed]
* Greenland - Handball
* Grenada - Cricket is the most popular sport.[24]
* Guyana - Cricket the national and most popular sport.[25]
* Ghana - Football (soccer)
H
* Haiti - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Honduras - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Hungary - Football (soccer) and water polo, although water polo has historically been the most successful sport.[citation needed]
I
* Iceland - Glima, but Football (soccer) andHandball are the most popular.[citation needed]
* India - Field Hockey is the national game. Cricket is the most popular sport.
* Indonesia - Indonesia has many kinds of traditional sports from many ethnics, such as Pencak Silat, Tarung Drajat, Karapan Sapi or Sepaktakraw, but Football (soccer), and badminton are more commonly played.
* 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 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 - The traditional national sport is hurling[26], which was recorded being played in Ireland as long ago as 1272 BC . Football (soccer), rugby union and Gaelic football are widely popular as are horse racing and golf. With the exception of football (soccer) most sports have continued to be played on an all Ireland basis since the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland were formed in 1922. Cricket remains a minority sport in Ireland, although its profile has increased since Ireland's surprise victory against top seed Pakistan in the 2007 Cricket World Cup.
* Israel - Football (soccer) and basketball.[citation needed]
* Italy - Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport. Cycling (Giro d'Italia) and Formula 1 (Ferrari) are part of the national identity, too. Rugby union, basketball and volleyball are popular in various places throughout Italy.[27]
J
* Jamaica - Cricket is the most popular and national sport[28]
* Japan - Sumo, Judo, Kendo and karate are traditionally viewed as Japan's national sports;[29] while nowadays, baseball and Football (soccer) gain more popularity[30].
K
* Kazakhstan - Boxing, Ice Hockey, rugby union, Football (soccer) are popular as well.[citation needed]
* Kenya - Football (soccer) is the most popular sport. Cricket is rapidly gaining in popularity being the second popular sport especially after the 2003 Cricket World Cup in which they upset several Test teams to be the first Associate Nation to make it to a Semi-Final. Kenya also won the inaugural World Cricket League featuring the top Associate nations and therefore qualified for the T20 World Cup.
* Korea - Taekwondo is the traditional national sport, though football (soccer) is the most popular. Baseball and Table tennis are also popular.[citation needed]
L
* Latvia - Basketball and Novuss are the national sports while Ice Hockey is considered the most popular sport followed by football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Lebanon - Football (soccer) Rugby league also Being a favourite.[citation needed]
* Libya - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Liechtenstein - Skiing is the most popular and widely followed sport.
* Lithuania - Basketball is most closely linked to national identity,[31] with football also widely followed.[citation needed]
M
* Republic of Macedonia - Football (soccer), handball and basketball are the national sports.[citation needed]
* Madagascar - Rugby Union is the most popular spectator sport with vast numbers turning up to watch the national team play. However football (soccer) has a larger player base.[32]
* Malaysia - Silat, gasing, and wau are traditional sports, but football followed a close second by badminton as the most popular sports today. Cricket is growing in popularity and Malaysia will host the 2008 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
* Maldives - Cricket
* Mauritius - Rugby Union, cricket and football (soccer).
* Mexico - Charrería and bullfighting are traditional sports, but football is most popular by far. Lucha libre and American football are most watched. Baseball and American football are also widely played and followed.[citation needed]
* Moldova - Rugby union and football (soccer).
* Mongolia - Wrestling and archery.[citation needed]
* Montenegro - Football (soccer) and basketball.[citation needed]
* Morocco - Football (soccer), athletics, basketball, rugby union, Handball[citation needed]
* Mozambique - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Myanmar/Burma - Football (soccer).[33]
N
* Namibia - Rugby Union, and Cricket are the most popular sports.[34]
* Nauru - Australian rules football and weightlifting.[35]
* Nepal - Cricket is the most popular with football (soccer) being the second most popular sport.[36]
* Netherlands - Football 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] The Netherlands also has a cricket team, which participates in World Cups, and they are an ICC High Performance member. Darts is also very popular, with the current world champion (2007) Raymond Van Barneveld originating from there.
