vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
FIFA World Cup
The best - attended single match , shown in the last three columns , has been the final in half of the 20 World Cups as of 2014 . Another match or matches drew more attendance than the final in 1930 , 1938 , 1958 , 1962 , 1970 -- 1982 , 1990 and 2006 .
Basketball
Basketball is one of the world 's most popular and widely viewed sports . The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity , salaries , talent , and level of competition . Outside North America , the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the Euroleague and FIBA Americas League . The FIBA Basketball World Cup and Men 's Olympic Basketball Tournament are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world . Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams , like EuroBasket and FIBA AmeriCup .
United States
Eight Olympic Games have taken place in the United States ( 2028 Summer Olympics will mark the ninth time ) . As of 2017 , the United States has won 2,522 medals at the Summer Olympic Games , more than any other country , and 305 in the Winter Olympic Games , the second most behind Norway . While most major U.S. sports such as baseball and American football have evolved out of European practices , basketball , volleyball , skateboarding , and snowboarding are American inventions , some of which have become popular worldwide . Lacrosse and surfing arose from Native American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate Western contact . The most watched individual sports are golf and auto racing , particularly NASCAR . Rugby union is considered the fastest growing sport in the U.S. , with registered players , numbered at 115,000 + and a further 1.2 million participants .
List of Formula One broadcasters
It attracts one of the largest global TV audiences after the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games , with a total global audience of about 352 million people for the 2017 season .
Venezuela
Although not as popular in Venezuela as the rest of South America , football , spearheaded by the Venezuela national football team is gaining popularity as well . The sport is also noted for having an increased focus during the World Cup . According to the CONMEBOL alphabetical rotation policy established in 2011 , Venezuela is scheduled to host the Copa América every 40 years .
The Bahamas
The only other sporting event that began before cricket was horse racing , which started in 1796 . The most popular spectator sports are those imported from United States , such as basketball , American football and baseball rather than Great Britain due to the country 's close proximity to the United States . Unlike their other Caribbean counterparts , cricket , rugby , and netball have proven to be more popular .
Russian culture
Bandy , known in Russian as `` hockey with a ball '' and sometimes informally as `` Russian hockey '' ( as opposed to `` Canadian hockey '' , an informal name for ice hockey ) , is another traditionally popular ice sport , with national league games averaging around 3,500 spectators . It 's considered a national sport . The Soviet Union national bandy team won all the Bandy World Championships from 1957 to 1979 . The Russian team is the reigning world champion since the 2014 tournament , having defended the title in 2015 .
Russian culture
Russian synchronized swimming is the best in the world , with almost all gold medals having been swept by Russians at Olympics and World Championships for more than a decade . Figure skating is another popular sport in Russia ; in the 1960s , the Soviet Union rose to become a dominant power in figure skating , especially in pair skating and ice dancing , and at every Winter Olympics from 1964 until 2006 , a Soviet or Russian pair has won gold , often considered the longest winning streak in modern sports history . Since the end of the Soviet era , tennis has grown in popularity and Russia has produced a number of famous tennis players . Chess is also a widely popular pastime ; from 1927 , Soviet and Russian chess grandmasters have held the world championship almost continuously .
New Zealand
Most of the major sporting codes played in New Zealand have British origins . Rugby union is considered the national sport and attracts the most spectators . Golf , netball , tennis and cricket have the highest rates of adult participation , while netball , rugby union and football ( soccer ) is popular among young people . Around 54 % of New Zealand adolescents participate in sports for their school . Victorious rugby tours to Australia and the United Kingdom in the late 1880s and the early 1900s played an early role in instilling a national identity . Horseracing was also a popular spectator sport and became part of the `` Rugby , Racing and Beer '' culture during the 1960s . Māori participation in European sports was particularly evident in rugby and the country 's team performs a haka , a traditional Māori challenge , before international matches . New Zealand is known for its extreme sports , adventure tourism and strong mountaineering tradition , as seen in the success of notable New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary . Other outdoor pursuits such as cycling , fishing , swimming , running , tramping , canoeing , hunting , snowsports and surfing are also popular . The Polynesian sport of waka ama racing has experienced a resurgence of interest in New Zealand since the 1980s .
2018 FIFA World Cup
In the United States , the 2018 World Cup was the first men 's World Cup whose English rights were held by Fox Sports , and Spanish rights held by Telemundo . The elimination of the US national team in qualifying led to concerns that US interest and viewership of this World Cup would be reduced ( especially among `` casual '' viewers interested in the US team ) , especially noting how much Fox paid for the rights , and that US games at the 2014 World Cup peaked at 16.5 million viewers . During a launch event prior to the elimination , Fox stated that it had planned to place a secondary focus on the Mexican team in its coverage to take advantage of their popularity among US viewers ( factoring Hispanic and Latino Americans ) . Fox stated that it was still committed to broadcasting a significant amount of coverage for the tournament .
