National sports - The pride of a nation

We are sure, as energetic and enthusiastic children, all of you are extremely keen on sports. Be it for fun or for competition, you would never hesitate to leave aside your books and run to the playground or at least a cleared area to enjoy yourselves playing some game.

If you take a look at sports on a higher level and consider the sports activities of any country, you would see that they are done in a methodical manner and that many types of sports remain as popular sports among the community. But, when you consider the various types of sports in a country, one sport stands out against the others as the 'National Sport.'

Therefore, in today's article we will discuss what this concept is all about, and find out the national sports of many countries.

You may already know that most countries have a national sport. But, do you know why such a sport is selected and what importance it has? As its name implies, the national sport should have something related to the nation.

When this aspect is considered, it means that the sport has something unique with reference to the country.

Another fact of a national sport is that it is generally expected to be known and engaged in by most of the people of the particular country. But, as every country does not have their own sport, the governments of those countries have officially registered a particular sport as the national sport.

Many countries have got their national sports due to the popularity of a particular sport. But, when we consider the national sport of our own country, do you think the definition for a national sport is applicable? Most of you must be aware that the national sport of Sri Lanka is volleyball. But, as we see, the most popular sports in our country are either cricket or football.

However, this is quite a recent development. During the time that volleyball was registered as Sri Lanka's national sport, it was extremely popular throughout the country. And although this was not indigenous to our country, it matched the lifestyle of Sri Lankans who lived a few decades back. But, by now as a result of advertising and fame, sports such as cricket have become more popular and as important as the national sport of the country.

This is the situation in a considerable number of national sports of many countries over the world. So, at this point, you may think that this concept of a national sport is of no use. But, don't get into any sudden conclusions. A national sport is important in most occasions as an identity of the country's sports capabilities.

Aravinda Dassanayake

National sports of some countries

Country			National sport
Argentina		Football
Australia		Cricket
Bangladesh		Kabaddi
Brazil			Football
Cuba			Baseball
France			Football
Germany			Football
Greece			Football
India			Field Hockey
Italy			Football
Japan			Sumo, karate  and judo
Korea			Tae Kwon Do
New Zealand		Rugby
Pakistan		Field Hockey
Philippines		Basketball
Saudi Arabia		Falconry and horse racing