 | This articleis missing information about traditional African sports. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on thetalk page.(September 2024) |
Association football (also known as soccer) is the most popular sport in almost allAfrican countries, and in 2010South Africa became the first African nation to host theFIFA World Cup.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Some African nations, likeKenya andEthiopia, are very dominant at long distance running, whilst north African countries such asAlgeria,Egypt,Morocco andTunisia are dominant inhandball.Rugby andgolf are reasonably popular in a fewAfrican countries, though rugby is very popular in South Africa.[7]Traditional sports were strictly marginalised during thecolonial era, and many are dying or have gone extinct under the pressure ofmodernisation, however lots remain popular despite not having formal governmental recognition or support.[8][9]: 193–194
Africa has a long history ofindigenous sport.European colonialism from the late nineteenth century onwards broughtWestern sports to the continent while reducing the practice of local sports, which were seen by Europeans as primitive and anti-Christian.[10]
Sport in Africa before the mid-twentieth century was primarily played by Europeans. This was used to further the division between the social classes of both races. General physical education was implemented within the urban areas of African colonies to "civilize" and improve the productivity of African natives. As the offspring of the European elites and indigenous natives pursued education, they became introduced to the sports that had been previously reserved to the European settlers. There, many of them excelled and became "African Sport Stars" and were revered for their excellent performances. Those athletes would be included in the British and French national teams as there was a potential to their athletic prowess. From then on, the colonized African colonies were represented on the international sports scene. The elite athletes in the Anglophone and Francophone African colonies were called the "noble savages." They often were children ofSenegalese tirailleurs or military men.
AfterWorld War II, and the reconstruction era of European borders, Britain and France found it difficult to keep their colonies, especially with growing nationalism. After theLeague of Nations was created, Britain and France committed to the principles of good government, which stated the people have a right to determine their own form of government. Preceding the end of World War II, Africa took initiative to become independent of theneocolonial guardianship created by Britain and France. The internationalization of African sport depended heavily on the decolonization movements, alongside the integration into the Olympics. Africa utilized sports as a way to fight againstapartheid and end racial discrimination by social status. As the "noble savages" gained popularity, African elites seized this opportunity to not only fight apartheid and develop African sports, but to also carve an image of a new independent Africa.
In 1956, football boomed in Africa with the establishment of theConfederation of African Football.Pan-Africanism was expressed through sports, but were conditioned by Western sporting federations likeFIFA. Nevertheless, in the 1960 Rome Olympics, black African sportsmen were very successful in their respective fields, even scoring high places at the end of the competition. Sports furthered Africa's quest for independence, and today Africa is renowned in many sports, especially in soccer.[6][7]
African relative lack of success in international sports is due to lack of infrastructure.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
Association football (also known as soccer) is the most popular sport in every African country. African club teams compete in theCAF Champions League andCAF Confederation Cup. African national teams compete in theAfrica Cup of Nations and also in theAfrican Nations Championship for local teams.
Baseball has very little presence in Africa. However, theWorld Baseball Softball Confederation startedBaseball5, a street variation of baseball, with nine founding countries,[a] as a way of introducing the sport to the continent.[21][22]
Basketball is also popular throughout the continent, with notable results in Nigeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Angola, recently too in Cape Verde and South Sudan.[23][24][25][26][27][28][29]
The NigerianHakeem Olajuwon (2x times NBA Champion withHouston Rockets) is one of the best foreign players in the NBA's history and considered fundamental in developing and popularizing Basketball in Africa.
Cricket is a popular summer sport in the United Kingdom and has been exported to other parts of the formerBritish Empire.[30][31][32][33][34][35]Cricket has its origins in south east Britain. It is popular throughout England and Wales, and parts of the Netherlands, and in other world areas, especially in southernAfrica,Australia,New Zealand and theIndian subcontinent. It is played totest cricket level in South Africa and Zimbabwe, with notable results in Kenya and Namibia.
Field Hockey is popular throughout the former regions of theBritish Empire in Africa, with notable results in Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and especially South Africa.
Ice hockey is a minority sport in Africa, in which only a handful of African countries participate.[36][37][38][39]
Rugby union is very popular inSouth Africa (4x times World Champions in1995,2007,2019 &2023) and other countries have notable results such asMorocco,Namibia,Zimbabwe andIvory Coast.[40][41][42] The major competition in the continent is theAfrica Cup that contains the teams in the first level of African rugby, andAfrican Development Trophy contains the teams in the second level. Only the South Africa rugby team compete in the intercontinental tournament,The Rugby Championship. Albert Grundlingh’s article discusses the affects that a sport had on nationalism, specifically how rugby shaped the Afrikaner identity to some extent. The university of Stellenbosch was described as the “mecca” for south African rugby was a counter to English speaking universities by illuminating “the root of Afrikandom”.[43]
Handball andvolleyball are popular especially in North Africa, Other team sports likewater polo,roller hockey andnetball are also popular in some Eastern and Southern countries from Africa.
Individual sports are also very important. Africa has a major multisports competition calledAll-Africa Games that started in1965 held inBrazzaville,Republic of the Congo.
Athletics is one of the major single competitions in Africa. The discipline has been part of theAfrican Games since 1965. TheAfrican Athletics Championships has been held biannually since 1979. TheAfrican Cross Country Championships was first held in 1985 and later since 2011. TheAfrican Mountain Running Championships has been held since 2009.
In addition, several editions of theIAAF World Cross Country Championships have been held in Africa. TheMeeting International Mohammed VI d'Athlétisme de Rabat has been held at Morocco since 2008 as part of theIAAF World Challenge and theIAAF Diamond League. Previously, theMeeting Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar was part of theIAAF Grand Prix and IAAF World Challenge. TheCape Town Marathon became anIAAF Silver Label event in 2014 and anIAAF Gold Label event in 2017.
