The Sport in Belgium

         Sport is regarded as a highly important national and social undertaking in Belgium. Sports are not only valued for their unifying ability, but also for leisure and enjoyment. This explains why the country has a wide and mixed array of options of individuals interested on participating or following sporting activities. Belgium's citizens participate in sport as either professionals or amateurs seeking pleasure and relaxation. In addition, many Belgians revel in their nation’s activities in professional sports like Olympic events and football. The greatest percentage of the country’s population is also strong on following and encouraging amateur participation in a wide array of sporting activities, ranging from cycling to horseback riding. This paper examines some of Belgium’s sporting activities within the national, as well as, individual cities’ context.

 Football is Belgium’s favorite sport. The country’s football teams participate in a wide range of tournaments, including the Champions League, Jupiler Pro League, and the World Championship, among others. The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBGA), which is the official football regulatory body in the country, comprises of thousands clubs and teams. Belgian’s national football team is referred to as the Red Devils. However the team has not been performing excellently in the international context over the past few years.

Belgium’s second most favorite sport is cycling. This is obvious from the highly popular bike tour like the Tour de Flanders, which about a million Belgians or more watch. This bike tour attracts about 20,000 participants from all over the country and Europe at large. Cycling is a highly favored sport, since it gives participants an opportunity to explore Belgium’s distinctive landscape, characterized by historical sites, waterways, rolling hills and flat lands. The country also has bicycle paths stretching over thousands of kilometers, traversing  quaint towns, charming water canals, countryside castles and other interesting places. Cycling is also bolstered by the fact that it gives people a chance to explore hidden places, especially in Brussels. Additionally, it is possible to rent bicycles in a given train station and return them to other train stations.

The third place sport in Belgium in terms of popularity is tennis. However, most Belgians prefer watching their professional tennis players. Over the past decade, Belgium has had the honor of producing and showcasing globally renowned tennis players. Excellent examples include Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, who have won the grand-slam competition multiple times. These top players have also had the opportunity of being ranked number one worldwide in tennis.

 Athletics in Belgium is also a popular sport. There are several major events in athletics that have been hosted in the country including the world cross-country championship. A number of prominent annual competitions have been held in Belgium. For instance, there is the Memorial Van Damme, which is one of the most popular track and field competitions. Historically, Belgium has won 5 Gold medals, 10 silver medals and 7 bronze medals, in the European athletics championship.

Belgium is also known for its golfing activities. In Brussels, there are sixteen courses around and within making the sport quite popular. One of the most suitable golf courses is the Royal Amicable Anderlecht. It is situated near Brussels city centre, where many competitions are held as well as offering practice grounds for many of them.

There are a lot beautiful rivers in Belgium meandering via the lush countryside. This makes kayaking one of the ideal sports in the country, especially in regions with such good rivers like Brugge. This sport is organized for pleasure especially for people that need to see the beautiful landscapes in Belgium. Making this a sport has given the country a chance to have many tourists visiting the place to witness and participate in the sport.

Hoarse back riding is also another sport that has popularized Belgium all over the world. The country has a perfect setting for horseback riding. This is what makes the sport popular among the people in this region. There are stables in different locations thus enabling people to be entertained by this sport in diverse environments.

        Sports events in its history occurred in the Heysel Stadium disaster happened on May 29, 1985, when the wall distorted under pressure which in the Hesyel Stadium in Brussels; it was a match in the final of the European Cup 1985 between Liverpool and Juventus. 39 people died, 32 Juventus fans, and it injured 600 people.

          Sports in Belgium are not only a form of competition but also as a way of ensuring that people are united. Sports in this country are loved and appreciated by everybody especially the young people.