* New Zealand - Rugby union is the most widely followed and most closely linked to national pride, while Cricket is the national and most popular summer sport.[37] Netball is one of the most popular sports among girls and young women, and men have organised some teams of their own.
o 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]
P
* Pakistan - Field hockey is the official national sport while Cricket is the most popular,[38]. 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 is the most popular sport while cricket is the second followed by rugby union.[39] Australian rules football is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Paraguay - Football (soccer)
* Peru - Football (soccer) is the national sport.[citation needed]
* Philippines - Basketball is the de facto national pastime since the 1950s, attracting large crowds.[6] 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] Baseball is increasingly becoming popular.
* Poland - Football (soccer), motorcycle racing.[citation needed]
* Portugal - Football (soccer), rink hockey, cycling are very popular and have a great tradition. Rugby union is a rapidly growing sport.[citation needed]
* Puerto Rico - Basketball, baseball and boxing.
R
* Romania - Oina (very similar but unrelated to baseball) is the traditional sport, but football (soccer) is much more popular nowadays. Handball also has a strong following. Rugby Union is widely followed but financial issues has cost the sport dearly in Romania.[citation needed]
* Russia - Chess, Football (soccer), Tennis, Ice Hockey, Rugby Union, Sambo and Handball.[citation needed]
S
* Saint Kitts and Nevis - Cricket is the national sport, with intense inter-island rivalry.[40]
* Saint Lucia - Cricket is the most popular.[41]
* Samoa - Kilikiti and Rugby union.[citation needed]
* San Marino - Motorcycle racing, Baseball, Shooting
* Saudi Arabia - Falconry and horse racing are traditional, but football draws the largest number of spectators.[citation needed]. Basketball is also popular.
* Senegal - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Serbia - Football (soccer) with basketball not far behind. Water polo and volleyball are also popular.[citation needed]
* Singapore - Cricket, swimming, Football (soccer), badminton 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, with cricket being the second most popular and being the only sport to feature in the top three of all race groups, and then rugby union with being the third popular sport with white Aficans Afrikaans.[42]
* Spain - Football (soccer) is very popular in Spain, followed by auto racing, tennis, basketball and motorcycle racing.[43]
* Sri Lanka - Cricket is the most popular and seen as the national sport[44], while Volleyball is the national sport.[45]
* Sudan - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
* Switzerland - Schwingen, stone throwing and Hornussen, all traditional games, are popular in rural Switzerland, although ice hockey is most popular overall, football (soccer) and Alpine skiing are rising in popularity.[citation needed]
* Sweden - football (soccer) is the most popular sport, alltough the National ice hockey team is more closely linked with national pride. Innebandy,Bandy and Cross Country Skiing is seen as traditional Swedish sports.
* Syria - Football (soccer).[citation needed]
T
* Taiwan (Republic of China) - Baseball. Basketball is also highly popular .[citation needed]
* Thailand - Muay Thai is the traditional sport, and football (soccer) is also very popular.[citation needed]
* Tonga - Rugby union.[citation needed]
* Trinidad and Tobago- Cricket is the most popular sport.[46]
* Tunisia - Football (soccer) and rugby union.
* 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 (soccer) is popular.[citation needed]
* Tuvalu - Kilikiti. [47] Darts.[citation needed]
U
* Uganda - Rugby Union is the most popular sport, thanks to the national team's recent successes. Cricket and football (soccer) are also very popular.[48]
* Ukraine - Football (soccer).[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.
* United Kingdom
o England - Football (soccer) is the most popular sport, cricket is traditionally popular and the national sport.[49] Both rugby union and rugby league are popular, with the latter drawing most of its support from the north of England.[citation needed]
o Northern Ireland - Among Catholics, Gaelic football and hurling is popular while in Protestant communities cricket, rugby union and field hockey are popular sports.[50] Golf and football (soccer) are also popular in both communities.
o Scotland - The native sport is shinty, but football (soccer) is more popular. Scotland was also the birthplace of golf and curling. Cricket is also popular. Scotland reached the finals and were runners up of the inaugural World Cricket League.
o Wales - rugby union is the main sport, but cricket is also very popular, with football (soccer) being popular in the North.[51]
o Overseas territories and crown dependencies of the United Kingdom traditionally played cricket.
