This article provides a list of countries and their national games, which is an important topic for General Awareness and static GK in various competitive or government exams.
A national game is a sport or activity chosen by a country, either because it is very popular or has a strong historical connection to that country. But do you know what India’s national game is?
Many people think it’s hockey, but that’s not true! Even though India’s hockey team won six Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1956, making the sport famous, the Ministry of Sports has clarified that India has not officially declared any sport as its national game.
For students preparing for exams, it’s important to know the national games of different countries, as well as other popular sports in those nations.
List of National Games of Different Countries
Some sports are national sports de facto (not established by law), like Gaelic games in Ireland and baseball in the United States, while other national sports are de jure (established by law), such as taekwondo in South Korea.
To help candidates prepare for the general awareness section of various competitive exams, we have compiled a list of countries and their national games, classified into de facto and de jure (along with the years)
| Name of Countries | National Games in the World | Other Important Games |
|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Buzkashi (Also called Kopar, Kupari and Ulak Tartysh) (DeFacto) | Cricket, football, boxing & basketball |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Cricket (DeFacto) | Football |
| Argentina | Pato (DeJure – 1953) | Association football, Basketball, Rugby union |
| Australia | Cricket (DeFacto) | Australian Rules Football (AFL), Rugby, Horse Racing, Netball |
| Bangladesh | Kabaddi (DeJure – 1972) | Cricket & football |
| Barbados | Cricket (DeFacto) | Football, Golf, Tennis |
| Bermuda | Cricket (DeFacto) | Football, Rugby and Tennis |
| Bhutan | Archery (DeJure – 1971) | Basketball, football, futsal |
| Brazil | Capoeira (DeJure – 1972) | Volleyball and Basketball |
| Bulgaria | Weightlifting (DeFacto) | Gymnastics, Rowing, Biathlon and Cricket |
| Canada | Ice hockey (In Winter) & Lacrosse (In Summer) (DeJure – 1994) | Football, Golf, basketball, and baseball |
| Chile | Chilean rodeo (DeJure – 1962) | Tennis and football |
| China | Ping Pong (Table Tennis) (DeFacto) | Volleyball, Martial Arts, Shooting, Badminton |
| Cuba | Baseball (DeFacto) | Boxing, Volleyball, Basketball |
| Columbia | Tejo (DeJure – 2000) | |
| Czech Republic | Ice Hockey (DeFacto) | Football |
| Dominican Republic | Baseball (DeFacto) | Football and Boxing |
| England | Cricket (DeFacto) | Football, Rugby and Basketball |
| France | Football (Defacto) | Rugby, Motor Sports and tennis |
| Haiti | Soccer (DeFacto) | – |
| Hungary | Water Polo (DeFacto) | – |
| India | Field Hockey (DeFacto) (Otherwise Undeclared) | Cricket, badminton, kabaddi |
| Israel | Football (DeFacto) | Basketball, Swimming, canoeing |
| Italy | Football (DeFacto) | – |
| Indonesia | Badminton (DeFacto) | – |
| Lithuania | Basketball (DeFacto) | Football, Athletics, Cycling |
| Iran | Wrestling (DeFacto) | Polo, football |
| Jamaica | Cricket (DeFacto) | Association football, Athletics |
| Japan | Sumo Wrestling (DeFacto) | Ju-Jitsu (Martial Arts), Baseball, Football |
| Malaysia | Sepak Takraw – similar to Volleyball or Badminton(DeFacto). Players cannot use their hands to play | – |
| Mongolia | Mongolian wrestling, archery and horse riding (De Facto) | Football, Basketball |
| Mauritius | Football (DeFacto) | Athletics, Basketball, Badminton |
| Mexico | Charreria- similar to Rodeo (DeJure – 1933) | Association football and Boxing |
| Nepal | Dandi Biyo – similar to Indian Gilli Danda (Till 2017) Volleyball (DeJure – 2017) | Cricket, football |
| New Zealand | Rugby (DeFacto) | Cricket, Netball, Basketball, Golf, Tennis |
| Norway | Cross-country skiing (DeFacto) | Wrestling, Cycling, Shooting |
| Namibia | Rugby (DeJure – 2018) | Football, Netball |
| Pakistan | Field Hockey (DeFacto) | Cricket, Kabaddi, Squash, Snooker |
| Philippines | Arnis – Type of Fighting Art (DeJure – 2009) | Basketball, Badminton, boxing |
| Poland | Football (DeFacto) | – |
| Peru | Paleta Frontón – type of Tennis (DeFacto) | – |
| Puerto Rico (United States) | Paso Fino (DeJure – 1966) | – |
| Russia | Bandy- A type of Ice Hockey (DeFacto) | Chess, football, Basketball, Gymnastics |
| Scotland | Golf (DeFacto) | Tennis, Rugby |
| Serbia | Football, basketball, volleyball, and water polo (DeFacto) | – |
| Slovenia | Alpine Skiing (DeFacto) | Ski Jumping, Athletics, Basketball and Boxing |
| South Korea | Tae-kwon-do (DeJure – 2018) | Football and Basketball |
| SriLanka | Volleyball (DeFacto) | Cricket, badminton, Watersports |
| Switzerland | Shooting and Gymnastics (DeFacto) | Football and Ice Hockey |
| Tajikistan | Gushtigiri- type of wrestling (DeFacto) | – |
| Turkey | Oil wrestling (DeFacto) | Soccer, Basketball, VolleyBall |
| USA | Baseball (DeFacto) | Football, Ice Hockey, Golf, Tennis |
| Uruguay | Destrezas Criollas (DeJure – 2006) | – |
| Venezuela | Baseball (DeFacto) | Football |
The list of national games around the world is useful for exams like SSC, RRB, Bank, IBPS, and other government exams. UPSC aspirants should also be well-versed with the topic, as they might encounter questions related to it in the UPSC prelims.
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Previous Years Questions (PYQs)
Q1. What is the National Game of the USA? [SSC MTS 2019]
A. Baseball
B. Basketball
C. Cricket
D. Football
Explanation: The national game of the USA is Baseball, not by law, but through de facto. Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two opposing teams who take turns batting and fielding. The game proceeds when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team tries to hit with a bat.
Q2. The National Game of Bhutan is: [CHSL 2020]
A. Archery
B. Shooting
C. Taekwondo
D. Wrestling
Explanation: The National Game of Bhutan is Archery.
Q3. Of which country is bull-fighting the national game?
[SSC Tax Assistant (Income Tax & Central Excise Exam, 12.11.2006]
- Spain
- Portugal
- Hungary
- Poland
Explanation: Bull-fighting is the national game of Spain.
