Let's talk about sports?

Hello everyone!

I want to know about the the most popular sports in your countries.

Here in Brazil, as everyone at least have heard, soccer (futebol) is the national symbol. We won the World Cup five times. And Brazil will host the next edition, in 2014.

Although soccer have the biggest exposure in the newspapers, TV, Internet and so forth, Brazilian people follows other sports. Formula One, volleyball, basketball (the Brazilian team get the right to compete in the next Olympic Games with our male team. Since 1996 we don’t play this tournament).

Talking about London 2012, we have the swimmer Cesar Cielo. He is the faster man in the 50 meters craw. And he won the gold medal in Beijing.

Unfortunately, I wait for just few medals in London. Maybe we will win medals in Volley (both genders), Soccer, Gymnastic (with Diego Hypolito), swimming and if we have any surprise in Marathon (with Marilson Gomes, New York winner for two times).

And in your country, what is the favourite sports?

It’s also football in France, as almost everywhere. France hasn’t a real “football culture” though, except in a few cities such as Marseille ou Saint-Etienne. Rugby and tennis are also very popular. And the Tour de France or the Athletics when there are world or European championships.

Actually, almost every sports are followed. Some love handball, which is not mediatised enough regarding the results of our national team. Others like basket-ball or volley-ball, which are not really popular however. Many follow Formula One.

Youngsters especially do football, tennis, judo and horse riding. There are lots of martial arts’ clubs but people don’t watch them on TV, nor are they really concerned by the results.

It really depends on the city/region. In some places it’s just football (Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Lens). In others, it’s more rugby (South West). Bretons like cycling. Then, there are cities where lots of sports possess a good team, such as Paris -of course - Toulouse, or Montpellier.

In Canada it is hockey, followed by hockey, and close behind is hockey.

Are you saying some Canadians like hockey?

American football, Baseball, Hockey. Are big here in St. Louis.
Our baseball team recently won the world series (It’s just a name no other nations are apart of it, pretentious I know.

Baseball is the biggest, there is no defecting here, you do not live here and support other teams. We will turn on you.
Apparently our Football team sucks right now, but I don’t watch so I’m no expert.
In Hockey…we aren’t the best… But they have a stadium, and are still popular.

Sometimes there are games for each of these teams in downtown at the same time. Chaos.

I believe we used to have a Soccer team, but it’s probably dead due to disinterest.

Most sports vary depending on where you are in the country.

When it comes to Czech republic, ice hockey and football are most popular. We are better hockey players. Maybe you know Dominik Hašek or Jaromír Jágr.

In Italy the soccer is the most popular sport, the volleyball (both genders), swimming (with our Federica Pellegrini, first italian woman who won a gold medal in a Olympic Games), Moto GP (with Valentino Rossi), Formula One (with Ferrari). However I prefer the athletics, especially speed races and marathon

@the brazilians

How popular is mixed martial arts in Brazil, here in the States the appearance is that it’s one of the bigger sports now there, especially since the pound for pound best on most people’s list is a Brazilian, Anderson Silva…

Here, in the Faroe islands, Football is, as most places in Europe the most popular sport. Then there is handball 2nd and 3d. Rowing

Rowing, is our National sport. Where there are boats competing against each other, and not just clubs, as with other sports.
Sporting is categorized into 4 classes of boats; 6 man vessels, 8 man vessels, 10 man vessels, the biggest 6 oar rounders (carrying a dozen men). All of the boats used are Faroese boats, none of these Floating flagpoles, that i see they use in the Olympics :slight_smile:
The Faroese boat is unique in design, and where it and the sport have an interesting story, to how it came to be.

There are the mens division, womens division, and youth division boy and girl, Rowing Cups rowed each year, one cup for each division and class of boat so that makes 4x4 Cups.
as I said, there are no teems, but just The boat and its crew competing against other boats and theirs crews.
examples of boat names for the male division are; Riddarin,(the knight) Jallurin,(the earl) Ørvur(arrowhead) Drekin,(the dragon)
and for the women division; Havfrúgvin(the mermaid) Sílið,(the trout) Firvaldur(Butterfly)and Royndin Fríða(name of historical ship)

This is a nail biting, toe twisting sport. Few things get me as excited, as when I’m watching favorite boats struggle trough a one-second-difference victory :slight_smile:

@blindside

MMA became a very popular here thanks to Anderson Silva winnings abroad. He’s a charismatic man and appear in many ads and TV shows after made a contract with a marketing agency owned by Ronaldo.

In addiction, broadcasting rights of UFC was holded by Rede Globo, the biggest Brazilian network. Next Saturday they’ll broadcast the main fight, between Velasquez and Junior “Cigano”. Previously, MMA were broadcasted by RedeTV!, 5Th network in share.

But the fight will be showed at Sunday 2 am. The event today is follow by many people here. And the business tend to raise for a long-term, although still having a high rejection (many people don’t like to see violence).

In Hong Kong, people like swimming, bicycling and jogging.
We also like to play football and basketball.
In the morning, some old people like to play tai chi or kung fu.
Most children like to play board games, such as chess, go and elephant chess.