Austria is a highly mountainous country, with its highest point being almost 4 kilometers above sea level. Austrians have a great love for winter sports like alpine skiing and ice hockey but they also love the sport of association football or soccer and rugby.
Sports have made a prominent position in our lives. Sports provide us with healthy body and mind as well as it is the best-known means of recreation and fulfilling one’s dreams of getting success at the international level. With the advancements in technology and changing patterns of different sports, there has been a vast change in the popularity of sports all over the world. Let’s explore what are some of the most popular sports of the recent time are, in terms of popularity.
Austria has produced some of the best alpine skiers in the world like Toni Sailer, Hermann Maier, and Annemarie Moser-Pröll. Austria has basically got a stranglehold on alpine skiing and one of the best in ski jumping in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, Winter Olympics, and FIS Ski Jumping World Cup. As a matter of fact, in the 2011 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, Austria dominated by taking all of the 5 gold medals.
The Austrians traditionally played football or soccer but have declined in popularity since the World War II. The Austrian national football team actually qualified for the FIFA World Cup several times but never made the cut for the European Championships until 2008.It is also worth noting that Austrians also like playing chess. As a matter of fact, the first official world chess champion was from Austria (Wilhelm Steinitz). There are also a lot of Austrians who made a mark in various sports like Niki Lauda who won the Formula One championship three times (1975, 1977 and 1984).
Top Sports in terms of Popularity in Austria:
1. Soccer: Soccer is the internationally known and most popular game on the planet. The people of the United States call it soccer, whereas the rest of the world knows it as football. There are more than 3.5 million die-hard fans of football all around the globe. Kids from all classes or societies start playing football at a tender age and go on to become passionate followers of the same. The World Cup tournament, the global championship of football, is held every four years and attracts the most number of viewers from all walks of life. With the viewers of around 32 countries watch their teams play, the football World Cup is the most watched sport on the television. Football is the most popular sport in 57 countries.
2. Cricket: Cricket, gentlemen’s game, is the national game of England. The British were instrumental in introducing this game to the world. Today, cricket stands at the number two position in the list of top 10 sports in the world, with the viewership of around 2.5 million. Cricket has most of its fans in the U.K, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan. Cricket is the most popular sport in Pakistan and India, whose population, if combined, makes up over one-fifth of the total population of the world. T-20, the shorter form of cricket, has further enhanced the level of interest and popularity of this game.
3. Basketball: Basketball, an action chocked game that requires show-casing skills, strategy, and athleticism, attracts around 2 billion spectators, however, most of them are of the United States and Europe. The NBA and NCCA are the prestigious leagues of basketball. All the matches of these leagues are closely watched by the masses. NCCA allured around 15 million viewers in the last season. Basketball is the most popular game in 14 countries.
4. Tennis: Tennis is the most popular sport that is played individually. It is both a recreational and spectator sport for the general masses. Tennis has the fan following of around 1 billion. Though this sport is more popular in wealthier countries, some developing countries have also bestowed many prominent tennis stars to the world. Madness for tennis in the masses arises during the four major tournaments, namely, the U.S. Open, the Wimbledon, the French and Australian open. These four, high energy tournaments captivate the maximum number of viewers all around the globe. Tennis is the most popular sport in six countries and is ranked among top three sports in 16 countries.
5. Baseball: Baseball is the national game of America. It is very popular in central, north and south America, parts of East Asia. The most renowned tournament of baseball in the U.S. and Canada, the 2009 World Series, attracted around 19.2 million viewers. The proof of baseball’s popularity is in the fact that electronic media covers all the local events of baseball too with much sincerity. Baseball is the most popular sport in three countries and stands among top three sports in 4 countries.
6. Table Tennis: Table tennis is highly popular game all over the world; however the Chinese seem to dominate all the competitions held on the international level. It can be played both individually and in pairs. Table tennis’ popularity has also risen due to the fact that it needs a very small space and thus, can be played indoors. Table tennis is the most popular sport in two countries and is ranked among top three sports in 10 countries.
7. Field Hockey: Field hockey is the game that involves the high degree of stamina. It is an exciting game and has most of its fans in the commonwealth nations. Hockey is the most popular game in India and Pakistan, after cricket. It is also the national game of both India and Pakistan. Many European countries have also gathered interest in hockey. It is widely and madly watched by millions of people during World cup, Olympics, and Champions trophy.
8. Volleyball: The Vienna hotVolleys are Vienna's volleyball team - a sport which is very popular in central and Eastern Europe. They play, among other competitions, in the Central European MEVZA league along with their Austrian rivals from Innsbruck and teams from Eastern European countries. Their home matches take place at the Budocenter Wien in the southern part of the city. Volleyball is an entertaining sport, that can be played both indoors and outdoors. This sport has its popularity among both men and women. The sport originated in the U.S. and is, therefore, the most popular in the same country. Volleyball attracts around 900 million viewers from across the globe. Apart from the U.S., volleyball has its fans in Japan, China, Russia and Europe. It is also very popular in the rural areas of Indian Subcontinent, but we haven’t seen a lot of international participation from the subcontinent. Nowadays, volleyball is widely played on the beaches, to increase the level of enjoyment.
9. Golf: Golf is ranked second in the list of the most popular solo sports in the world, after Tennis. Golf is known to the masses as “the most expensive sport in the world”. Well, the amazing thing to know is that not only its tools and equipment’s are costly, but the maintenance of the natural beauty (beautiful green grass) takes up most of the expense. The popularity of golf is ascending by every passing day. People of all ages are keen to test their precision and strategies. Tiger Woods, an eminent golfer had earned the record $900 million by 2010, just by this game! This is the highest amount of money earned by an individual sportsperson.
10. Rugby football: Rugby was named after an educational institution where it was played extensively. It is a sport that is packed with a great deal of action and thrill. This game requires an exceptionally healthy physique, demon speed and good control over nerves. Rugby is being governed by two separate unions, Rugby Union and Rugby League. Their constant efforts have led to the inclusion of rugby in the list of top 10 popular sports. The dominant teams in this sport are New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, and Argentina. Rugby is the most popular sport in New Zealand and also stands tall among the top three sports of 6 other countries, which are: Australia, U.K, Sweden, Argentina, Austria, and Uzbekistan.
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