Association football is the most popular sport in Kuwait, followed by basketball and cricket. Additional sports on the rise in Kuwait include powerboating, handball, field hockey, rugby union, and shooting.[ citation needed ]
Football is the most popular sport in Kuwait. The Kuwait Football Association (KFA) is the governing body of football in Kuwait. The KFA organises the men's, women's, and futsal national teams. The men's team has gained limited success at the sport, with the national team having competed at eight AFC Asian Cup competitions, and one FIFA World Cup, in 1982. The Kuwaiti Premier League is the top league of Kuwaiti football, featuring eighteen teams. Kuwait is home to many football clubs including Al-Arabi, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Jahra, Al-Kuwait, Al-Naser, Al-Salmiya, Al-Shabab, Al Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk, Kazma, Khaitan, Sulaibikhat, Sahel, and Tadamon. Kuwait is one of Asia's most successful footballing nations.[ citation needed ] They have been the champions of the 1980 AFC Asian Cup, runners-up of the 1976 AFC Asian Cup, and have taken third place of the 1984 AFC Asian Cup. Kuwait has also been to one FIFA World Cup, in 1982, but didn't win a single match, but tied 1–1 with Czechoslovakia on the first round.
Basketball is one of Kuwait's most popular sports. Basketball in Kuwait is governed by the Kuwait Basketball Association (KBA). The national team has never been to a Basketball World Championship (FIBA), and the national team has also never been to an Olympic Games in basketball, but the national team has been to the FIBA Asian Championship in basketball eleven times, but did not win any medals. Kuwait is one of the most successful basketballing nations in the Middle East. Abdullah Al-Saraf is one of the best and most famous Kuwaiti basketballers. He currently plays for Al-Qadsia in Kuwait.[ citation needed ]
In cricket, Kuwait has been an associate member of the International Cricket Council since 2005, having previously been an affiliate member since 1998. They are currently ranked at tenth amongst non-test teams in Asia. In recent years, the popularity of cricket has been constantly rising. In several years it may even be one of Kuwait's best-known sports.[ citation needed ]
In recent years powerboating has risen in popularity in Kuwait, due in part to the achievements of Kuwaiti Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq, an Aquabike rider competing in Runabout GP1 who became World Champion in 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2020. In February 2020 Kuwait held for the first time a leg of the UIM Aquabike World Championship. [1]
The Kuwait men's national handball team is controlled by the Kuwait Handball Association. It is highly regarded as one of the most successful national handball teams in Asia and the Arab World. Kuwait has enjoyed great handball success at both the national and club level. The sport is widely considered to be the national icon of Kuwait, although football is more popular among the overall population. Kuwait is also the founding member of the Asian Handball Federation, the Asian Championship and Club Champions League.[ citation needed ]
Hockey in Kuwait is governed by the Kuwait Ice Hockey Association. Kuwait first joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1985, but was expelled in 1992 due to a lack of ice hockey activity. [2] Kuwait was re-admitted into the IIHF in May 2009. [3] In 2015, Kuwait won the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia. [4] [5]
Shooting is one of the most successful sports for Kuwait in World Championships, having a total of 20 medals (including seven golds) in senior World Championships organised by ISSF. All of the medals were won at shotgun male events and Kuwait has medals in all shotgun disciplines (Skeet, Trap and Double trap) both individual and team. All three of Kuwait's medals in the history of Olympics were won by Fehaid Al-Deehani in shooting events, although he won his only gold in 2016 while representing the IOC, as Kuwait had been banned to compete as a sovereign state.[ citation needed ]
For many years, Kuwait was suspended from participating in international sports due to undue government interference and corruption. Since 2007, Kuwait has been suspended by FIFA three times for "political interference" and were allowed to participate in the 2011 Asian Cup qualifying campaign and other international competitions on a provisional basis. [6] Contrary to the road map established by FIFA and the AFC, the Al Sabah ruling family continued to interfere in sport elections. Elections were held on 9 October 2007 in direct violation of the FIFA Executive Committee's May 2007 decision to the contrary. As a consequence, the committee recommended to the FIFA Executive Committee that the Kuwait Football Association be unsuspended. [7] Kuwait's football federation board resigned days after world governing body FIFA unsuspended Kuwait. [8] The suspension was lifted after the federation said it will ratify new statutes to prevent government interference in the sport as demanded by FIFA. "Otherwise FIFA will immediately suspend the (federation) again," FIFA said in a statement. [9] The suspension was conditionally lifted and extended by the FIFA Congress in June 2009. [10] FIFA was closely monitoring the situation within Kuwait. [11]
The International Olympic Committee imposed a suspension on the Kuwait committee with effect from 1 January 2010 due to Kuwaiti government legislation that permits the state to interfere in elections of sporting organizations. The government had failed to meet the IOC's 31 December 2009 deadline for amending the legislation. As a result, Kuwait was barred from receiving IOC funding and Kuwaiti athletes and officials were banned from Olympic Games and Olympic meetings. [12]
At the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, the 2010 Asian Games, and the 2011 Asian Winter Games, Kuwaiti athletes competed as independent athletes in a team named "Athletes from Kuwait" (code: IOC
) under the Olympic flag. [13] On 14 July 2012 the suspension was lifted and Kuwaiti athletes were allowed to participate in the 2012 Summer Olympics under their own flag. [14]
On 16 October 2015, FIFA suspended Kuwait and all remaining results from AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup qualification were added as forfeits while all Kuwaiti teams that were participating in international competitions were withdrawn. [15] Kuwait tried to get the suspension lifted at the 66th FIFA Congress but this was rejected and therefore from the earlier announcement on 27 April 2016, the hosting of the Gulf Cup of Nations tournament was moved to Qatar. [16] The suspension was eventually lifted on 6 December 2017 after Kuwait's adoption of a new sports law. [17]
The Kuwait Olympic Committee was again suspended on 27 October 2015 by the IOC to protect the Olympic movement in Kuwait from undue Kuwaiti government interference and corruption. [18] As a result of this suspension, participation by athletes from Kuwait at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was allowed by the IOC in a special team named "Independent Olympic Athletes" (code: IOA
) under the Olympic flag. [19] In response to the Olympics suspension, Kuwait filed a $1 billion lawsuit against the IOC. [20] The Kuwaiti government responded to the Olympics suspension in an official press release:
It's totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this unfair way and barred from international sports activities without any appropriate probe being conducted. From the very beginning Kuwait did it its utmost to prevent the IOC suspension and showed a sincere desire to co-operate, but all to no avail. We sent a UN-sponsored delegation to Geneva to explain to the sports body that the Kuwaiti government by no means intervenes in sports activities. Kuwait has been left in an embarrassing position in sports circles where it is viewed as an outlaw. [20]
The Kuwait national football team is the national team of Kuwait and is controlled by the Kuwait Football Association. Kuwait made one World Cup finals appearance, in 1982, managing one point in the group stages. In the Asian Cup, Kuwait reached the final in 1976 and won the tournament in 1980.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is the national governing body of football in India. It is a member of FIFA, the international governing body of football and affiliated to Asian Football Confederation.
