The earliest reference to this sport was in England during the mid-16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, with the first international matches in the second half of the 19th century. Today it is the national sport of many Caribbean nations and of course, England.

a full contact sport involving 15 players on each team,with 7 substitutes on the bench. The aim of the game is to score more points than the other side and points are scored through tries, conversions, penalty kicks and drop goals. Considered the national sport of New Zealand and Namibia.

Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity and is still considered the national sport of this nation

Baseball's American origins, as well as its reputation as a source of escape during troubled points in American history, have led the sport to receive the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been unofficially recognized as our national sport. One other country claims baseball as it's national sport

A sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage. The sport has been an Olympic event since 1988 and is the national sport of China

Badminton is played using racquets to hit a "shuttlecock" across a net. The most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side). Formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court. Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and landing it within the opposing side's half of the court. It is considered the national sport of this nation

National Sports of Canada Act - S.C. 1994, c. 16

Assented to 1994-05-12

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows: The game commonly known as ice hockey is hereby recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada.

What other country lists ice hockey as its national sport?

Water polo as a team sport began as a demonstration of strength and swimming skill in mid-19th century England and Scotland, where water sports and racing exhibitions were a feature of county fairs and festivals. Men's water polo was among the first team sports introduced at the modern Olympic games in 1900. This country lists water polo as their national sport.

Sepak takraw, or Sepaktakraw, also called kick volleyball, is a team sport played with a ball made of rattan or synthetic plastic between two teams of two to four players on a court resembling a badminton court.

One country boasts that this sport is that national sport of their nation

Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. Others cite chuiwan (捶丸; "chui" means striking and "wan" means small ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth and fourteenth centuries.

Only one country tells the world that gold is its national sport.

Oil wrestling, also called grease wrestling, is an ancient traditional sport, where participants, called pehlivan (wrestlers) or baspehlivan (master wrestlers), wrestle while covered in oil. Competitions are held in proving grounds. One challenge of oil wrestling is that oiling the wrestlers' bodies makes it harder to grab each other.

Wrestling is listed as the national sport for many countries. but only one nation recognizes Oil Wrestling as their national sport.

Sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (dohyō) or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by throwing, shoving or pushing him down). The first mention of sumo can be found in a Kojiki manuscript dating back to 712.

The only country where it is practiced professionally and where it is considered the national sport

In December 1891, James Naismith, a Canadian professor of physical education and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long winters.

Which country lists basketball as its national sport?

Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting circle and then into the goal. The match is won by the team that scores the most goals. Matches are played on grass, watered turf, artificial turf, synthetic field, or indoor boarded surface. Which country sees Field Hockey as its national sport?

Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, with over 3.5 billion fans around the globe. Known as football in many parts of the world, this exciting sport has gained a huge following due to its thrilling gameplay and fast-paced action. Association football is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel aa ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. Which country does NOT consider football to be the national sport?

Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six court players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. Men's handball was first played at the Olympics in the 1936 Summer Olympics. Women's handball was added at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Handball is the national sport of which country?

Charrería is a competitive event similar to rodeo. Evolving from the traditions brought from Spain, most specifically the municipality of Salamanca in the 16th century, the first kind of charreria events were ranch work competitions between haciendas. It was defined as the national sport of this country in 1933

Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing, which use skis with free-heel bindings. The word ski is related to the Old Norse word skíð, which means "split piece of wood." Alpine skiing has been an event at the Winter Olympic Games since 1936. A competition like modern slalom was introduced in Oslo in 1886.

Only one nation claims that Alpine skiing is their national sport

Taekwondo, Tae Kwon Do or Taekwon-Do (/ˌtaɪkwɒnˈdoʊ, ˌtaɪˈkwɒndoʊ) is a form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast kicking techniques. This nation considers the self-defense form their national sport