+ Bermuda - Cricket is the most popular.[52]
* United States - American football is the most popular nationwide,[53] but baseball—both amateur and professional—is considered America's "national pastime" and an aspect of American culture. Basketball remains a very popular sport in the USA. Ice hockey is also popular, especially in certain regions. NASCAR racing is very popular, especialy in the south. Football (soccer) is not a very popular sport but it is increasing popularity with Major League Soccer as a major factor.
o American Samoa - American football.[citation needed]
o Puerto Rico - Baseball, basketball and boxing. Volleyball is also popular, especially 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]
V
* 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]
Z
* Zimbabwe - Cricket and football (soccer) are the most popular.[54]
* Zambia - Cricket, volleyball and rugby union are the most popular sports.[5
Nineteenth Century cricket
See also: English cricket from 1816 to 1918
Cricket and crisis
Cricket faced its first real crisis at the beginning of the 19th century when major matches virtually ceased during the culminating period of the Napoleonic Wars. This was largely due to shortage of players and lack of investment. But the game survived and a slow recovery began in 1815. Then cricket faced a crisis of its own making as the campaign to allow roundarm bowling gathered pace.
The game also underwent a fundamental change of organisation with the formation for the first time of county clubs. All the modern county clubs, starting with Sussex, were founded during the 19th century.
No sooner had the county clubs established themselves than they faced what amounted to "player action" as William Clarke created the travelling All-England Eleven in 1846. Other similar teams were created and this vogue lasted for about thirty years. But the counties and MCC prevailed.
The growth of cricket in the mid and late 19th century was assisted by the development of the railway network. For the first time, teams from a long distance apart could play one other without a prohibitively time-consuming journey. Spectators could travel longer distances to matches, increasing the size of crowds.
International cricket begins
The first ever international cricket game was between the USA and Canada in 1844. The match was played at Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
In 1859, a team of leading English professionals set off to North America on the first-ever overseas tour.
In 1864, another bowling revolution resulted in the legalisation of overarm. The "Great Cricketer", W G Grace, made his debut the same year.
In 1877, an England touring team in Australia played two matches against full Australian XIs that are now regarded as the inaugural Test matches. The following year, the Australians toured England for the first time and were a spectacular success. No Tests were played on that tour but more soon followed and, at The Oval in 1882, arguably the most famous match of all time gave rise to The Ashes. South Africa became the third Test nation in 1889.
The County Championship
A major watershed occurred in 1890 when the County Cricket Championship was formally constituted for the first time to replace the ad hoc championship criteria that had been used hitherto. The period from 1890 to the outbreak of the First World War has become especially nostalgic, ostensibly because the teams played cricket according to "the spirit of the game". In reality, this nostalgia was due to the sense of loss brought about by the war. But the era has been called "The Golden Age of Cricket" and it featured numerous great names such as Wilfred Rhodes, C B Fry, K S Ranjitsinhji and Victor Trumper.
Balls per over
In 1889 the immemorial four ball over was replaced by a five ball over and then this was changed to the current six balls an over in 1900. Subsequently, some countries experimented with eight balls an over. In 1922, the number of balls per over was changed from six to eight in Australia only. In 1924 the eight ball over was extended to New Zealand and in 1937 to South Africa. In England, the eight ball over was adopted experimentally for the 1939 season; the intention was to continue the experiment in 1940, but first-class cricket was suspended for the Second World War and when it resumed, English cricket reverted to the six ball over. The 1947 Laws of Cricket allowed six or eight balls depending on the conditions of play. Since the 1979/80 Australian and New Zealand seasons, the six ball over has been used worldwide and the most recent version of the Laws in 2000 only permits six ball overs.
