While football is the sporting discipline that dominates the African continent, several other disciplines are lagging behind. In this article, we will talk about the Top 10 underdeveloped sports in Africa. !
Africa is a continent rich in cultural, historical and geographical diversity. Sport occupies an important place, whether as a means of expression, entertainment, social cohesion or economic development. However, the sports industry in Africa remains largely underdeveloped, due to a lack of infrastructure, funding, training or visibility. Apart from football, the star discipline all over the world, basketball is hard to match. So here is our Top 10 underdeveloped sports in Africa.
Tennis
Tennis is a very popular sport in the world, but which remains little practiced in Africa. A discipline that generates huge gains in Europe, tennis is a sport that consists of hitting a ball (yellow) with a racket, trying to get it over a net and bounce it into the opponent’s court. It is played in singles (one against one) or doubles (two against two), on different types of surface (clay, grass, hard, etc.).
According to the International Tennis Federation (ITF), there are only 54 national tennis federations in Africa, out of the 210 members of the ITF. However, few are these federations which benefit from the subsidies necessary for its development in Africa. Apart from South Africa and the Maghreb countries, few African countries have placed tennis players who have caused a sensation in the discipline.
Cycling
Much appreciated in Europe, cycling has a long history in Africa. Whether it consists of traveling by bicycle, on the road, on tracks or on all-terrain, cycling suffers in Africa because of the roads which are often in poor condition, the tracks are rare or non-existent. Little developed compared to other continents, the sport which requires endurance, speed, power and technique has been an Olympic sport since 1896.
However, it continues on its merry way with a few laps like that of Gabon, Benin… which nevertheless mobilize very little enthusiasm.
Judo
A sport that has Japanese origins but quickly spread around the world, judo is also very popular in Europe. An Olympic discipline, it consists of throwing or immobilizing your opponent on the ground, using techniques of seizure, imbalance, projection or control. Known by many Africans, judo is very little developed elsewhere. Despite some African athletes who carry the torch of the African continent in Olympic or international competitions, judo cannot compete with basketball for example.
Lacking infrastructure, equipment, training and funding, there are few continental or regional competitions, and few African players who stand out on the international circuit.
At the speakers
Still called the noble art, boxing is a sport with a long history, dating back to antiquity. Modern boxing was born in the 18th century in England, where it was practiced with bare hands. Then it evolved with the introduction of gloves, rules and federations and even became an Olympic sport since 1904.
Boxing is a sport that has some popularity in Africa. Appreciated on the continent, it is struggling to develop in Africa. Unlike in Europe where this discipline generates a lot of income, boxing in Africa is something else. To venture there as an African and hope to excel, you have to give yourself colossal means and as Francis Ngannou reveals, it is difficult to get there in Africa.
Volleyballs
A sport with around 800 million fans worldwide, volleyball consists of throwing a ball over a net with your hands or arms, without dropping it to the ground. Discipline which is played in teams of six players, on a rectangular ground, it is very practiced in Europe and South America.
On the African continent, volleyball is well known and practiced in several countries. Unfortunately, the low investments and the very little importance given to it by African leaders mean that it remains undervalued in Africa. Governed by the African Volleyball Confederation (CAVB), which is the continental body responsible for volleyball in Africa, created in 1972, there are continental competitions such as the African Volleyball Championship (first edition in 1967) or the European Cup. Africa of champion clubs. However, it is among the 10 underdeveloped sports in Africa.
Handball
Handball is a collective sport which is played with a ball and which opposes two teams of seven players on a rectangular field separated by a goal. The object of the game is to score points by throwing the ball into the opposing goal. Like volleyball, handball has a certain popularity in Africa, but it remains less developed than other sports such as football or athletics.
The lack of infrastructure, short funding of importance mean that there are very few competitions in this discipline on the African continent.
fencing
A combat sport that consists of hitting your opponent with the tip or the edge of a bladed weapon, without being hit yourself, this sport is little practiced in Africa. In addition to countries like Egypt, Tunisia or Algeria where the sport is practiced a little more, fencing is really struggling on the continent.
An Olympic discipline since 1896, it is a sport that develops speed, precision, coordination, strategy and respect. In Africa, it suffers from a lack of infrastructure, equipment and training. The level of performance is average and there is continental competition, but little publicized.
Swimming
Included in our top 10 underdeveloped sports in Africa, swimming is a sport practiced by many Africans. However, it remains underdeveloped in terms of performance and competitiveness. Practiced by many Africans for leisure, swimming is one of the popular sports outside the African continent. Developing breathing, musculature, coordination and endurance, African authorities grant very little subsidy to this sport, which has also been an Olympic discipline since 1896. For the few who cling to it, the level of performance remains low.
Cricket
Interesting as a discipline, cricket is very popular in certain Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Zimbabwe or Kenya, but it remains very confidential in the rest of the continent. Just like football, it is a sport that opposes two teams of eleven players on an oval field. The object of the game is to score more runs than the opponent by hitting a ball with a bat and running between two stakes. However, cricket suffers from a lack of media exposure and weak financial support.
Outside of Africa, cricket is one of the most followed disciplines in England, India, the USA and Australia.
The motocross
This is another discipline that is also booming in Africa, thanks to the presence of numerous fields suitable for practice. However, motocross is among the underdeveloped sports in Africa. An Olympic discipline, it has a long history, which dates back to the first race organized in Camberley, England, in 1924. In Africa, only South Africa, Zimbabwe or Kenya devote a little means and attention to it. .
However, a lack of infrastructure, equipment and training in Africa makes motocross one of the underdeveloped sports disciplines in Africa.
2023-07-30 22:48:39
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