Ecuador
The most popular sport in Ecuador , as in most South American countries , is football . Its best known professional teams include Liga De Quito from Quito ; Emelec from Guayaquil ; Deportivo Quito , and El Nacional from Quito ; Olmedo from Riobamba ; and Deportivo Cuenca from Cuenca . Currently the most successful football team in Ecuador is LDU Quito , and it is the only Ecuadorian team that has won the Copa Libertadores , the Copa Sudamericana , and the Recopa Sudamericana ; they were also runners - up in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup . The matches of the Ecuadorian national team are the most - watched sporting events in the country . Ecuador has qualified for the final rounds of the 2002 , the 2006 , & the 2014 FIFA World Cups . The 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign was considered a huge success for the country and its inhabitants . The unusually high elevation of the home stadium in Quito often affects the performance of visiting teams . Ecuador finished in 2nd place in the CONMEBOL qualifiers behind Argentina and above the team that would become World Champions , Brazil . In the 2006 FIFA World Cup , Ecuador finished ahead of Poland and Costa Rica finishing second behind Germany in Group A in the 2006 World Cup . They were defeated by England in the second round .
Malaysia
Popular sports in Malaysia include association football , badminton , field hockey , bowls , tennis , squash , martial arts , horse riding , sailing , and skate boarding . Football is the most popular sport in Malaysia and the country is currently studying the possibility of bidding as a joint host for 2034 FIFA World Cup . Badminton matches attract thousands of spectators , and since 1948 Malaysia has been one of four countries to hold the Thomas Cup , the world team championship trophy of men 's badminton . The Malaysian Lawn Bowls Federation was registered in 1997 . Squash was brought to the country by members of the British army , with the first competition being held in 1939 . The Squash Racquets Association Of Malaysia was created on 25 June 1972 . Malaysia has proposed a Southeast Asian football league . The men 's national field hockey team ranked 13th in the world as of December 2015 . The 3rd Hockey World Cup was hosted at Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur , as well as the 10th cup . The country also has its own Formula One track -- the Sepang International Circuit . It runs for 310.408 kilometres ( 192.88 mi ) , and held its first Grand Prix in 1999 . Traditional sports include Silat Melayu , the most common style of martial arts practised by ethnic Malays in Malaysia , Brunei , and Singapore .
2019 AFC Asian Cup
The tournament was broadcast live by around 80 TV channels covering the whole world . 800 million people were expected to watch matches , with the tournament reaching a potential TV audience of more than 2.5 billion people . Below is the list of confirmed broadcasting right holders for 2019 AFC Asian Cup .
National Football League on television
The television rights to broadcast National Football League ( NFL ) games are the most lucrative and expensive rights of any American sport . Television brought professional football into prominence in the modern era after World War II . Since then , National Football League broadcasts have become among the most - watched programs on American television , and the financial fortunes of entire networks have rested on owning NFL broadcasting rights . This has raised questions about the impartiality of the networks ' coverage of games and whether they can criticize the NFL without fear of losing the rights and their income .
2018 FIFA World Cup
In February 2018 , Ukrainian rightsholder UA : PBC stated that it would not broadcast the World Cup . This came in the wake of growing boycotts of the tournament among the Football Federation of Ukraine and sports minister Ihor Zhdanov . However , the Ukrainian state TV still broadcast the World Cup , and more than 4 million Ukrainians watched the opening match . Additionally , the Football Federation of Ukraine refused to accredit journalists for the World Cup and waived their quota of tickets .
FIFA World Cup
The current final tournament has been used since 1998 and features 32 national teams competing over the course of a month in the host nation ( s ) . There are two stages : the group stage followed by the knockout stage .
Venezuela
The immense popularity of baseball in the country makes Venezuela a rarity among its South American neighbors -- association football is the dominant sport in the continent . However , football , as well as basketball , are among the more popular sports played in Venezuela . Venezuela hosted the 2012 Basketball World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2013 FIBA Basketball Americas Championship , which took place in Poliedro de Caracas . Venezuela
Southern United States
In recent decades association football , known in the South as in the rest of the United States as `` soccer '' , has become a popular sport at youth and collegiate levels throughout the region . The game has been historically widespread at the college level in the Atlantic coast states of Maryland , Virginia , and the Carolinas , which contain many of the nation 's most successful college soccer programs .