Twentieth Century cricket
Growth of Test cricket
When the Imperial Cricket Conference (as it was originally called) was founded in 1909, only England, Australia and South Africa were members. But that would soon change, and India, West Indies and New Zealand became Test nations before the Second World War and Pakistan soon afterwards. The international game grew with several "affiliate nations" getting involved and, in the closing years of the 20th century, three of those became Test nations also: Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Test cricket remained the most popular form of the sport throughout the 20th century but it had its problems, never more so than in the infamous "Bodyline Series" of 1932/33 when Douglas Jardine's England used so-called "leg theory" to try and neutralise the run-scoring brilliance of Australia's Don Bradman.
Suspension of South Africa (1970-1991)
See also: International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981)
The greatest crisis to hit international cricket was brought about by apartheid, the South African policy of racial segregation. The situation began to crystallise after 1961 when South Africa left the Commonwealth of Nations and so, under the rules of the day, its cricket board had to leave the International Cricket Conference (ICC). Cricket's opposition to apartheid intensified in 1968 with the cancellation of England's tour to South Africa by the South African authorities, due to the inclusion of "coloured" cricketer Basil D'Oliveira in the England team. In 1970, the ICC members voted to suspend South Africa indefinitely from international cricket competition. Ironically, the South African team at that time was probably the strongest in the world.
Starved of top-level competition for its best players, the South African Cricket Board began funding so-called "rebel tours", offering large sums of money for international players to form teams and tour South Africa. The ICC's response was to blacklist any rebel players who agreed to tour South Africa, banning them from officially sanctioned international cricket. As players were poorly remunerated during the 1970s, several accepted the offer to tour South Africa, particularly players getting towards the end of their careers for whom a blacklisting would have little effect.
The rebel tours continued into the 1980s but then progress was made in South African politics and it became clear that apartheid was ending. South Africa, now a "Rainbow Nation" under Nelson Mandela, was welcomed back into international sport in 1991.
World Series Cricket
See also: World Series Cricket
The money problems of top cricketers were also the root cause of another cricketing crisis that arose in 1977 when the Australian media magnate Kerry Packer fell out with the Australian Cricket Board over TV rights. Taking advantage of the low remuneration paid to players, Packer retaliated by signing several of the best players in the world to a privately run cricket league outside the structure of international cricket. World Series Cricket hired some of the banned South African players and allowed them to show off their skills in an international arena against other world-class players. The schism lasted only until 1979 and the "rebel" players were allowed back into established international cricket, though many found that their national teams had moved on without them. Long-term results of World Series Cricket have included the introduction of significantly higher player salaries and innovations such as coloured kit and night games.
[edit] Limited overs cricket
In the 1960s, English county teams began playing a version of cricket with games of only one innings each and a maximum number of overs per innings. Starting in 1963 as a knockout competition only, limited overs grew in popularity and in 1969 a national league was created which consequently caused a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship.
Although many "traditional" cricket fans objected to the shorter form of the game, limited overs cricket did have the advantage of delivering a result to spectators within a single day; it did improve cricket's appeal to younger or busier people; and it did prove commercially successful.
The first limited overs international match took place at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1971 as a time-filler after a Test match had been abandoned because of heavy rain on the opening days. It was tried simply as an experiment and to give the players some exercise, but turned out to be immensely popular. Limited overs internationals (LOIs or ODIs, after One-day Internationals) have since grown to become a massively popular form of the game, especially for busy people who want to be able to see a whole match. The International Cricket Council reacted to this development by organising the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975, with all the Test playing nations taking part.
Cricket and crisis
Cricket faced its first real crisis at the beginning of the 19th century when major matches virtually ceased during the culminating period of the Napoleonic Wars. This was largely due to shortage of players and lack of investment. But the game survived and a slow recovery began in 1815. Then cricket faced a crisis of its own making as the campaign to allow roundarm bowling gathered pace.
