For every nation, there is a "national sport." This is the sport that captivates the vast majority of that country’s citizens every time a major tournament rolls around.
If you’re seeing families gathered around TVs or laptops watching a sporting event and laughing and crying along with the fortunes of their teams, that’s a national sport.
However, for every national sport, there’s one that’s criminally underrated and that doesn’t get the love it deserves.
Here are the 10 most underrated sports in the mainstream right now.
Cricket
While it’s certainly true that cricket has its fair share of fans, we still think this sport is massively underappreciated. After all, cricket is thrilling, but many people write it off as boring or slow.
Despite this, there’s some searing insight and analysis out there that makes cricket feel exciting. Take Kevin Pietersen’s chat with Betway, for example, in which he describes the way he hopes the upcoming IPL 2022 playoffs play out.
His understanding of individual players, team strategies, and under-the-radar hopefuls are just as exciting as watching cricket itself!
Rugby
With most of the sports on this list, there’s a diehard faithful contingent that will always turn out to watch in droves.
However, we’re talking about the general mainstream appeal, and that’s something rugby has always lacked, especially when compared to football.
There’s an old adage that goes thus: rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen, and football is a gentleman’s game played by hooligans.
Watching rugby, it might look violent and chaotic, but there’s a strategy and rhythm to it that you’ll only get with continued viewing.
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
There are some MMA fights that deserve to rank up there with the best sporting moments of all time, and yet a lot of people sleep on this exciting discipline.
While MMA certainly has a huge fanbase, it’s not anywhere near as popular as it should be, largely thanks to the fact that it doesn’t quite have the dramatic heft of WWE or the long history of boxing.
However, watching MMA fights done right will leave you with an impression that these are athletes at the top of their game.
Golf
Just like cricket, golf has garnered an unfair reputation for being slow and tedious.
The fact is that golf is a much more strategic game than other sports; it doesn’t rely so much on reflexes or motor skills, instead preferring technique and calculation.
If you know what you’re looking for when you watch golf, it can be a hugely thrilling sport to spectate, but if you go in thinking you’re going to be bored, then you’re likely to get what you put in.
Ice Hockey
Let’s get one thing out of the way right now: ice hockey is absolutely huge in Canada. It’s pretty much the Canadian national sport, so if you’re Canadian, you can go ahead and discard this entry.
However, for the rest of the world, ice hockey is unacceptably niche. It’s a great sport to watch; players gracefully glide around the arena, but they’re also not afraid to get physical with one another when the moment arises.
If you’ve never seen a game of ice hockey, you’re missing out.
Table Tennis
Many nations around the world go crazy for tennis, but its smaller and less grand cousin is often overlooked for that reason.
Table tennis is great fun to watch; a round of table tennis can get almost impossible to follow thanks to how frenzied it feels when two experts are playing one another.
You might think that you can play table tennis to the standard of the greats just by watching them, but one glance at a professional table tennis game will tell you otherwise.
Cycling
Sometimes, cycling is a popular sport; when major events like the Tour de France roll around, cycling gets reasonable media coverage.
However, for such a difficult and physically demanding discipline, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves, and neither do its stars.
Occasionally, controversial celebrities like Lance Armstrong cross over, but for the most part, cycling stars are unassuming people doing a job well, and we think it’s time for them to get more recognition.
Lacrosse
Ask most people on the street (again, assuming they aren’t Canadian, given lacrosse is another national sport there) and they’ll tell you they have no idea what the rules of lacrosse are.
That should speak to just how underrated this sport is. Many have contemplated whether this stick and ball-based sport will ever go mainstream, such is its niche appeal.
Lacrosse hasn’t been a competitive sport at the Olympics since 1908, so here’s hoping that the Olympic committee changes its mind about that soon.
Handball
Just like lacrosse, handball is another sport that most people don’t really understand or take the time to analyze.
It can be just as hectic and frantic as other sports, though, so it’s a shame that people don’t acknowledge it for the underrated sport that it is.
Handball might be a foul in football, but as its own sport, it involves players passing the ball between themselves with their hands and attempting to throw it into the opposing team’s goal.
Badminton
Badminton is so much more than just tennis’ floatier cousin.
It requires a huge amount of skill and technique to play properly, and yet it always plays second fiddle to tennis; there are arguably no badminton stars as famous as the biggest tennis greats, but there should be.
This could be because badminton just doesn’t have the audience to secure the kind of funding necessary to elevate it into the big leagues, but this is a cyclical problem; badminton needs more funding to attract more viewers.
As an avid sports enthusiast with a deep understanding of various athletic disciplines, I'd like to share my expertise on the concepts mentioned in the article highlighting the 10 most underrated sports in the mainstream.
1. Cricket: Despite having a considerable fan base, cricket is often dismissed as slow and boring. The article emphasizes the thrilling aspects of cricket and highlights Kevin Pietersen's insightful analysis, showcasing the strategic and exciting nature of the sport.
2. Rugby: While rugby has a dedicated following, the article suggests that it lacks general mainstream appeal, especially when compared to football. It highlights the perception that rugby is a violent game played with a strategic and rhythmic approach that becomes more apparent with continued viewing.
3. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA): MMA is acknowledged for having some fights that deserve to be considered among the best sporting moments. However, it is noted that MMA doesn't enjoy the same level of popularity as WWE or boxing, despite the athleticism displayed by its practitioners.
4. Golf: Similar to cricket, golf is often unfairly labeled as slow and tedious. The article argues that golf is a strategic game that relies on technique and calculation rather than reflexes or motor skills. It suggests that appreciating golf requires understanding its nuances.
5. Ice Hockey: The article acknowledges the immense popularity of ice hockey in Canada and emphasizes its relatively niche status in the rest of the world. It describes ice hockey as a visually appealing sport where players gracefully glide while also engaging in physical encounters.
6. Table Tennis: Table tennis, often overshadowed by its grander cousin tennis, is portrayed as a frenzied and entertaining sport. The article notes that watching professional table tennis can quickly dispel the notion that playing at the level of experts is easily attainable.
7. Cycling: Despite occasional popularity during major events like the Tour de France, the article argues that cycling, a physically demanding discipline, doesn't receive the attention it deserves. It suggests that cycling stars, often unassuming individuals, should be recognized more for their achievements.
8. Lacrosse: Lacrosse is presented as an underrated sport, with limited mainstream understanding of its rules. The article highlights its niche appeal and expresses hope for increased recognition, especially considering lacrosse's absence from the Olympics since 1908.
9. Handball: Similar to lacrosse, handball is portrayed as a misunderstood and underappreciated sport. The article notes its hectic and frantic nature, expressing disappointment that it doesn't receive the acknowledgment it deserves.
10. Badminton: The article argues that badminton, despite requiring significant skill and technique, plays second fiddle to tennis. It suggests that badminton's lack of funding and audience contributes to its lower status and proposes a cyclical problem that needs to be addressed for the sport to gain more recognition.
