Across the United States, friendly relationships and rivalries are formed between many enthusiastic sports fans. Whether a student is a participant in Gator Nation or a truly devoted fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, sports unite people not just in America, but all over the world. From nation to nation, athletes provide entertainment and a common interest for many people. Though basketball and football are very popular sports in America, other sports such as badminton and table tennis are attracting millions of fans in foreign countries. Check out five of the most admired sports that are creating a buzz all across the globe.

Cricket
The famous bat and ball game known as cricket has gained enormous popularity around the globe. Cricket was first played in southern England in the 16th century. The main objective of the game is to protect a target behind the batsman called a wicket. A bowler or pitcher rolls a ball to the other side of the field to hit the wicket. The batsman from the other team tries to protect the wicket by hitting the ball elsewhere with a flat rectangular bat. After hitting the ball, the batsman runs to the opposite team’s wicket and keeps doing so, trying to score as many runs as possible for his team. Cricket became the national sport of England during the 18th century and since then has expanded to South Africa, the West Indies and to even New Zealand. The International Cricket Council founded in 1909 has proclaimed to be the governing body of cricket with memberships in over 100 countries. The ICC has established many programs revolving the game of cricket including a cricket academy and a cricket world cup. Remarkably, Florida has numerous cricket academies and alliances that hold functions not just in Florida but also in the Caribbean.

Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
Table tennis has been played since the early 1880’s by officers of the British army, later becoming the hottest trend among the English upper class. In the 1900’s, ping pong was brought to China after the formations of the Table Tennis and the Ping Pong Associations in England. From the 1920’s to the 1950’s, Europe dominated the sport with their Hungarian men’s team winning the World Table Tennis Championship 12 times. Unfortunately for Europe, China has since taken over the sport for the past several decades. The Chinese men’s and women’s table tennis team have won this prestige championship 17 times. China continues to produce top players triggering various changes in the rules of table tennis in the Olympics and the International Table Tennis Federation. Junior Jordan Adler enjoys playing the game saying “I used to have a ping pong table at my dad’s house, and we would play ever night I was there.” However, for the strong contenders in the World Cup, table tennis is valued more than the recreational game teens have grown to love, but instead as a spirited competition rewarding winners thousands of dollars each year.

Association Football (Soccer)
Ranked as the most popular team sport in the world, football is played by over 250 million players in more than 200 countries as said by Frederick O. Mueller in his book, Catastrophic Injuries in High School and College Sport. The modern rules of this team sport were originally established in 1863 in England and have continually evolved since then. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIFA, governs association football internationally, organizing the FIFA World Cup every four years. Countries such as Brazil, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and the United States have been participating in and hosting the World Cup since 1930. Senior Javanté Davis says his favorite team is England’s Manchester United. “When I went to London, I ended up buying a Manchester United shirt not knowing what it was. Then I heard about Wayne Rooney and started watching their games. I’ve been a fan ever since.” Manchester United has won 19 league titles making them the most successful football club in England, the wealthiest and most widely supported team in the world.

Badminton
First played in the mid 18th century, this fascinating racquet game has been an Olympic sport since 1992. Top competitors in badminton are required to have aerobic stamina, agility, strength, precision, and speed sport just as athletes in tennis do. As one of the world’s fastest racquet sports, badminton requires outstanding training and conditioning. The shuttlecock, an object hit back and further during the game, has reached speeds of over 200 miles per hour according to WorldBadminton.com. With a slight similarity to tennis, badminton continues to gain popularity with countries such as China, India, Indonesia, and much more dominating the sport. This unique sport is enjoyed by many teens here in America including senior Breyenne Flynch who played it when she lived in New York. “I like that it’s different. Never did I expect to play it since most Americans aren’t used to sports that are played in other countries. Football and other common sports are all that matter here and not many are willing to step outside of the box to play different sports”, she says.

Rugby
Originating from the United Kingdom’s Rugby School, this creative style of football has been attracting players from countries all over the world. Two divisions of the sport known as the Rugby League and the Rugby Union have been dominated by the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Serbia, Romania, Japan, and dozens more. Especially in Australia, rugby’s strong cultural roots in their society have made it a dominating force against other countries. Rugby continues to grow, accumulating a TV audience of over four billion viewers in 2007 according to TIME magazine.