The game also underwent a fundamental change of organisation with the formation for the first time of county clubs. All the modern county clubs, starting with Sussex, were founded during the 19th century.
No sooner had the county clubs established themselves than they faced what amounted to "player action" as William Clarke created the travelling All-England Eleven in 1846. Other similar teams were created and this vogue lasted for about thirty years. But the counties and MCC prevailed.
The growth of cricket in the mid and late 19th century was assisted by the development of the railway network. For the first time, teams from a long distance apart could play one other without a prohibitively time-consuming journey. Spectators could travel longer distances to matches, increasing the size of crowds.
International cricket begins
The first ever international cricket game was between the USA and Canada in 1844. The match was played at Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
In 1859, a team of leading English professionals set off to North America on the first-ever overseas tour.
In 1864, another bowling revolution resulted in the legalisation of overarm. The "Great Cricketer", W G Grace, made his debut the same year.
In 1877, an England touring team in Australia played two matches against full Australian XIs that are now regarded as the inaugural Test matches. The following year, the Australians toured England for the first time and were a spectacular success. No Tests were played on that tour but more soon followed and, at The Oval in 1882, arguably the most famous match of all time gave rise to The Ashes. South Africa became the third Test nation in 1889.
The County Championship
A major watershed occurred in 1890 when the County Cricket Championship was formally constituted for the first time to replace the ad hoc championship criteria that had been used hitherto. The period from 1890 to the outbreak of the First World War has become especially nostalgic, ostensibly because the teams played cricket according to "the spirit of the game". In reality, this nostalgia was due to the sense of loss brought about by the war. But the era has been called "The Golden Age of Cricket" and it featured numerous great names such as Wilfred Rhodes, C B Fry, K S Ranjitsinhji and Victor Trumper.
Balls per over
In 1889 the immemorial four ball over was replaced by a five ball over and then this was changed to the current six balls an over in 1900. Subsequently, some countries experimented with eight balls an over. In 1922, the number of balls per over was changed from six to eight in Australia only. In 1924 the eight ball over was extended to New Zealand and in 1937 to South Africa. In England, the eight ball over was adopted experimentally for the 1939 season; the intention was to continue the experiment in 1940, but first-class cricket was suspended for the Second World War and when it resumed, English cricket reverted to the six ball over. The 1947 Laws of Cricket allowed six or eight balls depending on the conditions of play. Since the 1979/80 Australian and New Zealand seasons, the six ball over has been used worldwide and the most recent version of the Laws in 2000 only permits six ball overs.
Twentieth Century cricket
Growth of Test cricket
When the Imperial Cricket Conference (as it was originally called) was founded in 1909, only England, Australia and South Africa were members. But that would soon change, and India, West Indies and New Zealand became Test nations before the Second World War and Pakistan soon afterwards. The international game grew with several "affiliate nations" getting involved and, in the closing years of the 20th century, three of those became Test nations also: Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
Test cricket remained the most popular form of the sport throughout the 20th century but it had its problems, never more so than in the infamous "Bodyline Series" of 1932/33 when Douglas Jardine's England used so-called "leg theory" to try and neutralise the run-scoring brilliance of Australia's Don Bradman.
Suspension of South Africa (1970-1991)
See also: International cricket in South Africa (1971 to 1981)
The greatest crisis to hit international cricket was brought about by apartheid, the South African policy of racial segregation. The situation began to crystallise after 1961 when South Africa left the Commonwealth of Nations and so, under the rules of the day, its cricket board had to leave the International Cricket Conference (ICC). Cricket's opposition to apartheid intensified in 1968 with the cancellation of England's tour to South Africa by the South African authorities, due to the inclusion of "coloured" cricketer Basil D'Oliveira in the England team. In 1970, the ICC members voted to suspend South Africa indefinitely from international cricket competition. Ironically, the South African team at that time was probably the strongest in the world.
