Most Popular Sports
This list, published by CONI, refers to a survey made by ISTAT in 2000. Curiously, the sport that has brought the most success to Italy, fencing, with its 20,000 practicing, is not even in the top 25.
| # | Sport | People who practice | National teams | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Football (including futsal) |
4,363,000 | Football Futsal |
Football in Italy |
| 2 | Aquatic sports | 3,480,000 | Swimming Diving Water polo (men) |
|
| 3 | Gymnastics (including physical education) |
2,204,000 | ||
| 4 | Skiing | 2,060,000 | ||
| 5 | Cycling | 1,321,000 | Cycling | |
| 6 | Tennis | 1,298,000 | Davis Cup team Fed Cup team |
Tennis in Italy |
| 7 | Athletics (including road running) |
995,000 | Athletics | Athletics in Italy |
| 8 | Volleyball (including beach volleyball) |
988,000 | Volleyball (men) | |
| 9 | Basketball | 606,000 | Basketball | |
| 10 | Bodybuilding (including physical fitness) |
555,000 |
Read more about this topic: Sport In Italy
Famous quotes containing the words popular and/or sports:
“The poet will prevail to be popular in spite of his faults, and in spite of his beauties too. He will hit the nail on the head, and we shall not know the shape of his hammer. He makes us free of his hearth and heart, which is greater than to offer one the freedom of a city.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“It was so hard to pry this door open, and if I mess up I know the people behind me are going to have it that much harder. Because then there’s living proof. They can sit around and say, “See? It doesn’t work.” I don’t want to be their living proof.”
—Gayle Gardner, U.S. sports reporter. As quoted in Sports Illustrated, p. 87 (June 17, 1991)