Sports are a source of entertainment for people all around the world. Most popular sports in the world bring out a myriad of emotions in people. People take part in them with so much of dedication and give it so much importance, for all the right reasons. Sports are not only a source of entertainment but it also keeps you healthy and fit.
There are various kinds of sports for people of all ages which is such a good thought.
Children take part in sports since a young age which gives them energy and helps regulate all the functions of the body properly and people in their old age can also take part in sports to help them stay fit and improve their physical and mental health.
Some people enjoy it, for some it is their passion and some even build a career in sports with the number of sports that exist, there are so many that you can’t really keep track of it.So to give you a better understanding, here is a list of the top 10 most popular sports in the world.
If you want to start a new sport and don’t know where to begin this site will surely help you. https://sportsthenandnow.com/2020/09/09/precisely-how-to-select-the-ideal-sports-just-for-you/
10 Most Popular Sports In The World:
1. Association Football
This is by far the most popular sport in the world today. It is a team sport.
More commonly known as football or soccer, association football is played in more than 200 countries.
This sport is played in teams of two with eleven members in each team. This sport is played on a green rectangle field and on the far two ends of it, there are two goal nets and the aim is to score as many goals as possible and the team with the maximum number of goals wins the game.
Association football has been a part of the Olympics as well since the 1900s for the men and 1996 for women. Playing football is not very easy, there are a lot of methods and rules and regulations that need to be followed. Fun fact, FIFA has stated that the idea of football originally came from the Chinese they used to play a game called ‘cuju’ that was basically just kicking the ball.
Speaking of FIFA, it is the most important football league for the football fans. The fans go gaga over the FIFI World Cup, and they wait for it patiently as it happens only every four years. Did you know that football is played by over 250 million people? No wonder it is one of the most popular sports in the world.
2. Cricket
Cricket is also one of the most popular sports in the world. It is played in a large 20 metre field with a huge stadium surrounding it usually. This sport also has a team of eleven players and two teams play against each other. This game is played with a bat and a ball and three stumps that balance two bails, this is known as the wicket.
The team that bats the ball has to score as many runs as possible.
When ten players in the team are done batting, the teams switch positions and it is the other team’s turn to bat. The team that goes in second must make it a point to make at least an extra run than their opposing team in order to win. Before the match starts the teams have a coin toss and whoever wins the toss can get to decide if they would like to bat or ball first.
Cricket also requires two umpires who are present in the field to monitor the fair play and keep a check on the runs. It is one of the most popular sports in the world because people love the sport so much and gather in masses to watch their favourite teams and players play the game.
3. Basketball
Basketball is another team sport with five players in each team. It is a time based game and is played for 40-48 minutes with breaks after every 10 or 12 minutes. It is played in a rectangular field with a ball and two hoops suspended by a stand on either side of the field. The players have to shoot the ball through the hoop in order to attain points.
Each hoop earns two points but if the ball is thrown through the hoop from a three point position then that goal earns three points.
Also if there is a foul, then the other team player gets one or more chances to make a goal. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal are some of the most famous basketball players. This sport has an estimate of around 400 million fans, it’s a crowd favourite and that is why it is one of the most popular sports in the world.
4. Field Hockey
Hockey is also one of the most popular sports in the world.
It is a team sport where two teams play against each other and the goal is to hit the ball or the puck into the opponent’s net with the help of a hockey bat. There are a number of types of hockey, such as ice hockey, rink hockey, bandy, but the most popular of it all is field hockey.
Field hockey is a sport enjoyed by all and has a fan base of at least two billion. This sport is mainly played on grass or an artificial turf or it is played indoors on a large boarded surface. International Hockey Federation (FIH) governs over this sport and hosts matches for men and women. Movies like Gold and Chak De! India is based on this sport.
5. Volleyball
This is a popular sport in Brazil, Eastern Europe, Italy, China and in parts of Asia and the US.
This sport is governed by Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). This game is played in a marginalised court with a net in between and two teams of six players each on opposite sides. It is a famous beach game too which makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. There are a lot of rules that need to be applied to this game.
Firstly a team player has to go behind near the boundary and has to start the game by throwing the ball on the other side of the net and the member of the other team has to catch it. If the ball falls and touches the ground they lose a point. Also a single team player cannot catch the ball twice or more number of times consecutively, the game is played in rallies.
Most commonly there are three rallies. After each rally the points of both the teams are counted and the team with the maximum points wins the game.
6. Baseball
Baseball was first played in England in the eighteenth century and later on in the nineteenth century in the United States of America. The similarity that baseball has to cricket is one of the many reasons why it is one of the most popular sports in the world. It is also played with a bat and ball but it has a team of nine players unlike cricket.
There are about 500 million baseball fans in the world and it is widely played in East Asia and in different parts of America. The main objective of this game is that the player who is batting has to reach the first base without being called out after hitting the ball and if the player does so he/she can advance further.
7. Tennis
Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic are some of the most popular tennis players in the world. With an absolutely crazy fan base of one billion, tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world.
Tennis can be played in teams of two or can be played individually. Tennis players play with a ball and a racquet with a long net in between. Two teams or two individuals go against each other and the main goal is to keep hitting the ball with the target towards the other team member.
If the ball cannot be hit by a player that player loses a point, if the ball goes beyond the boundary then the player who hit the ball loses a point, if the ball touches the net then also the player who hit the ball loses a point. The game is played in three rounds and the player with the maximum points wins.
8. Badminton
Badminton is a game that most of people have played while growing up.
One of the most popular sports in the world, this sport has more than 735 million fans in the world. This sport is similar to tennis and often people get confused between these two sports. Badminton is also played with a racquet and has a net and is played within a boundary. But the major difference is that badminton is played with a shuttlecock.
9. Rugby
Rugby is yet another team sport that was originally started in England in the nineteenth century and now is played all over the world. This game is played in teams, where two teams with 15 players each go against each other. Rugby is played over a vast field with two h-shaped goal posts at both ends of the field.
The ball used in this sport is oval in shape. Rugby is one of the sports that are majorly played in many schools and colleges which makes it one of the most popular sports in the world. It has an estimated fan base of around 475 million.
10. Golf
Golf is not just a sport, it is also a means of entertainment and leisure for many people.
It first developed in the early fifteenth century in Scotland. The main aim of golf is to score as many points as possible by hitting the ball into the hole with the help of a golf stick. The goal has to be made with the least number of strokes possible. There are about 450 million golf fans in the world.
Sports do not only keep us emotionally, physically and mentally fit but they also teach us a lot of values and manners. Participating in sports gives us the understanding of practice and hard work in order to achieve our dreams and goals.
It teaches us about discipline, concentration, team spirit, sportsmanship, etc. Apart from the sports mentioned above there are various other sports and games such as table tennis, swimming, cycling, skating, track sports, etc. If you like sports too take a look at the best sports comebacks in history. https://www.icytales.com/top-amazing-comebacks-sports-history/
Last Updated on by ritukhare