Starved of top-level competition for its best players, the South African Cricket Board began funding so-called "rebel tours", offering large sums of money for international players to form teams and tour South Africa. The ICC's response was to blacklist any rebel players who agreed to tour South Africa, banning them from officially sanctioned international cricket. As players were poorly remunerated during the 1970s, several accepted the offer to tour South Africa, particularly players getting towards the end of their careers for whom a blacklisting would have little effect.
The rebel tours continued into the 1980s but then progress was made in South African politics and it became clear that apartheid was ending. South Africa, now a "Rainbow Nation" under Nelson Mandela, was welcomed back into international sport in 1991.
World Series Cricket
See also: World Series Cricket
The money problems of top cricketers were also the root cause of another cricketing crisis that arose in 1977 when the Australian media magnate Kerry Packer fell out with the Australian Cricket Board over TV rights. Taking advantage of the low remuneration paid to players, Packer retaliated by signing several of the best players in the world to a privately run cricket league outside the structure of international cricket. World Series Cricket hired some of the banned South African players and allowed them to show off their skills in an international arena against other world-class players. The schism lasted only until 1979 and the "rebel" players were allowed back into established international cricket, though many found that their national teams had moved on without them. Long-term results of World Series Cricket have included the introduction of significantly higher player salaries and innovations such as coloured kit and night games.
[edit] Limited overs cricket
In the 1960s, English county teams began playing a version of cricket with games of only one innings each and a maximum number of overs per innings. Starting in 1963 as a knockout competition only, limited overs grew in popularity and in 1969 a national league was created which consequently caused a reduction in the number of matches in the County Championship.
Although many "traditional" cricket fans objected to the shorter form of the game, limited overs cricket did have the advantage of delivering a result to spectators within a single day; it did improve cricket's appeal to younger or busier people; and it did prove commercially successful.
The first limited overs international match took place at Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1971 as a time-filler after a Test match had been abandoned because of heavy rain on the opening days. It was tried simply as an experiment and to give the players some exercise, but turned out to be immensely popular. Limited overs internationals (LOIs or ODIs, after One-day Internationals) have since grown to become a massively popular form of the game, especially for busy people who want to be able to see a whole match. The International Cricket Council reacted to this development by organising the first Cricket World Cup in England in 1975, with all the Test playing nations taking part.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
CRICKET IN 18TH CENTURY
Patronage and players
Gambling introduced the first patrons because some of the gamblers decided to strengthen their bets by forming their own teams and it is believed the first "county teams" were formed in the aftermath of the Restoration. The first game we know of in which the teams use county names is in 1709 but there can be little doubt that these sort of fixtures were being arranged long before that.
The most notable of the early patrons were a group of aristocrats and businessmen who were active from about 1725, which is the time that press coverage became more regular, perhaps as a result of the patrons' influence. These men included Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet, Alan Brodrick and Edward Stead. For the first time, the press tells us something about individual players like Thomas Waymark.
The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.
The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.
Cricket moves out of England
Cricket was introduced to North America via the English colonies in the 17th century, probably before it had even reached the north of England. In the 18th century it arrived in other parts of the globe. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists and to India by British East India Company mariners in the first half of the century. It arrived in Australia almost as soon as colonization began in 1788. New Zealand and South Africa followed in the early years of the 19th century
Development of the Laws
See also: Laws of Cricket
The basic rules of cricket such as bat and ball, the wicket, pitch dimensions, overs, how out, etc. have existed since time immemorial. In 1728, we first hear of "Articles of Agreement" to determine the code of practice in a particular game and this became a common feature, especially around payment of stake money and distributing the winnings given the importance of gambling. In 1744, the Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time and then amended in 1774, when innovations such as lbw, middle stump and maximum bat width were added. These laws stated that 'the principals shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes.' The codes were drawn up by the so-called "Star and Garter Club" whose members ultimately founded MCC at Lord's in 1787. MCC immediately became the custodian of the Laws and has made periodic revisions and recodifications subsequently.
Continued growth in England
The game continued to spread throughout England and, in 1751, Yorkshire is first mentioned as a venue. The original form of bowling (i.e., rolling the ball along the ground as in bowls) was superseded sometime after 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball and study variations in line, length and pace. Scorecards began to be kept on a regular basis from 1772 and since then we have an increasingly clear picture of the sport's development.