Fox Sports 1
2015 FIFA Women 's World Cup - United States vs Australia : 3.9 million 2015 FIFA Women 's World Cup - Japan vs England : 2.3 million 2015 FIFA Women 's World Cup - United States vs Colombia : 4.7 million 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup final : 1.0 ( 1.8 million viewers )
India
The improved results garnered by the Indian Davis Cup team and other Indian tennis players in the early 2010s have made tennis increasingly popular in the country . India has a comparatively strong presence in shooting sports , and has won several medals at the Olympics , the World Shooting Championships , and the Commonwealth Games . Other sports in which Indians have succeeded internationally include badminton ( Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu are two of the top - ranked female badminton players in the world ) , boxing , and wrestling . Football is popular in West Bengal , Goa , Tamil Nadu , Kerala , and the north - eastern states .
FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup Founded 1930 ; 88 years ago ( 1930 ) Region International ( FIFA ) Number of teams 32 ( finals ) 211 ( eligible to enter qualification ) Related competitions FIFA Confederations Cup Current champions France ( 2nd title ) Most successful team ( s ) Brazil ( 5 titles ) Television broadcasters List of broadcasters Website fifa.com/worldcup/
Yemen
Football is the most popular sport in Yemen . The Yemen Football Association is a member of FIFA and AFC . The Yemeni national football team participates internationally . The country also hosts many football clubs . They compete in the national and international leagues .
Philippines
Various sports and pastimes are popular in the Philippines including basketball , boxing , volleyball , football ( soccer ) , American football , both codes of Rugby football , badminton , karate , taekwondo , billiards , ten - pin bowling , chess , and sipa . Motocross , cycling , and mountaineering are also becoming popular . Basketball is played at both amateur and professional levels and is considered to be the most popular sport in the Philippines . In 2010 , Manny Pacquiao was named `` Fighter of the Decade '' for the 2000s ( decade ) by the Boxing Writers Association of America ( BWAA ) , World Boxing Council ( WBC ) , and World Boxing Organization ( WBO ) . The national martial art and sport of the country is Arnis , Eskrima or Kali in some regions
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics ( French : Jeux olympiques ) are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions . The Olympic Games are considered the world 's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating . The Olympic Games are held every four years , with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart .
Fox Sports 1
While its live events ( such as NASCAR races ) are beaten in the ratings by ESPN , the program Undisputed is behind only 613 thousand viewers to Pardon the Interruption . Live events have still provided FS1 with high ratings .
Colombo
One of the most popular sports in Sri Lanka is cricket . The country emerged as champions of the 1996 Cricket World Cup and became runners up in 2007 and 2011 . In the ICC World Twenty20 they became runners up in 2009 and 2012 and winners in 2014 . The sport is played in parks , playgrounds , beaches and even in the streets . Colombo is the home for two of the country 's most popular international cricket stadiums , Sinhalese Sports Club 's cricket stadium and R. Premadasa Stadium ( named after late president Premadasa ) .
Nairobi
Football is the most popular sport in the city by viewership and participation . This is highlighted by the number of football clubs in the city , including Kenyan Premier League sides Gor Mahia , A.F.C. Leopards , Tusker and Mathare United .
Women's association football
At the beginning of the 21st century , women 's football , like men 's football , is growing in both popularity and participation as well as more professional leagues worldwide . From the inaugural FIFA Women 's World Cup tournament held in 1991 to the 1,194,221 tickets sold for the 1999 Women 's World Cup visibility and support of women 's professional football has increased around the globe .
India
India has also played a major role in popularising cricket . Thus , cricket is , by far , the most popular sport in India . The Indian national cricket team won the 1983 and 2011 Cricket World Cup events , the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 , shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka , and won 2013 ICC Champions Trophy . Cricket in India is administered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI ) ; the Ranji Trophy , the Duleep Trophy , the Deodhar Trophy , the Irani Trophy , and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy are domestic competitions . The BCCI also conducts an annual Twenty20 competition known as the Indian Premier League .
FIFA World Cup
Since the second World Cup in 1934 , qualifying tournaments have been held to thin the field for the final tournament . They are held within the six FIFA continental zones ( Africa , Asia , North and Central America and Caribbean , South America , Oceania , and Europe ) , overseen by their respective confederations . For each tournament , FIFA decides the number of places awarded to each of the continental zones beforehand , generally based on the relative strength of the confederations ' teams .
Winter Olympic Games
The Olympic Charter limits winter sports to `` those ... which are practised on snow or ice . '' Since 1992 a number of new sports have been added to the Olympic programme ; which include short track speed skating , snowboarding , freestyle and moguls skiing . The addition of these events has broadened the appeal of the Winter Olympics beyond Europe and North America . While European powers such as Norway and Germany still dominate the traditional Winter Olympic sports , countries such as South Korea , Australia and Canada are finding success in the new sports . The results are : more parity in the national medal tables ; more interest in the Winter Olympics ; and higher global television ratings .
Basketball
Beach basketball has grown to a very popular , widespread competitive sport . 15 Annual World Championships have been organized .
