Various obstacles such as grass and sand may also impede players as they progress through the round. Unlike other ball games, golf does not utilize a standard playing area. Rather, courses consist of various terrains, all of which are an essential part of the game. There are two main types of golf courses- 9 holes or 18 holes, each of which consists of a tee box, rough, putting green, and other hazards. Take the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, for example, it had a global audience of over 3 billion.
Interestingly, table tennis is among the top three sports in these two countries. Table Tennis is one of the most popular sports, with a substantial number of followers worldwide. Likewise, 345,000 students played tennis in high school during the Covid-19 pandemic (2020) in the United States.
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- Millions of people all around the world like watching basketball because of the sport’s high level of excitement and rapid tempo.
- During the nineteenth century in England, tennis morphed from games played with hands or primitive rackets to its contemporary form.
- Please feel free to share your views about this ranking of the most popular sports in the world, in our comments section below.
- Originating in the United States, basketball has swiftly soared to international acclaim, captivating audiences with its fast-paced action and gravity-defying feats.
- Badminton is an indoor sports and has gained popularity in many places like Asia which is also the birthplace of many of the best players of badminton.
- Tennis is without a doubt one of the most loved sports in the world as there are over 1 billion people that watch and engage in the sport.
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There are three formats through which the sport can be played and they include the following. Golf, probably the most expensive sport in the world, is played on a large highly maintained area known as a golf course. The game is played to pocket a small ball into a series of holes (18 or 9 is more common) by striking with various clubs. It requires notable skills and dedication to win the game in the fewest possible strokes.
Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka, ACMC, is a lawyer and a certified mediator/conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a developer with knowledge in various programming languages. Sam is also passionate about educating and providing valuable information to people. Forbes estimates that Formula 1 generates between $1.5 and $2 billion in revenue annually. So there you have them, these were all the biggest sports in the world.
Cricket: 2.5 Billion Fans / 30 Million Registered Cricket Players
This format includes a six-tackle rule where teams have up to six attempts to score before possession of the ball is turned over to the opponents. The main attraction of this sport is the four grand slam events, Wimbledon, French Open, Australian visit site Open, and the US Open where seedings of players are done by ATP and WTA ranking. Roger Federer, the legend of tennis, has a record for featuring among the top 10 in the list of the world’s highest-paid athletes, 12 times in a row from the year 2010 to 2021. Tennis is an individual game (Except doubles pairing as a team) that is not only one of the most-watched sports but also involves lots of prize money and sponsorship deals.
In September 2020, 3.82 million people participated in tennis within the United States alone, while 25% of those interested were between years old. The sport is enjoyed by people from all corners of the world, with 210 nations having joined the ITF. 59.6% of people worldwide show an interest in boxing and around 3.47 million people box as part of their fitness regimen. Famous International teams include the Mythical New Zealand All-Blacks and the 2019 World Cup-winning Springboks of South Africa.
Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
Astoundingly, table tennis also makes its mark near the top of the list with an estimated 300 million players worldwide. The sport of table tennis, also referred to as ping-pong originated in Victorian England and was mostly an upper-class entertainment game after dinner. At the moment, it’s one of the most popular sports in the world as it’s played in just about any country and is especially popular in Asian countries. In field hockey, two opposing teams of 11 players each use sticks curved at the striking end to hit a ball into their opponent’s goal. The game was invented in England, and the British army spread it in India and the Far East. Each basketball team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s elevated horizontal hoop and net, called a basket.
Next, we have ice hockey, a fast-paced and exciting sport that has been around for centuries. It is most popular in North America and parts of Europe, with an estimated 300 million viewers worldwide. The game of cricket has been around for centuries and originated in England.
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#4 Tennis – 1Billion
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Overall, 22.62 million local and professional players participated in this sport in the US in 2021. Tennis has gained popularity over the last 2 centuries, having originally been played by monks going back 600 years. The sport was known by various aliases such as Jeu de Paumme, Tenez, and lately Real Tennis. Young players would participate in hockey games organised at the school and college levels, as they still do today at both state and private schools. The least popular sport in the world right now is called ferret leggings, and as the name suggests, it’s not a great sport to do, if you can even call it a sport actually.
In both of these sports, participants can choose from a wide range of competition formats and distances. Professional leagues, such as the BWF World Tour, have helped bring badminton to a larger audience by showcasing exciting matches between the world’s best players. Over 20 countries host events for this magnificent motorsport, demonstrating its staggering global reach. The massive viewership numbers around major competitions like the World Cup or the Six Nations Championship are further evidence of rugby’s widespread appeal. The adrenaline and intensity of rugby have won over the hearts of fans all across the world.