Sports are a significant source of entertainment and a vital part of the national culture among Bangladeshis. The most well-known sports in Bangladesh include football, hockey, and cricket. The county’s national sport is ha-du-du, and it has consistently been among the top ten cricketing countries worldwide.
Let’s dive deep into the top most loved sports in Bangladesh.
1. Cricket
The sport with the highest national recognition is cricket. Bangladesh hosts a large number of one-day internationals and twenty-over internationals. The International Cricket Council gave Bangladesh the honor of hosting the 2014 World Twenty20.
The Bangladesh Cricket Council is the primary governing body in charge of developing cricket in Bangladesh. After a nail-biting final against India on February 9, 2020, Bangladesh’s Under-19 cricket team qualified for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa.
This was Bangladesh’s first and only triumph in an ICC competition. Mehidy Hasan and Shakib AI Hasan are recognized for their high energy levels and intensity on the field.
2. Hockey
Hockey is the third most-played sport worldwide, after cricket and football. However, the lack of responsible leaders and poor management contribute to the sport’s deterioration.
Despite this, Bangladesh remained consistently at the Hockey Asian Cup and hosted the 1985 tournament. The Bangladesh Hockey Federation, the country’s regulatory body for hockey, annually organizes various domestic competitions, the most important of which is the First Division Hockey League. Two such instances of players are Abu Nippon and Bashir Ahmed.
3. Football
While cricket is the most popular sport in Bangladesh, football has always been a close second. Despite this, the government of Bangladesh and its football governing body, the Bangladesh Football Federation, pay little attention to this popular sport.
During the 1980s and 1990s, football became more popular and was often regarded as the most popular sport in the world. Players Eleta Kingsley and Jamal Bhuyan.
4. Squash
Because of recent government steps and the efforts of the Bangladesh Squash Racket Federation, squash has become more prevalent in Bangladesh. There has been a rise in squash competitions in Bangladesh, indicating the sport’s potential in the country. There are a lot of bright young minds emerging from this country.
In a recent report, the government suggested that the significant Federation headquarters be located on government-provided land. A major squash competition in Bangladesh is the Grameenphone Open. Some of Bangladesh’s best squash players are Swapan Parvez and Raju Ram.
5. Rugby
Rugby is a relatively new but rapidly expanding sport in Bangladesh. However, Europeans under British rule in Bangladesh in the nineteenth century were responsible for introducing the sport to the region.
Now recognized by the Bangladesh Olympic Association, the National Sports Council, and Asia Rugby, the Bangladesh Rugby Association has evolved into the Bangladesh Rugby Federation Union.
6. Handball
The sport of handball was established in Bangladesh by the Bangladesh Handball Federation, which has belonged to the International Handball Federation since 1986.
Bangladesh has teams for men and women that compete in international events like the South Asian Games. Additionally, BHF works with the government to organize yearly inter-school games for both boys and girls around the nation. You can bet on your favorite handball team on bd.parimatch.com and stand a chance to win big.
7. Golf
Today’s Bangladeshi society values golf more highly than it did in the past. When Siddikur Rahman won the Brunei Open in 2010, he made history by being the first athlete from Bangladesh to triumph in an Asian Tour event. Following that, Bangladeshi cricket received the support it needed from the media and investors, assuring its long-term financial stability.
8. Swimming
The sheer number of rivers in Bangladesh (250) should give you some idea of the significance of swimming there. Brojen Das, the first person from Asia to swim the English Channel four times, is an excellent example of the kind of swimmer the country has developed. Two more world-class swimmers are Mohammad Mahfizur Rahman and Mohamed Juwel Ahmed.
9. Karate
Bangladesh’s national karate team won four gold medals in the 11th South Asian Games. At the 13th South Asian Games, Bangladesh won three gold medals, good enough for second place behind only archery. At the South Asian Games, Bangladesh won seven gold medals in karate, one of several international competitions in which the country has participated.
10. Butthan
The three cornerstones of Butthan are health and fitness, self-defense, and sports. A team of scientists from the Science Channel selected Grandmaster Mak Yuree Vajramunee as one of the top five Superhumans for whom to build Butthan. Traditionally, it has been used as a means of self-defense in Bangladesh.
Conclusion
Bangladesh has world-famous athletes in every major sport, including cricket, football, hockey, table tennis, handball, rugby, squash, and tennis. Archery and boxing are the least popular sports in Bangladesh, whereas cricket is the most popular.