The Gambia
As in neighbouring Senegal , the national and most popular sport in Gambia is wrestling . Association football and basketball are also popular . Football in the Gambia is administered by the Gambia Football Association , who are affiliated to both FIFA and CAF . The GFA runs league football in the Gambia , including top division GFA League First Division , as well as the Gambia national football team . Nicknamed `` The Scorpions '' , the national side have never qualified for either the FIFA World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations finals at senior levels . They play at Independence Stadium . The Gambia won two CAF U-17 championships one in 2005 when the country hosted , and 2009 in Algeria automatically qualifying for FIFA U-17 World Cup in Peru ( 2005 ) and Nigeria ( 2009 ) respectively . The U-20 also qualified for FIFA U-20 2007 in Canada . The female U-17 also competed in FIFA U-17 World Cup 2012 in Azerbaijan .
Olympic Games
Viewership increased exponentially from the 1960s until the end of the century . This was due to the use of satellites to broadcast live television worldwide in 1964 , and the introduction of colour television in 1968 . Global audience estimates for the 1968 Mexico City Games was 600 million , whereas at the Los Angeles Games of 1984 , the audience numbers had increased to 900 million ; that number swelled to 3.5 billion by the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona . However , at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney , NBC drew the lowest U.S. ratings for any Summer or Winter Olympics since 1968 . This was attributed to two factors : one was the increased competition from cable channels , the second was the internet , which was able to display results and video in real time . Television companies were still relying on tape - delayed content , which was becoming outdated in the information era . A drop in ratings meant that television studios had to give away free advertising time . With such high costs charged to broadcast the Games , the added pressure of the internet , and increased competition from cable , the television lobby demanded concessions from the IOC to boost ratings . The IOC responded by making a number of changes to the Olympic program . At the Summer Games , the gymnastics competition was expanded from seven to nine nights , and a Champions Gala was added to draw greater interest . The IOC also expanded the swimming and diving programs , both popular sports with a broad base of television viewers . Finally , the American television lobby , namely NBC , was able to dictate when certain events were held so that they could be broadcast live during prime time in the United States . The results of these efforts were mixed : ratings for the 2006 Winter Games were significantly lower than those for the 2002 Games , while there was a sharp increase in viewership for the 2008 Summer Olympics , and the 2012 Summer Games became the most watched event in US television history .
The Bahamas
Other popular sports are swimming , tennis and boxing where Bahamians have enjoyed some degree of success at the international level . Other sports such as golf , rugby league , rugby union beach soccer and netball are considered growing sports . Athletics commonly known as track and field in the country is the most successful sport by far amongst Bahamians . Bahamians have a strong tradition in the sprints and jumps . Track and field is probably the most popular spectator sport in the country next to basketball due to their success over the years . Triathlons are gaining popularity in Nassau and the Family Islands .
Curling
Curling is particularly popular in Canada . Improvements in ice making and changes in the rules to increase scoring and promote complex strategy have increased the already high popularity of the sport in Canada , and large television audiences watch annual curling telecasts , especially the Scotties Tournament of Hearts ( the national championship for women ) , the Tim Hortons Brier ( the national championship for men ) , and the women 's and men 's world championships .
Football
The iconic ball with a regular pattern of hexagons and pentagons ( see truncated icosahedron ) did not become popular until the 1960s , and was first used in the World Cup in 1970 . Modern
2018 FIFA World Cup
This was the first World Cup to be held in Eastern Europe , and the 11th time that it had been held in Europe . At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion , it is the most expensive World Cup ever . It was also the first World Cup to use the video assistant referee ( VAR ) system .
American football
Football is not an Olympic sport , but it was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Summer Olympics . The IFAF has received provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) , and a vote on making it an Olympic sport could be held as early as 2017 . Several major obstacles hinder the IFAF goal of achieving status as an Olympic sport , such as the predominant participation of men in international play and the short three - week Olympic schedule . Large team sizes are an additional difficulty , due to the Olympics ' set limit of 10,500 athletes and coaches . American football also has the issue of global visibility . Nigel Melville , the CEO of USA Rugby , noted that `` American football is recognized globally as a sport , but it 's not played globally . '' In order to solve these concerns , major effort has been put into promoting flag football , a modified version of American football , at the international level .
Kenya
Kenya has been a dominant force in women 's volleyball within Africa , with both the clubs and the national team winning various continental championships in the past decade . The women 's team has competed at the Olympics and World Championships though without any notable success . Cricket is another popular sport , also ranking as the most successful team sport . Kenya has competed in the Cricket World Cup since 1996 . They upset some of the world 's best teams and reached the semi-finals of the 2003 tournament . They won the inaugural World Cricket League Division 1 hosted in Nairobi and participated in the World T20 . They also participated in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 . Their current captain is Rakep Patel .