Sports have been a part of human civilization for thousands of years, and the love for dynamism and sporting prowess has remained the same. Today, technology has revolutionized the way many sports are played, and sports science has been developed to improve athletes' performance and other aspects of sport. In addition, safety measures have been taken to ensure that athletes are not exposed to unnecessary risks. With all this in mind, let's take a look at the 10 most popular sports in the world. At the top of the list is soccer, with an estimated 3.3-3.5 billion fans worldwide.
It is believed to have originated in England in the 19th century, although similar games have been played for two thousand years in China. Soccer is popular because it does not require expensive equipment - all you need is a ball and your foot. It is especially popular in Europe, Central and South America, and Africa. Coming in second is cricket, with a fan base of 2.5 billion. It is most popular in England, India, Pakistan and Australia, and involves two teams, a bat, a huge circular field and scoring races like in baseball.
Basketball
is third on the list with 825 million fans.It was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian who taught at a school in the United States in the late 19th century. Basketball is particularly popular because it does not require expensive equipment - all you need are two baskets and a ball. It is especially popular in the United States, Canada, Japan and China.
Hockey
comes fourth with 875 million fans. There are two types of hockey - ice hockey and field hockey - and it has a bit of a social media following as well as a dedicated streaming audience that listens regularly.Hockey is especially popular in Tonga, Australia and New Zealand.
Badminton
is fifth on the list with 220 million people who regularly participate in this indoor sport. It originated in Asia and is particularly popular there.Rugby
has an estimated following of 475 million people. It originated in England and is now more popular in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and New Zealand.Table tennis
, also known as ping pong, has an estimated following of 875 million people. It originated in England in the early 20th century and is now popular around the world, especially in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas.Golf
has an estimated 450 million fans.It originated in Scotland in the 15th century but its name comes from the Dutch word “kolf” or “kolve” which translates as club. Golf is particularly popular in Western Europe, Eastern Asia and North America.
Tennis
has an estimated following of 1 billion people. It involves two players or teams trying to hit a ball over a net into their opponent's court to score points.Volleyball
has an estimated 900 million fans worldwide. It was invented by William G Morgan at a YMCA gymnasium in Massachusetts in 1895.Baseball
rounds out our list with 500 million fans worldwide.It originated in England but was developed into its modern form by Americans in the 19th century.
