When you think of Canadian sports, you will most certainly think of ice hockey. However, there is much more to know about other sports in the country, and there are numerous interesting facts that even the citizens of Canada do not know. Here is what you might wish to learn about the Canadian sport and some fun facts that prove to be quite fascinating for all sports enthusiasts, Canadian or not.
National summer sport
People all around the world associate Canada with ice hockey, and there is nothing surprising about this fact, as hockey is the national winter sport. However, if somebody would ask what is the country’s national summer sport, how many people would know? The answer is lacrosse, which might resemble hockey a bit with no ice on the field, so it all stays in the same sports family.
What might be interesting is the origins of lacrosse. It has indigenous roots, and it is the oldest team sport in North America. The history of lacrosse goes back to the 12th century. Mostly the idea of the game remained the same, as the rules and much of lacrosse were modified by European colonists who made lacrosse a much less violent game, which we all know today.
Golf in Canada
Although golf might not be the country’s national sport, there is one interesting fact about it that is definitely worth noting. The Royal Montreal Golf Club is the oldest club of this sort in North America. It was founded in 1873.
Canadian basketball
When you think of basketball, you would rather think of the United States as the home country of this sport. What might surprise you and fans of basketball is that it was invented by a Canadian. James Naismith, a physician and physical educator, invented basketball in 1891.
Currently, this sport is highly popular south of the Canadian border, and it struggles with making its way up north. The only Canadian player to win the award of NBA MVP was Steve Nash. The country does not have many teams in NBA either, as the only one currently is the Toronto Raptors founded in 1995. The Grizzlies founded the same year as the Toronto Raptors only thrived in Canada for a few years, and then it was relocated to Memphis.
Although a Canadian gave the world the invention of basketball, ironically, it has not been doing well in the home country of its inventor.
Soccer
Although Canada has not been as fond of soccer as numerous other counties around the world, in recent years, the interest in this sport is gradually growing. A great number of children grow up playing soccer at school and on local teams, which means that in the future, Canada might have a strong national team to compete with the best. Even now, soccer, known mostly as football, betting sites are gaining populahrity among sports enthusiasts. People more eagerly visit online websites that offer them a chance to bet on their favorite teams and win some real money. It’s a great way to cheer your favorites and earn something in return. If only you wish to try, you can choose one of the safe sites such as SBO.net and try your luck. Everything is clearly explained and secure, so give it a try. Maybe in a few years, you will be able to bet on a Canadian team in the top world competitions?
Baseball
There aren’t many American sports like baseball but is it actually that popular all around North America? Although it is definitely a national sport of the USA, it is much less celebrated in Canada. The majority of interest in this sport comes from Ontario, where the only Major League Baseball team is located – the Toronto Blue Jays. On the professional level, there are not many more teams in the country, however, baseball is a common pastime activity all around the country. As amateur teams are much more numerous than professional ones, there is still a chance that baseball will win Canadian hearts in the future.
An interesting fact is that the other highly popular American sport, namely football, is next to ice hockey when it comes to popularity and interest among Canadians.
