It’s no secret that football is the No. 1 sport in Nigeria, but which other sports get Nigerians going apart from the round-leather game.
In this article, we take a look at the top five sports in the country.
- Table Tennis
Checking in at No. 5 on our list is table tennis.
Table Tennis is played and enjoyed by all classes of people in Nigeria. Ping Pong tables can be found in all parts of the country; from sports complexes to recreational clubs.
And for those who don’t have the means to access a proper table, they can always set up the sport by using available resources.
Usually, wooden benches serve as the improvised tables, while a wooden plank is often used as the net. In some extreme cases, players use bathroom slippers as bats! All over the country, kids and young adults gather around these “tables” to play the sport.
On the professional level, Nigeria has been blessed with quite a few world-class table tennis players, with Segun Toriola, Funked Oshonaiki, and Aruna Quadri amongst the most notable Nigerian stars.
- Boxing
From Hogan Bassey to Dick Tiger; Nojim Maiyegun to Samuel Peter, Nigeria has produced a long list of top-class professional boxers.
This has played a big role in the popularity of boxing in the country.
Apart from Athletics, Boxing has been the most productive sport for Nigeria at the Olympic Games, with the country bagging a total of six medals at the quadrennial event.
At the moment, we are not quite as good at boxing as we used to be, but that has not diminished the popularity of the sport. Many Nigerians are ardent followers of top boxing stars like Tyson Fury and Saul Canelo Alvarez.
The hope is that someday, Nigeria will reclaim her position as one of the top boxing nations.
- Basketball
Basketball has always been very popular in Nigeria, and that popularity has experienced a surge in recent times following the exploits of our men’s and women’s national teams.
Nigeria has become one of the top basketball nations in Africa, with our men’s and women’s teams now featuring more consistently in global events like the Olympics Games.
The NBA remains immensely popular in the country, with top teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls having large fan bases.
The NBA has also been home to many players of Nigerian descent, with the Lagos-born Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon being one of the greatest players ever to grace the competition.
With many basketball courts situated all across Nigeria, youngsters can easily take up the sport and hone their skills.
- Athletics
Nigeria has a long history of success in global athletics events, with Track and Field contributing the most medals in our Olympic history.
From the bronze-medal winning quartet in the women’s 4 by 400m event at the Barcelona Games in 1992 to the incredible gold-medal-winning leap by Chioma Ajunwa in 1996, athletics has produced numerous memorable moments for Nigerian sports.
It is, therefore, no surprise that it ranks as the second most popular sport in Nigeria.
Nigerians are natural athletes, and the average Nigerian kid is pretty good at one event or the other. Unfortunately, we are not the best at identifying and nurturing young talents!
Still, there are so many aspiring athletes in Nigeria waiting for the opportunity to show off their skills to a global audience.
- Football
There can be no arguments about the No. 1 sport in Nigeria. Of course, it’s football, the King of all Sports.
Nigeria is a football-crazy nation, with our national men’s football team, the Super Eagles being one of the top treasures of the country.
Nigeria is a very diverse country, but when it comes to the Eagles, everyone comes together as one.
Beyond the Super Eagles, Nigerian football fans are also heavily invested in European football leagues like the English Premier League and the Spanish La Liga.
Not only do we love watching and playing football, Nigerians are also very heavy on football betting. Thankfully for soccer lovers, there are many online betting sites in Nigeria!
Our passion for the beautiful game is also helped by the ease with which the sport can be set up.
All you need is an open space and basic materials like stones/wood and you will be able to create a playing area.
Football is played by many young kids, who aspire to one day be the next JayJay Okocha or Nwankwo Kanu.
