List of countries and their national games

A game is a structured form of play which through casual or organised participation aims to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to the players, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators.

Any sport which is designated as the national sport of a country is either based on popularity or holds a historical connection from that country. The national games are considered to be important for the country or are significant for their cultural values. Check the list of countries and their national sports below. 

Countries and their national games

1. Afghanistan

Buzkashi is the national game of Afghanistan which is also known as Kopar, Kupari and Ulak Tartysh.

Source: www.ontravelarabia.com

National Game: Buzkashi

2. Antigua and Barbuda

It has a very rich culture which is complemented by the rich history. European sports largely influence the region and among all the sports, Cricket is the most popular among them. Hence based on popularity, Cricket became a national game.

Source: www.rosewoodhotels.com

National Game: Cricket

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3. Argentina

Argentina is one of the best Football playing nations, however, Pato is the official national sport since 1953.

Source: www.argentinaindependent.com

National Game: Pato

4. Australia

The Australian sports culture is one of the important features of the sporting landscape. Cricket, Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union and Horse Racing are among the earliest organised sports in Australia. Among all games, Cricket and Australian Rules Football (AFL) are taken as national games not only because of popularity but also its sporting history.

National Game: Cricket and Australian Rules Football (AFL)

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5. Bangladesh

Cricket, Football and Kabaddi are considered the most popular games in Bangladesh but Kabaddi is the national game of the country.

National Game: Kabaddi

6. Barbados

Cricket is considered to be an intrinsic part of the culture of Barbados. Barbados Cricket Association is the apex body to govern cricket locally. Barbados has given famous cricketers- Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Frank Worrell.

National Game: Cricket

7. Bermuda

There are varieties of sports played in Bermuda but Cricket is most popular due to British influence.

National Game:  Cricket

8. Bhutan

Archery is the national sport declared by the Kingdom in 1971 when it became a member of the UN. Throughout the history of Bhutan, bows and arrows were an important means of survival in the highlands during wars and hunts and they also play a significant role in their myths and legends. For example- images of gods holding bows and arrows.

Source: www.michiganarchersassociation.com

National Game: Archery

9. Brazil

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that is a combination of dance and music and is marked by deft, tricky movements. It is culturally significant and evolved during colonial times by slaves. It is popular not only in Brazil but internationally through computer games and movies.

Source: www.youtube.com

National Game: Capoeira

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10. Bulgaria

Bulgaria is well known for its weightlifters because they won medals on almost every big weightlifting event and set many world records on championships including the Olympic Games. The most distinguished weightlifters are Stefan Botev, Nikolay Peshalov, Demir Demirev and Yoto Yotov.

Source: www.Olympic weightlifting.eu

National Game: Weightlifting

11. Canada

It has two national games- Ice hockey (In Winter) & Lacrosse (In Summer). National Sports of Canada Act quotes:  "Hockey and Lacrosse to be national sports. The game commonly known as ice hockey is hereby recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada and the game commonly known as Lacrosse is hereby recognized and declared to be the national summer sport of Canada."

National Game: Ice hockey (In Winter) & Lacrosse (In Summer)

12. Chile

Chilean Rodeo is not only a traditional sport but also a national sport (declared in 1962).

Source: cdn.c.photoshelter.com

National Game: Chilean rodeo

13. China

China has not formally declared a national sport but based on its popularity, table tennis is called a national game.

Source: www.languageties.com

National Game: Table Tennis

14. Cuba

The Cuban sports culture is influenced by the United States of America, hence among all the sports, baseball is very popular among Cuban people.

National Game: Baseball

Source: totalsportscomplex.com

15. The Czech Republic

Football and Ice Hockey are the two leading sports played in the country but ice hockey draws more attention because of its popularity and professional stability.

National Game: Ice Hockey

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16. The Dominican Republic

Baseball is the most popular sport in the country. After the United States, it has the second-highest number of baseball players in Major League Baseball (MLB).

National Game: Baseball

17. England

Soccer is the nation’s most popular sport but Cricket is the national game not by law but de facto.

National Game: Cricket

18. France

The sports culture is very rich in France that reflected its popularity among French people and sporting history. Football became a de facto national game.

National Game: Football

19. Haiti

National Game: Football

20. Hungary

Water Polo is the national game of Hungary. Hungary is considered the world's top power in the history of water polo, having won 15 Olympic, 10 World Championship, 5 FINA World League, 8 FINA World Cup and 21 European Championship medals.

National Game: Water Polo

Image source: stagebanter.ca

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21. India

The Golden Era of Hockey in India was the period from 1928 - 1956 when India won 6 successive gold medals in the Olympic Games. Now cricket is more popular than hockey in India.

Note: As per recent RTI, the Sports Ministry has made it clear that it has not declared any sport as a national game whereas the web portal of Government National Portal of India has posted an article glorifying field hockey under the heading 'National Game'.

22. Israel

Football is the most popular sport in Israel. The sport is under the jurisdiction of the Israel Football Association. It joined the Asian Football Confederation in 1954 but was booted out in 1974 due to political pressure from the Arab world during the Arab–Israeli conflict.

