Sports in Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sports in Canada consist of a wide variety of games. The roots of organized sports in Canada date back to the 1770s,[1] culminating in the development and popularization of the major professional games of ice hockey, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, soccer, football and cricket.[2] Canada's official national sports are ice hockey (winter official) and lacrosse (summer official).[3] Golf, baseball, tennis, skiing, ringette, badminton, cricket, volleyball, cycling, swimming, bowling, rugby union, canoeing, curling, squash, and the study of martial arts are widely enjoyed at the youth and amateur levels.[4] Great achievements in Canadian sports are recognized by Canada's Sports Hall of Fame,[5] while the Lou Marsh Trophy is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete by a panel of journalists.[6] There are numerous other Sports Halls of Fame in Canada.[5]
Canada shares several major professional sports leagues with the United States.[7] Canadian teams in these leagues include seven franchises in the National Hockey League, as well as three Major League Soccer teams and one team in each of Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. Other popular professional sports in Canada include Canadian football, which is played in the Canadian Football League, National Lacrosse League lacrosse, and curling.[8]
Canada has enjoyed greater success at the Winter Olympics than at the Summer Olympics[9] and has hosted several high-profile international sporting events, including the 1976 Summer Olympics,[10] the 1988 Winter Olympics,[11] the 1994 Basketball World Championship,[12] the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup,[13] the 2010 Winter Olympics[14][15] and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[16] Most recently, Canada hosted the 2015 Pan American Games and 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto, the former being one of the largest sporting event hosted by the country.[17] The country is also scheduled to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, alongside Mexico and the United States.[18]