8 Most Loved Sports In Africa
The most loved sports in Africa experience huge popularity throughout the continent, as Africa is a sport mad part of the world.
The people of the African continent enjoy a variety of sports to watch or participate in, whether they are team sports or those practised by individuals. The love of fans on the continent for sports is clear in the passion that they exude when supporting their sports heroes or favourite teams.
With this in mind, we take a look at the 8 most loved sports in Africa.
Soccer
Whether you call it football or soccer, there is no denying the passion that is stirred by the beautiful game throughout the continent, with most of the countries that make up Africa choosing soccer as their national sport. The nature of the game means that it can be played in most places with the only requirement being something that resembles a ball which can be kicked around. That accessibility makes it a winner, and it is by far the continent’s favourite sport.
Cricket
Another sport that has enjoyed popularity in parts of Africa is cricket. While South Africa and Zimbabwe are well known and highly competitive test nations in world cricket, other countries on the continent where cricket is a popular pastime include Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia, Uganda and Zambia.
Rugby
The rough and tumble sport of rugby is a game with high levels of popularity in certain parts of Africa, making it one of the most loved sports. South Africa is the country with the most fervent rugby fans, as their Springboks are former world champions, and it is played within many schools. Namibia, Ghana and Kenya have rugby teams that have grown in stature in recent years, and in the sevens format of the game, South Africa and Kenya are world beaters.
Athletics
The sport of athletics has long had a strong history of excellence emerging from the East African countries, with Kenya and Ethiopia in particular enjoying great success in long distance events. While the sport is currently in some turmoil with regards to doping allegations and issues, it remains a popular sport with great champions throughout Africa, many of whom will be contenders at the Rio Olympics later this year.
Boxing
With varied popularity around the continent, boxing is another sport that many Africans love. South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana are a few of the nations that hold the sport in particularly high regard, while the first African boxer to win a world heavyweight title was South African Gerrie Coetzee. Boxing is another of those sports that require little gear, aside from gloves as a basic level, in order to practice and take part.
Field Hockey
Hockey, not on the ice, but on the green pitches of Africa, is a sport that is growing in popularity throughout the continent. In both the women’s and men’s championships, South Africa is the current African champion following title victories at the end of 2015, but other nations that enjoy hockey success are Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. At least 21 African countries form part of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Tennis
The Confederation of African Tennis is the governing body for the sport on the continent, but most of the fans of tennis in Africa play as a hobby without regulation. South African tennis professional Kevin Anderson is the highest ranked African player, with an ATP men’s ranking of 14 in the world. Other African countries that produce tennis players of excellent quality include Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Zimbabwe. For this reason it is considered one of the most loved sports in Africa.
Wrestling
Traditional wrestling is very popular in parts of West Africa, with official status as the national sport in Senegal. The Senegalese version of Lutte Traditionelle allows striking with the hands, while the other versions of the physical sport does not, relying on brute strength as a means to overpower the opponent. It enjoys a cult following in many West African countries.