Kenya andEthiopia have been dominant inathletics at the Summer Olympics since the 1960s, especially in mid-distance and long-distance running.
TheUCI Africa Tour road cycling competition has been held since 2005.
TheDimension Data, formerly MTN–Qhubeka, was the first African team to enter the Grand Tours in 2015. Notable team members includeJacques Janse van Rensburg andYoucef Reguigui.
Kenya and Rwanda are rising forces in world cycling.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50]
Golf is a minority sport in Africa.[51] TheSunshine Tour is based in South Africa but also visits other neighbour countries. Several tournaments have been co-sanctioned by theEuropean Tour, such as theSouth African Open,South African PGA Championship,Alfred Dunhill Championship,Nedbank Golf Challenge,Africa Open,Joburg Open,Tshwane Open,
Notable African golfers includeBobby Locke, winner ofThe British Open four times in 1949, 1950, 1952 and 1957;Gary Player, winner of theBritish Open in 1959, 1968 and 1974,The Masters in 1961, 1974 and 1978, thePGA Championship in 1962 and 1972 and theU.S Open in 1965;Ernie Els, winner of the1994,1997 U.S. Open and2002 British Open;Nick Price, winner of the 1992 and 1994PGA Championship and 1994 British Open;Retief Goosen;Trevor Immelman;Louis Oosthuizen andCharl Schwartzel.
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Motorsport is popular in South Africa. The country has hosted several international races, such as theSouth African Grand Prix (Formula One),South African motorcycle Grand Prix (Grand Prix motorcycle racing), etc. TheMoroccan Grand Prix was the first Grand Prix from Africa to host the Formula 1 in1958.
TheSafari Rally was part of theWorld Rally Championship from 1973 until 2002, before returning in 2021. Previously theRallye Côte d'Ivoire was also held as a WRC round from World Rally Championship for drivers and manufacturers from 1977 to 1992. TheDakar Rally cross-country race was held across North Africa from 1979 to 2007, including a North-South route in1992 and a West-East route in2000.
Jody Scheckter is the only auto driver from Africa to win the Formula 1 in1979, whereasTony Maggs andJohn Love scored podiums.Giniel de Villiers won the Dakar Rally in 2009. In Motos, South Africa had/has notable riders such asKork Ballington,Jon Ekerold, and currentlyBrad Binder, while Rhodesian riders includeRay Amm andJim Redman.
Tennis is a minority sport in Africa.[52][53][54][55][56]
Notable players includeKevin Anderson,Irene Bowder Peacock,Jaroslav Drobný,Cliff Drysdale,Kevin Curren,Wayne Ferreira,Johan Kriek,Brian Norton,Sandra Reynolds,Eric Sturgess,Ian Vermaak,Amanda Coetzer andKevin Anderson.
TheSouth African Open was part of the Grand Prix from 1972 to 1989 and the ATP Tour from 1990 to 2011.
Water sports are popular in coastal countries, along the shores of Great Lakes and rivers. Rafting,[57] paddling, kayaking are growing types in Kenya, South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda and Uganda. It can be enjoyed both as a sport and a form of active tourism, designed for groups of different numbers of participants and levels of training.
There are also majormartial arts andcombat sport competitions in the continent.
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Louis Phal was the first African world boxing champion. It would another 4 decades for another boxing world champion in the form ofRichard Ihetu. Meanwhile, there was little administrative framework for professional boxing in Africa until 1973, when representatives of nine African nations created theAfrican Boxing Union. On October 30, 1974,Muhammad Ali andGeorge Foreman fought for a heavyweight title in Zaire which became known asRumble in the Jungle.
Africa has produced many world champions, withAzumah Nelson the most well known.[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]
Africa has yet to produce a winner in world judo.[66]African Judo Championships is the most important judo event in Africa.
Karate was first introduced in Africa in the 1960s.[67][68][69] TheUnion of African Karate Federation is in charge of karate in Africa.
Notable African mixed martial artists include UFC middleweight championIsrael Adesanya, UFC welterweight championKamaru Usman, and UFC heavyweight championFrancis Ngannou.
Extreme Fighting Championship (formerly known as EFC Africa) is a South African promotion founded in 2009.[70][71] It is the number onemixed martial arts organisation in the African continent.[72]
EFC Africa 19, which was held at Carnival City in Johannesburg on 19 April 2013, topped other African sports ratings with a record of over 1.8 million views with 31.3% of the total South African TV audience (SABC,e.tv andDStv combined). These are the biggest ratings in EFC history, topping EFC Africa 12's record of 1.6 million views and 25.9% audience share.[73] EFC 85 has been postponed because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Taekwondo is growing as more people compete in the Olympics.[74][75][76] Africa is emerging as a powerhouse in Taekwondo.[77][78] Taekwondo is run by theAfrican Taekwondo Union.
South Africa has hosted the1995 Rugby World Cup,2003 Cricket World Cup and2010 FIFA World Cup.[79][80] Africa has hosted six editions of thePan Arab Games and five editions of theMediterranean Games.Durban, South Africa was announced as host of the2022 Commonwealth Games in 2015, but they were denied as hosts in 2017.[81]
Notable continental tournaments are theAfrican Games,Africa Cup of Nations,CAF Champions League,African Championships in Athletics,African Rally Championship andSunshine Tour.
1st Edition of the East African Community Games (EACoG) (2018).[82]
Many people of theAfrican diaspora represent African nations at theWinter Olympics.[85]
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