Most popular sport in the world

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 2:41 pm

From ezine articles

All types of sports are popular globally, but what sports can we call THE most popular in the world? Some of the answers may surprise you.

It's no surprise that football, or what Americans call "soccer" is the world's most popular sport to play and to watch. An estimated 3.5 billion people either watch or play football. The World Cup is the global championship of the sport and this tournament is played every four years. The World Cup itself is one of the highest rated sports on television, with many countries tuning in en masse to watch their country's team play. Football is popular in all of the UK, Europe, Asia as well as South America. However, with so many other sports being popular, the Unites States still lags behind in their interest in "soccer".

Next, we have cricket. This sport which consists of a bat and a ball, has been around for hundreds of years and originated in England. The sport is popular in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, some African countries, some Caribbean countries and it is the most popular sport in the countries of India and Pakistan. An estimated 3 billion people watch or play cricket each year.

The next most popular sport is a sure surprise, and that is field hockey, with an estimated 2 billion players or watchers, mostly in Asian countries, European countries, Australia and around Africa. This sport tends to be played in high schools in the United States, usually by girls only.

Coming up next is tennis. Not so surprising, but there are an estimated 1 billion players and watchers of tennis around the world. Tennis tends to be popular in richer countries, including the United States, Asian countries, Australia and Europe. There are four main tournaments in tennis, called "Grand Slams" at which players from many countries play. The first is the Australian Open, then the French Open, Wimbledon and then the US Open in late August. The Grand Slam tournaments tend to get the most attention during the tennis season.

Next we have volleyball. Yet another surprise, with an estimated 900 million viewers or players around the world. Volleyball is popular in the United States, where the sport originated, as well as in Brazil, all over Europe, Russia, China and Japan. Volleyball is a popular high school sport in many countries due to it's team centered play and lack of specialized equipment requirements.

Also popular is table tennis, otherwise known as Ping Pong. This is another surprisingly popular sport around the world, with an estimated 900 million watchers or players. Table tennis originated in England as an after dinner activity for Victorians in the late 19th century. Table tennis as a competitive sport is popular in many countries but is especially popular in China, Korea and Singapore.

After these sports, we have a triumvirate of more mainstream American sports including baseball, golf, American football and basketball, with each sport attracting between 400 and 500 million players or watchers worldwide.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:17 pm

some of the best Catches in Cricket.

Love that collingwood catch ..............remarkable.

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:22 pm

Oh and before anyone says "there are those kind of catches in Baseball...." well sorry dudes, No there is not, our guys don't wear a glove!!! Simply no competition. there's a reason why they call a couple of the fielding positions "silly" .

don't get me wrong I played A grade softball for years and I loved the game but there is no comparison between playing cricket and playing baseball. Cricket wins out out I'm afraid.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:50 pm

Thanks for that. Amazing catches! I'd have added Strauss' catch to dismiss Gilchrist in the 2005 Ashes series, but they are all amazing.

Glad your lad is enjoying his cricket and learning some of the history. Get him pracising with a stump and a golf ball and see if you've got the next Bradman. Er, on second thoughts this Pom thinks that's a bad idea...

What a game...

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:02 pm

Being hit by the ball isn't fun I have a pic of the ex here after the ball went through his helmet I'll find it.won't keep it up but just for the purpose of the thread

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:04 pm

Clodhopper;1228428 wrote: Thanks for that. Amazing catches! I'd have added Strauss' catch to dismiss Gilchrist in the 2005 Ashes series, but they are all amazing.

Glad your lad is enjoying his cricket and learning some of the history. Get him pracising with a stump and a golf ball and see if you've got the next Bradman. Er, on second thoughts this Pom thinks that's a bad idea...

What a game...

Cricket ball in a hung stocking. Golf ball with a stump hiting it into corrugated iron . that'll get the reflexes going.

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:28 pm

Ouch!

chuckle. One of the amusing things is that if you get hit by the seam, it prints itself perfectly on your flesh - artistic bruises! :wah:

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:36 pm

Then of course, there's David Lloyd (Bumble) who had perhaps the most painful strike of all. Lillee or Thommo, I think it was, hit him in the box. One of the old, plastic ones.

It split and inverted from the power of the blow...

...trapping his tackle - all of it - in the split box, which then clamped shut.

Ow. Owowowowowowowowowowowowow!

He claims he asked the physio if he could take away the pain, but leave the swelling.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:05 pm

fuzzywuzzy;1228380 wrote: From ezine articles

Very surprised golf is so low but the big two are the ones we know and love.

