Sport in Italy
Italy has a long sporting tradition. In almost all sports, both individual and team, Italy has good representative and many successes.
Football
- See also Football in Italy
Football (calcio) is the most popular spectator and participation sport. The Italian national team has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) and is the current titleholder, one European Nations Cup (1968) and a gold medal at the Olympic Games (1936). While major Italian clubs frequently compete at a high level of European competitions.
Auto Racing
- See also Auto racing in Italy and Rosso corsa
Auto racing receives much attention in Italy, while the nation is host to a number of notable automobile racing events, such as the famed Italian Grand Prix. The Italian flair for design is legendary, and it should come as no surprise that Ferrari has won more Formula Ones than any other manufacturer.[1]Famous Italian auto racing manufacturers include: Maserati, Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Osella, Dallara.
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing is followed by a lot of spectators in tracks and by almost 8,000,000 of persons on television. Famous Italian motorcycle racing manufacturers include: Benelli, MV Agusta, Mondial, Ducati, Aprilia, Beta. Italian motorcycle racer Giacomo Agostini is the all-time leader in victories in motorcycle Grand Prix history and he is considered the best racer of all-time by several experts. All kinds of motorcycle racing are popular: superbike racing, Grand Prix motorcycle racing, motocross, supercross, supermoto, enduro, motorcycle trials, motorcycle speedway.
Rugby union and league
- See also Rugby union in Italy and Rugby league in Italy
Italian rugby union teams compete domestically in the Super 10, as well as the European Heineken Cup tournament. The national team competes in the Six Nations Championship, and is a regular at the Rugby World Cup. Italy are classed as a tier-one nation by the International Rugby Board. Rugby league was established prior to the 1950s and Italy national rugby league team dispute various international competitions.
Basketball
- See also Basketball in Italy
Basketball (pallacanestro) is a sport gaining rapid popularity in Italy, although national teams have existed since the 1950s. The nation's top pro league is called Serie A (basketball):[2]it is widely regarded as the third best national league in the world after the American NBA and Spain's ACB. In some cities, (see Bologna, Siena, Pesaro or Varese) basketball is the most popular sport.
Volleyball
Volleyball (pallavolo) is played by a lot of amateur players and professional players compete in Italian Volleyball League. Italian national male and female teams are often in top 4 ranking of national teams in the world.
Cycling
- See also Cycle racing in Italy
Cycling is also a well represented sport in Italy. Italians have won more World Cycling Championships than any other country except Belgium. The Giro d'Italia is a world famous long distance bicycle race held every May and constitutes one of the three Grand Tours along with the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, each of which last approximately three weeks.
Tennis
Tennis tournaments have significant followings near courts and by television. Italian professional tennis players are almost always in top 150 world's ranking of male and female players. Beach tennis with paddle racquet was invented by Italians and is very participated sport.
Golf
Golf is played by almost 100,000 registered players in 2007. There are several male and female professional players. The most important tournament is Italian Open (golf).
Athletics
Athletics (track and field) is very participated and popular sport because Italian world or olympic champions are very celebrated persons. There are many national and international events every year.
Roller hockey
Roller hockey (Quad) is played since 1922 in a national championship and in 2008 all 14 teams of Italian league, called serie A1, consisted of professional players. Italian male national team is often in top 4 ranking of national teams in the world.
Traditional sports
Several traditional team ball games, called sferistici in Italian language, are played in sphaeristerium, or sferisterio in Italian language, so also in open playing fields since 1555 when Antonio Scaino from Salò regulated pallone col bracciale. There are many modalities of these sports: pallone col bracciale, pallapugno, pallapugno leggera, palla elastica, palla, tamburello. Professional players compete in national circuit of tournaments and international championships.
- Traditional game of bocce is also very popular and participated pastime.
- Cue sports are played on traditional billiard table in many forms: five-pins, nine-pins, goriziana, boccette. There are almost 6,000,000 of amateur players and professional players compete in national circuit of tournaments and international championships.
- Palio or annual athletic contest is followed very much because every comune celebrate ancient events in these competitions. The most famous in the world is palio di Siena.
Water sports
Water sports are very participated and followed very much by persons.
- Sailing is very participated by amateur sailors and professional sailors compete in all international categories and classes.
- Motorboat racing is popular and very followed by spectators.
- Swimming is very participated sport in all modalities.
- Water polo is played by substantial quantity of amateur players and Italian national team is often in top 4 ranking of national teams in the world.
- Diving is very participated and followed sport.
- Rowing (sport) is a popular sport.
- Free-diving is followed because Italian world record-men and record-women are very celebrated persons.
- Waterskiing is a a very participated sport by many amateur athletes.
- Water basketball was invented by Italians and since 2005 12 teams dispute a national championship.
Winter sports
- See also Winter sports in Italy
Winter sports, or sport invernali in Italian language, gave many good results to Italy. Among them, Italians excel in cross country skiing (sci di fondo) and luge (slittino), with the three time Olympic gold medal winner Armin Zoeggeler.
- Ski (Sci) is very popular in Italy with more than 2,000,000 skiers, most of them in the north and in the center. Italian skiers received good results in the Winter Olympic Games, World Cup and World Championship. Among them. Zeno Colò, Gustavo Thoeni, whom won 4 World Cups between 1970 and 1975; Piero Gros in 1974 and Alberto Tomba in 1995 won one World Cup. Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni and Isolde Kostner received many medals in different editions of the Winter Olympic Games. Giorgio Rocca won the 2006's World Cup of Slalom.
- Alpinism (Alpinismo) is followed because Italian alpinists wrote several pages of history in this sport. Italians Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli conquered first the summit of K2 (8611 m) in 1954, in the expedition led by the geologist Ardito Desio. Reinhold Messner was the first man in the world to reach the 14 summits over 8000 meters and the first one to climb Everest alone and without oxygen. Cesare Maestri conquered the Cerro Torre in Patagonia in 1959. Walter Bonatti is considered one of the best alpinists in Europe in the 50's, realizing some ascents considered impossible by the competitors.
- Ice hockey is played by professional players in serie A (hockey) with substantial attendance.
- Figure skating is popular and professional figure skaters often starring in events of exhibition.
- Bobsleigh is very followed and Italian bobsledder Eugenio Monti was the most successful athlete in the international history of this sport.
Combat sports
- See also Italian school of swordsmanship, Caestus, Greco-Roman wrestling and Liu-bo
Fencing, boxing, kick boxing, martial arts, mixed martial arts and amateur wrestling are participated and followed sports. There are many national and international events every year.
Equestrian sports
- See also Chariot racing
Olympic disciplines, horse racing, equestrian vaulting and polo are participated and followed sports. There are many national and international events every year.
Baseball
Baseball is a popular sport. It has been known in Italy for over 100 years but the spread of this sport started after the end of World War II. There are many venues where amateur and professional baseballers play.
American football
A national championship of American football is disputed since 1980 and Italian national team is often in top 4 ranking of national semi-professional teams in the world.
Cricket
The Italy national cricket team has won several European Cricket tournaments and the popularity of cricket is rising. All the Italian Cricketers are home grown cricketers. And they had a well off position in the recent European Indoor Cricket Tournament and the European Cricket Championship. They recently participated in the ICC World Cricket League Division 1. They are an Associate Member of the ICC and their current captain is Joe Scuderi.