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Sport is not just competed in the playing fields but also outside it. In this case its between soccer against basketball, FIFA VS FIBA. Caught in the cross fire are sports such as AFL, rugby league who could only dream that their game was as popular as soccer. Other sports such as cricket and rugby union ain’t as popular as the WORLD GAME. Cricket is only big in 11 countries, while realistically rugby union is only big in 9 countries, or 10 with Japan. Baseball doesn’t even attract to much interest outside of the USA, Cuba, Japan and Venezuela, and no one really cares about the rest.
But there is only realistic threat to soccer and that is basketball. Only basketball comes close to challenging soccer for the title of being the world game. Currently soccer is the undisputed global sport, being the number 1 sport in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. To be more accurate it would probably rate the number one sport in 180 countries or even more (that’s including the big one China).
However our game has remained constant in popularity being in the top 5 even the second game of choice in most countries after soccer, and no doubt in my mind our game is the biggest threat to soccer. Most cities, towns and villages in every nation has a basketball team, including schools. Just imagine the position of basketball if soccer hadn’t existed. Basketball would clearly would have been the world game. Currently, the gap between soccer and basketball is massive, and something which gives basketball and Himalayan task.
The point of this topic however is the importance of CHINA as it is no doubt being viewed by FIFA and FIBA as the key battleground of their fight to attain the throne of being crown the world game. Soccer have won many minor wars world over being the sport of choice of most of the countries of the world. However the main jackpot here is China with a population of 1.3 billion people and is soon predicted that it will take over the United States as the number one economic power in the world. So even though soccer has claimed countries such as Spain, France or Italy, FIFA would simply wants sole possession of CHINA.
Currently however soccer remains the most popular sport in China, followed by basketball. However, basketball is so big in China being played in millions of villages and countless number of towns and cities. In an article that I read in the Times magazine, I found out that more than 4 million basketball teams are scattered throughout China!!!! (Not bad hey). And Yao Ming as the second most recognized Chinese in history, after Mao Zedong. My point is if basketball becomes the number 1 sport in China, well the game is good enough to challenge soccer for that world number 1 spot. Simply China is world of its own containing around 20% of the world population.
So it doesn’t really matter how many countries soccer does claim as its sport of choice, because basketball in China has enough power to takes out a fair chunk of the soccer empire. I do apologise for how long this post is, but I hope that you do find it interesting especially if you’re a passionate basketball fan like I am who wants to see the game reach ultimate heights or to overtake soccer at some point of our lifetime.
Please write back because I’m really interested to know what are your thoughts about this topic.
But there is only realistic threat to soccer and that is basketball. Only basketball comes close to challenging soccer for the title of being the world game. Currently soccer is the undisputed global sport, being the number 1 sport in Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America. To be more accurate it would probably rate the number one sport in 180 countries or even more (that’s including the big one China).
However our game has remained constant in popularity being in the top 5 even the second game of choice in most countries after soccer, and no doubt in my mind our game is the biggest threat to soccer. Most cities, towns and villages in every nation has a basketball team, including schools. Just imagine the position of basketball if soccer hadn’t existed. Basketball would clearly would have been the world game. Currently, the gap between soccer and basketball is massive, and something which gives basketball and Himalayan task.
The point of this topic however is the importance of CHINA as it is no doubt being viewed by FIFA and FIBA as the key battleground of their fight to attain the throne of being crown the world game. Soccer have won many minor wars world over being the sport of choice of most of the countries of the world. However the main jackpot here is China with a population of 1.3 billion people and is soon predicted that it will take over the United States as the number one economic power in the world. So even though soccer has claimed countries such as Spain, France or Italy, FIFA would simply wants sole possession of CHINA.
Currently however soccer remains the most popular sport in China, followed by basketball. However, basketball is so big in China being played in millions of villages and countless number of towns and cities. In an article that I read in the Times magazine, I found out that more than 4 million basketball teams are scattered throughout China!!!! (Not bad hey). And Yao Ming as the second most recognized Chinese in history, after Mao Zedong. My point is if basketball becomes the number 1 sport in China, well the game is good enough to challenge soccer for that world number 1 spot. Simply China is world of its own containing around 20% of the world population.
So it doesn’t really matter how many countries soccer does claim as its sport of choice, because basketball in China has enough power to takes out a fair chunk of the soccer empire. I do apologise for how long this post is, but I hope that you do find it interesting especially if you’re a passionate basketball fan like I am who wants to see the game reach ultimate heights or to overtake soccer at some point of our lifetime.
Please write back because I’m really interested to know what are your thoughts about this topic.