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:13 pm

Bryn Mawr;1228885 wrote: Very surprised golf is so low but the big two are the ones we know and love.
Not all of us do - and where was Beach Volleyball?

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:19 pm

is pingpong a sport?

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:24 pm

qsducks;1228889 wrote: is pingpong a sport?

Not really, but neither are cricket, football or the rest.....

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 2:27 pm

Chookie;1228892 wrote: Not really, but neither are cricket, football or the rest.....

i read somewhere that video games are being considered sports...stupid in my book

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:22 am

I don't know ducky that wii can be pretty exhausting

fuzzywuzzy · Post by **fuzzywuzzy** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 2:23 am

Clodhopper;1228456 wrote: Then of course, there's David Lloyd (Bumble) who had perhaps the most painful strike of all. Lillee or Thommo, I think it was, hit him in the box. One of the old, plastic ones.

It split and inverted from the power of the blow...

...trapping his tackle - all of it - in the split box, which then clamped shut.

Ow. Owowowowowowowowowowowowow!

He claims he asked the physio if he could take away the pain, but leave the swelling.

Oh god even the description made me cringe.

o

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:53 pm

I have to say I'm a bit surprised that cricket is number 2

:yh_rotfl!

I KID! I KID! Sort of...

Nothing personal just that I don't have an interest in cricket. It reminds me of baseball here in the states and I find baseball to be incredibly boring. Loved playing it as a kid, as I'm sure I would cricket, but I'd rather watch a bull circle around it's own feces all the while kicking dirt over it for the likes of 3 and a half hours than watch baseball on television.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:21 am

K.Snyder;1262340 wrote: I have to say I'm a bit surprised that cricket is number 2

:yh_rotfl!

I KID! I KID! Sort of...

Nothing personal just that I don't have an interest in cricket. It reminds me of baseball here in the states and I find baseball to be incredibly boring. Loved playing it as a kid, as I'm sure I would cricket, but I'd rather watch a bull circle around it's own feces all the while kicking dirt over it for the likes of 3 and a half hours than watch baseball on television.

Shame because cricket is, as well as being a tough sport, elegant and technically very challenging as well as being a test of strategies. A cursory glance at a cricket match might find it a bore to watch but ask any English and Welsh (and increasingly more Scots and Irish ), Aussie, Kiwi, Indian, Pakistani, West Indian etc and they will tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. The 2002 Ashes series was as good as it gets. All the Aussies here will agree and it was "sportsmanship " at its very best

The short games (limited over games like One Day Cricket and 20/20 ) provide a faster, arguably (not by me) a more exciting version of the game for those who's attention span cant last the 5 day test series. I'm a purist. Give me Test cricket every time

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:16 pm

Snowfire;1262427 wrote: Shame because cricket is, as well as being a tough sport, elegant and technically very challenging as well as being a test of strategies. A cursory glance at a cricket match might find it a bore to watch but ask any English and Welsh (and increasingly more Scots and Irish ), Aussie, Kiwi, Indian, Pakistani, West Indian etc and they will tell you, nothing could be further from the truth. The 2002 Ashes series was as good as it gets. All the Aussies here will agree and it was "sportsmanship " at its very best

The short games (limited over games like One Day Cricket and 20/20 ) provide a faster, arguably (not by me) a more exciting version of the game for those who's attention span cant last the 5 day test series. I'm a purist. Give me Test cricket every time

I assume as much.

My entire life I've grown up playing American sports. It was the last World Cup 2006 that fueled my desire to follow soccer/football. I watched the 2002 World Cup but didn't really follow the US national team other than the World Cup. Now I watch practically every match. I follow the English Premier League and support Fulham. And yes I supported Fulham before the onslaught of Americans. I supported them when it was only Bocanegra and McBride. I'm from Ohio and McBride played practically his entire career here in Columbus not to mention he's an honorable human being as well as professional. Damn good header too!

By the way, Germany handled the ball in that Semi final in 2006 and we should have tied 1-1. Anything could have happened from that point!

But I love soccer/football now. Love it. Infuriates me how Americans remain to "hate" it simply because it's not a traditionally American sport! :yh_sick Makes me livid! If you're not going to like it then don't like it for good reason not out of ignorant prejudice(For the most part it's a humor thing -- Most just like to have a laugh as you say).

What they don't understand?

IT'S THE BUILD UP!!!!!!!! :yh_wink

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b0z0 · Post by **b0z0** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 am

I LOVE soccer..

There is a lot more in it than just 20 players running after the ball..

b0z0 · Post by **b0z0** » Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:24 am

My favorite player is Nicholas Anelka..NIC