An artwork depicting the history of the cricket bat.
The first famous clubs were London and Dartford in the early 18th century. London played its matches on the famous Artillery Ground, which is still there. Others followed, particularly Slindon in Sussex which was backed by the Duke of Richmond and featured the star player Richard Newland. There were other prominent clubs at Maidenhead, Hornchurch, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Bromley, Addington, Hadlow and Chertsey.
But far and away the most famous of the early clubs was Hambledon in Hampshire. It started as a parish organisation and first achieved prominence in 1756. The club itself was founded in the 1760s and was well patronised to the extent that it was the focal point of the game for about thirty years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787. Hambledon produced several outstanding players including the master batsman John Small and the first great fast bowler Thomas Brett. Their most notable opponent was the Chertsey and Surrey bowler Edward "Lumpy" Stevens, who is believed to have been the main proponent of the flighted delivery.
It was in answer to the flighted, or pitched, delivery that the straight bat was introduced. The old "hockey stick" style of bat was only really effective against the ball being trundled or skimmed along the ground.
Gambling introduced the first patrons because some of the gamblers decided to strengthen their bets by forming their own teams and it is believed the first "county teams" were formed in the aftermath of the Restoration. The first game we know of in which the teams use county names is in 1709 but there can be little doubt that these sort of fixtures were being arranged long before that.
The most notable of the early patrons were a group of aristocrats and businessmen who were active from about 1725, which is the time that press coverage became more regular, perhaps as a result of the patrons' influence. These men included Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond, Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet, Alan Brodrick and Edward Stead. For the first time, the press tells us something about individual players like Thomas Waymark.
The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.
The oldest cricket bat still in existence is dated to 1729. Note the shape of the bat, which is closer to that of a modern-day hockey stick than to that of a modern-day cricket bat.
Cricket moves out of England
Cricket was introduced to North America via the English colonies in the 17th century, probably before it had even reached the north of England. In the 18th century it arrived in other parts of the globe. It was introduced to the West Indies by colonists and to India by British East India Company mariners in the first half of the century. It arrived in Australia almost as soon as colonization began in 1788. New Zealand and South Africa followed in the early years of the 19th century
Development of the Laws
See also: Laws of Cricket
The basic rules of cricket such as bat and ball, the wicket, pitch dimensions, overs, how out, etc. have existed since time immemorial. In 1728, we first hear of "Articles of Agreement" to determine the code of practice in a particular game and this became a common feature, especially around payment of stake money and distributing the winnings given the importance of gambling. In 1744, the Laws of Cricket were codified for the first time and then amended in 1774, when innovations such as lbw, middle stump and maximum bat width were added. These laws stated that 'the principals shall choose from amongst the gentlemen present two umpires who shall absolutely decide all disputes.' The codes were drawn up by the so-called "Star and Garter Club" whose members ultimately founded MCC at Lord's in 1787. MCC immediately became the custodian of the Laws and has made periodic revisions and recodifications subsequently.
Continued growth in England
The game continued to spread throughout England and, in 1751, Yorkshire is first mentioned as a venue. The original form of bowling (i.e., rolling the ball along the ground as in bowls) was superseded sometime after 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball and study variations in line, length and pace. Scorecards began to be kept on a regular basis from 1772 and since then we have an increasingly clear picture of the sport's development.
An artwork depicting the history of the cricket bat.
The first famous clubs were London and Dartford in the early 18th century. London played its matches on the famous Artillery Ground, which is still there. Others followed, particularly Slindon in Sussex which was backed by the Duke of Richmond and featured the star player Richard Newland. There were other prominent clubs at Maidenhead, Hornchurch, Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Bromley, Addington, Hadlow and Chertsey.
