Sport in Portugal

Sports in Portugal are important in Portuguese culture. High-profile, successful competitive athleticism and sportsmanship in Portugal can be traced back to the time of

The major Portuguese professional sports leagues, championships and events include (in no particular order):

• Cup of Portugal, Taça da Liga and Supertaça in football
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• Portuguese Futsal First Division in futsal
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• Portuguese Basketball League in basketball
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• rink hockey
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• handball
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• Campeonato Português de Rugby in rugby.
• Portuguese Volleyball League A1 in volleyball
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• Campeonato de Futebol de Praia in beach soccer.
• Volta a Portugal in cycling.
• Rally of Portugal in rallying
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• Race of Portugal in touring car racing
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Other popular sport-related recreational outdoor activities with thousands of enthusiasts nationwide include airsoft, golf, hiking, orienteering, and Bullfighting.

Football

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The

Portugal national futsal team is one of the strongest teams in the world. The team now is ranked 5 of world ranking and having won 1 UEFA Futsal Euro in 2018.

The Portuguese futsal league is divided into divisions. The top teams play in the 1a Divisão. In each division, a team plays all other teams twice, once at home and once away, and 1a Divisão the final phase is played under the playoff system.

The Portuguese league teams compete in Europe under

Ricardinho, is also one of the best futsal players of all time getting the title of "Best Futsal Player in the World" for 4 times.

Roller hockey

Portugal has a successful

American football

American football is played in a national league since 2009, initially with five teams. Between 2013 and 2016, the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Americano was split in two conferences, north and south. The eighth edition, in 2016, had ten teams. Lisboa Devils are the defending champions. Lisboa Navigators are the most successful team with six titles.

Athletics

Portugal has been traditionally strong in the

The country has a strong reputation in

Portugal became in the later years one of the most successful countries in this sport, winning many medals at European and world championships. The better athletes including Francisca Laia, Teresa Portela, Joana Vasconcelos, Helena Rodrigues, Beatriz Gomes, João Ribeiro, Emanuel Silva and Fernando Pimenta. These two athletes won the silver medal at 2012 Summer Olympics in London in the Men's K2 1000m event.

Cycling

Golf was first introduced to Portugal in 1890 by Englishmen based in Porto, most of who were involved in wine exporting. The course was almost entirely of sand. The Skeffington Cup, named after the club's first president, is said to be the longest-running golf tournament in the world, going back to 1891. In 1900 a new course was established with grass. The new Oporto Golf Club is the third oldest golf club in mainland Europe. Portuguese were not invited to play until 1921. The first Portuguese member was Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, who later became the club's president. However, there remained few golf courses in Portugal until the age of jet travel opened the country to tourism. Three-time winner of the Open Championship, Sir Henry Cotton, was asked to design the first 18-hole course in the Algarve, near Portimão. There are now close to 90 courses in Portugal but golf remains a game played more by tourists and foreign residents than by Portuguese. At the beginning of 2002 there were no Portuguese in the top 200 male or female golfer rankings.^[4]

Martial arts

Martial arts like judo have also brought many medals to this country, namely Telma Monteiro who conquered gold twice at the European Championships in the -52 kg category and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and Nuno Delgado who conquered the bronze medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, and became the European champion in 1999 (in Bratislava) and vice-champion in the year of 2003.

The country has an ancient

In fencing, Joaquim Videira won the silver medal at the épée 2006 World Fencing Championships and has conquered numerous medals in the world cup.uku

In taekwondo, Rui Bragança and Júlio Ferreira won the gold medal at the 2016 European Taekwondo Championships in Switzerland on their categories and their both European champions. Bragança also won the gold medal at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in the -58kg category. Later, Bragança went on the 2016 Summer Olympics placing ninth in the same category.

Motor sports

The

In 1909, it became the 13th nation to join the

Portugal's inaugural Winter Olympic Games competition came at the 1952 Winter Olympics, in Oslo. The interspersed attending of 5 Winter Olympics and having yet to achieve a Winter Olympics medal can be explained by its inadequate elevations and Mediterranean climate.^{[citation needed]}

Rowing

Rowing as a sport began in Portugal in 1828. Its promoter was Abel Power Dagge, who was born in Lisbon of British parents. In 1828 he formed the Arrow Club, the first organized rowing club in Portugal. Rowing became popular amongst the aristocracy of Lisbon, as well as English residents. The first official competition was held in 1849. From 1852 races became annual events. Annual competitions proved insufficient and two clubs were formed – the Tagus Rowing Club and the Lusitano Rowers Club, which often competed against each other. Three clubs were formed in Porto in 1866, 1868, and 1876. There were also early clubs in Figueira da Foz, in Setúbal and in Aveiro. The first Portuguese Rowing Championship was held in 1884, on the River Tagus.^[4][5]

In recent years a double

Rugby union