National Game: Football

23. Italy

Football (Calcio in Italian) is the national sport of Italy and currently has the second most successful football team in World Cup history, after Brazil, having won four FIFA World Cup championships.

National Game: Football

24. Indonesia

Badminton is the national game from both the participation and spectating aspect. It has won gold medals in badminton in every Olympic Games since the sport was first introduced to the Olympics in 1992.

National Game: Badminton

Source: sport.co.in

25. Lithuania

Basketball is the only sport that is religiously followed by the people after Catholicism.

National Game: Basketball

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26. Iran

Wrestling is regarded as a national game due to its long tradition and history. There are many styles of folk wrestling, from Varzesh-e Pahlavani to Zurkhaneh which have similarities with modern freestyle wrestling.

National Game: Wrestling

27. Jamaica

Sport is a significant part of Jamaican culture. It is one of the leading countries in sprinting with the current world record holder for 100m and 200m, Usain Bolt and the former 100m world record holder, Asafa Powell but based on popularity, cricket is considered as the national game.

National Game: Cricket

28. Japan

Sumo wrestling is considered to be the country’s national sport. It is a competitive full-contact wrestling sport where a rikishi (wrestler) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyo) or into touching the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet. The characters literally mean "striking one another".

National Game: Sumo Wrestling

Image source: www.bloomberg.com

29. Malaysia

Sepak Takraw is the national sport of Malaysia. It is similar to volleyball or badminton except players cannot use their hands.

National Game: Sepak Takraw

Source: img.antaranews.com

30. Mongolia

There are three national games of Mongolia, known locally as 'the three games- Mongolian Wrestling, Archery and Horse Riding.

National Game: Mongolian wrestling, archery and horse riding.

The national sport of Mauritius is Football. Mauritius became a member of FIFA in 1962 and Confederation of African Football in 1963.

National Game: Football

32. Mexico

The national game of Mexico is Charrería. It is a competitive event similar to rodeo and was developed from animal husbandry practices used on the haciendas of old Mexico.

National Game: Charreria

Source: s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com

33. Nepal 

Dandi Biyo (similar to Indian Gilli Danda) is played with a stick about two feet long and a wooden pin about six inches long. The pin is a small wooden stick with pointed ends.

National Game: Dandi Biyo

34. New Zealand

Rugby Union is the national game in New Zealand and is popular across all sections of New Zealand society, and many New Zealanders associate it with their national identity.

National Game: Rugby Union

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

35. Norway

The national sport of Norway is Cross-country skiing. It 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.

National Game: Cross-country skiing

Source: www.olympic.org

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36. Pakistan

The National game of Pakistan is Field Hockey.

National Game: Field Hockey

37. the Philippines

The National game of the Philippines is Arnis. It is the system of Filipino fighting arts founded by Remy Presas as a self-defence system.

National Game:  Arnis

Source: theobamaforum.com

38. Poland

The national game of Poland is Football. 

National Game:  Football

39. Peru

Paleta Frontón is a Peruvian sport similar to tennis.

National Game: Paleta Fronton

Source: i.ytimg.com

40. Russia

Chess is the most popular game in Russia but Bandy (a form of hockey) is considered to be a national game.

National Game: Bandy

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41. Scotland

The national game of Scotland is Golf because of its origin. More than six centuries ago, the first courses and rules of the game were developed.

National Game: Golf

Source: calamigosguestranch.com

42. Serbia

Football, Basketball, Volleyball and Water Polo are the most popular sports in Serbia but there is no official announcement for the national game.

43. Slovenia

The national game of Slovenia is skiing.

Source: upload.wikimedia.org

National Game: Skiing

44. South Korea

Taekwondo is the national game because it is often claimed to have historical origins on the Korean peninsula with origins said to have been traced as far back as the 1st century BCE.

National Game: Tae-kwon-do

Source: www.darumamartialarts.com

45. SriLanka

The national sport of Sri Lanka is Volleyball. Other popular sports are Water Sports, Badminton, Athletics, Football, Basketball and Tennis.

National Game: Volleyball

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46. Switzerland

The National game of Switzerland is Shooting and Gymnastics.

National Game: Shooting and Gymnastics

47. Tajikistan

The national sport of Tajikistan is Gushtigiri (a type of wrestling).

National Game:  Gushtigiri

48. Turkey

Oil wrestling/grease wrestling is the Turkish national sport. It is so-called because the wrestlers douse themselves with olive oil.

National Game: Oil wrestling

49. the USA

The national game of the USA is Baseball not by law but through de facto.

National Game:  Baseball

Source: quotezee.blogspot.com

50. Venezuela

The national game of Venezuela is Baseball. It is known to produce some of the most skilled baseball players in the world for example Luis Aparicio.

National Game: Baseball

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List of countries and their national games

The National Game of any country is an intrinsic part of their culture. The above list of countries and their national games are useful for both sports lovers and the aspirants of different competitive examinations.

Note: Most of the countries have not declared particular sports as "National game" but based on popularity, it has been informally considered as the national game.

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