But far and away the most famous of the early clubs was Hambledon in Hampshire. It started as a parish organisation and first achieved prominence in 1756. The club itself was founded in the 1760s and was well patronised to the extent that it was the focal point of the game for about thirty years until the formation of MCC and the opening of Lord's in 1787. Hambledon produced several outstanding players including the master batsman John Small and the first great fast bowler Thomas Brett. Their most notable opponent was the Chertsey and Surrey bowler Edward "Lumpy" Stevens, who is believed to have been the main proponent of the flighted delivery.
It was in answer to the flighted, or pitched, delivery that the straight bat was introduced. The old "hockey stick" style of bat was only really effective against the ball being trundled or skimmed along the ground.
HISTORY OF CRICKET
Origin
No one knows when or where cricket began but there is a body of evidence, much of it circumstantial, that strongly suggests the game was devised during Saxon or Norman times by children living in the Weald, an area of dense woodlands and clearings in south-east England that lies across Kent and Sussex. It is generally believed that cricket survived as a children's game for many centuries before it was increasingly taken up by adults around the beginning of the 17th century. There is also a theory that it originated from ancient bat-and-ball games played in the Indian subcontinent, which were then transported to Europe via Persia and the near east by merchants, and eventually developed into the game of cricket in England. There is also speculation that Cricket began where shepherds in the 1300's bowled balls of wool at gates called bails.
HOW ACTUALLY NAME "CRICKET" ORIGINATED
A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket, which could refer to the bat or the wicket. In old French, the word criquet meant a kind of club which probably gave its name to croquet. Some believe that cricket and croquet have a common origin. In Flemish, krick(e) means a stick, and, in Old English, cricc or cryce means a crutch or staff (though the hard "k" sound suggests the North or Northeast midlands, rather than the Southeast, where cricket seems to have begun). The Isle of Man has a game called Cammag. It involves a stick and a ball with anything between four and hundreds of players. The 'crick' in this instance may be derived from, though indirectly, Flemish.
Alternatively, the French criquet apparently comes from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church which may appear similar to the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket, or the early stool in stoolball. The word stool is old dialect for a tree stump in a forest, but in stoolball it may well refer to the milking-stools which are believed to have been used as wickets in early times.
Stoolball is an ancient sport similar to cricket, still played in southern counties of England, especially Sussex, and is considered a precursor to cricket, rounders and baseball.
No one knows when or where cricket began but there is a body of evidence, much of it circumstantial, that strongly suggests the game was devised during Saxon or Norman times by children living in the Weald, an area of dense woodlands and clearings in south-east England that lies across Kent and Sussex. It is generally believed that cricket survived as a children's game for many centuries before it was increasingly taken up by adults around the beginning of the 17th century. There is also a theory that it originated from ancient bat-and-ball games played in the Indian subcontinent, which were then transported to Europe via Persia and the near east by merchants, and eventually developed into the game of cricket in England. There is also speculation that Cricket began where shepherds in the 1300's bowled balls of wool at gates called bails.
HOW ACTUALLY NAME "CRICKET" ORIGINATED
A number of words are thought to be possible sources for the term cricket, which could refer to the bat or the wicket. In old French, the word criquet meant a kind of club which probably gave its name to croquet. Some believe that cricket and croquet have a common origin. In Flemish, krick(e) means a stick, and, in Old English, cricc or cryce means a crutch or staff (though the hard "k" sound suggests the North or Northeast midlands, rather than the Southeast, where cricket seems to have begun). The Isle of Man has a game called Cammag. It involves a stick and a ball with anything between four and hundreds of players. The 'crick' in this instance may be derived from, though indirectly, Flemish.
Alternatively, the French criquet apparently comes from the Flemish word krickstoel, which is a long low stool on which one kneels in church which may appear similar to the long low wicket with two stumps used in early cricket, or the early stool in stoolball. The word stool is old dialect for a tree stump in a forest, but in stoolball it may well refer to the milking-stools which are believed to have been used as wickets in early times.
Stoolball is an ancient sport similar to cricket, still played in southern counties of England, especially Sussex, and is considered a precursor to cricket, rounders and baseball.
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