Over the centuries, Uzbekistan has had a tradition of fostering equestrians and wrestlers (palvins). Some of the sports that originate in the country are the kurash, which is a type of upright wrestling. Other types of wrestling are belbogli kurash, turon, and boyqurgan all having the same origins. Other popular sports in Uzbekistan are football, boxing, wrestling, and judo.
Kazma Sporting Club is a Kuwaiti professional association football club. Founded in 1964, the club competes in the Kuwaiti Premier League.
Kuwait Sports Club is a Kuwaiti professional football club based in Kuwait City. The football team has won Kuwaiti Premier League 18 times. Kuwait SC also has over 50 trophies in Kuwaiti Club football history. Kuwait SC plays in the Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium located in Kaifan, which is the 5th largest stadium in Kuwait. It is the first Kuwaiti club to ever win an Asian title, winning the 2009 AFC Cup, 2012 AFC Cup and 2013 AFC Cup.
The Kuwait Football Association is the governing body of football in Kuwait.
Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was a member of the House of Sabah and a Kuwaiti military officer who was also the founder of the Asian Handball Federation and Kuwait Olympic Committee. Fahad was killed fighting alongside the Kuwait Emiri Guard in defending Dasman Palace on the first day of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
Sheikh Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, also known as Ahmad Al-Fahad, is a Kuwaiti politician and sports administrator who is the former president of Olympic Council of Asia and Asian Handball Federation. He is also a temporarily self-suspended member of the International Olympic Committee. He has worked in the fields of oil, engineering, water and electricity, and communication and construction. He was a member of the FIFA Council from 2015 to 2017. He was convicted for fraud in a Swiss court on 10 September 2021, which prompted his resignation from the Olympic Council of Asia and continued suspension from the International Olympic Committee.
Issa Hayatou is a Cameroonian sports executive, former athlete and football administrator best known for serving as the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) between 1988 and 2017. He served as the acting FIFA president until 26 February 2016 as previous president Sepp Blatter was banned from all football-related activities in 2015 as a part of the that year's FIFA corruption investigation. In 2002, he ran for president of FIFA but was defeated by Blatter. He is also a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Sport in Saudi Arabia is an important part of Saudi Arabian culture and the country participates in many international sporting competitions. Football is a particularly popular sport and Saudi Arabia has won the Asian Cup on three occasions, while other sports such as cricket and basketball are also widely followed.
Sport in Qatar is primarily centred on football in terms of participation and spectators. Additionally, athletics, basketball, handball, volleyball, camel racing, horse racing, cricket and swimming are also widely practised. There are currently eleven multi-sports clubs in the country, and seven single-sports clubs.
Kuwait Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Kuwait and organising the Kuwait Olympic team.
Sports in Vanuatu are played throughout the country.
Athletes have competed as independent Olympians at the Olympic Games for various reasons, including political transition, international sanctions, suspensions of National Olympic Committees, and compassion. Independent athletes have come from North Macedonia, East Timor, South Sudan and Curaçao following geopolitical changes in the years before the Olympics, from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a result of international sanctions, from India and Kuwait due to the suspensions of their National Olympic Committees, and from Russia for mass violations of anti-doping rules.
Independent Olympic athletes competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. The team was composed of Kuwaiti athletes who competed under the Olympic flag, as the Kuwait Olympic Committee had been suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the second time in five years due to governmental interference.
Independent Olympic Athletes are scheduled to compete in the 2017 Asian Winter Games in Sapporo and Obihiro, Japan from February 19 to 26. The team is scheduled to compete in one sport: ice hockey, and consists of 23 athletes.
The men's Ice hockey tournament at the 2017 Asian Winter Games was held in Sapporo, Japan between 18 and 26 February at three venues.
During the Parade of Nations at the 2017 Asian Winter Games opening ceremony, held on 19 February 2017, 30 athletes bearing the flags of their respective nations led their national delegations as they paraded into the Sapporo Dome in the host city of Sapporo, Japan.
This article contains lists of achievements in major senior-level international Olympic team ball sports tournaments according to first-place, second-place and third-place results obtained by teams representing different nations. The objective is not to create combined medal tables; the focus is listing the best positions achieved by teams in major international tournaments, ranking every nation according to most number of podiums accomplished by each nations team.