10 Most Popular Sports In Jamaica!! In the world of sports, when we say Jamaica, we think about athletics like Usain Bolt, Theodore Whitmore, Wes Morgan, and many more. The island country in the Caribbean Sea has many great athletes.
Jamaicans love to play sports. Their national sport is cricket, but aside from their national sports, the country has made its name worldwide in various other sports.
The Jamaican cricket team has been playing well in the ongoing West Indies Championship 2023.
Can you guess which are some of the most popular sports in Jamaica?
To find out the answer, stick with us. Today we have compiled a list of Jamaica’s 10 most popular sports.
Now, without further discussion, let us get straight into the details.
10 Most Popular Sports In Jamaica
We have prepared our list with the help of references from sources like KevmrcTravel.
| S.N. | Sport Name |
| 10. | Bobsleigh |
| 9. | Lacrosse |
| 8. | Rugby Union |
| 7. | Mixed Master Arts |
| 6. | Netball |
| 5. | Basketball |
| 4. | Rugby League |
| 3. | Soccer |
| 2. | Cricket |
| 1. | Athletics |
10. Bobsleigh
We are starting our list with Bobsleigh. It might be surprising, but the country first debuted on the international platform in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
The Jamaican team stunned everyone when they finished in 14th place and ahead of the United States and Russia. A reggae parody song, Jamaican Bobsled, was released by The Rock’n’Roll Animals when the 1988 team qualified for the Winter Olympics.
The Jamaica national bobsleigh team represents their country during international competitions.
Since their debut in 1988, the men’s national team has made appearances in the Winter Olympics of 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2014, and 2022.
Due to the sport’s popularity, the women’s national team made its debut in 2018. Some famous Jamaican Bobsleigh players are Dudley Stokes, Winston Watts, Michael White, Chris Stokes, Natalia Stokes, and Wynsome Cole.
9. Lacrosse
In recent times, lacrosse has been gaining popularity in Jamaica. The sport has been dubbed “the fastest game on two feet,” and the country is home to some of the fastest people worldwide.
Therefore, one can say that the Jamaicans and lacrosse are a match made in heaven. The fast, high tempo and fun game is played across the country and is especially loved by high schoolers.
The Jamaica Lacrosse Association governs the sport in the country. Both men’s and women’s national teams represent their country in international competitions.
In 2022, the Jamaican women’s lacrosse team competed in the Women’s World Lacrosse Championships, which made Jamaica the first Caribbean country to achieve this feat.
8. Rugby Union
The eighth most popular sport in Jamaica is Rugby Union. The sport is a minor but growing sport in the country and might soon climb the ranks of the most popular sports in the country.
Although the sport has a small fanbase, they are consistent. Therefore, the sport is expected to get more popular in the future. British were the ones to introduce Jamaicans to Rugby.
Jamaicans have been competing in the Caribbean Champions, which includes other countries like Trinidad and Tobago, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, British Virgin Islands, etc.
In 2019, the island announced its interest in hosting the Rugby World Cup. However, they withdrew the proposal as Jamaica had never previously participated in such an event.
Currently, Jamaica ranks 67th in World Rugby and has 2,090 registered players. The Jamaica Rugby Football Union governs the sport in the country.
7. Mixed Master Arts
Mixed Master Arts is another sport that many might find surprising to be the most popular sport in Jamaica. But believe it or not, the sport is quite popular on this Caribbean island.
The sport has become popular thanks to Jamaican fighters Uriah Hall, Randy Brown, and Leon Edwards participating in UFC. These players helped to popularize the sport in the country.
Various types of mixed martial arts tournaments and competitions are held nationwide. Similarly, many schools to teach mixed martial arts have also been popping up around the country.
6. Netball
Netball is the sport that is more popular among Jamaican women and is well-known as the Sunshine Girls.
The Sunshine Girls are the official representative of their country in international netball competitions. Most schools in Jamaica play the game and get more media coverage than cricket and soccer.
The Jamaican schools started playing the sport in 1909. Later, as the sport picked up popularity, Jamaica Netball Association was formed in 1959 with affiliation with the West Indies Netball Board.
The Sunshine Girls first made their debut in the international game in 1959. Since then, the team has made appearances in every INF Netball World Cup, Common Wealth Games, and World Netball Championships.
As of 2014, the country ranks fourth in the INF World Rankings.
5. Basketball
On number 5, we have Basketball. It is one sport with the country’s most promising future as its popularity is rising thanks to Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.
The Jamaica national basketball team represents the country on an international platform. Similarly, the Jamaica Basketball Association governs the sport. The country joined the International Basketball Federation in 1962.
The national team gave their best performance at the 2013 FIBA Americas Championships. During the championship game, they beat two former world champions, Brazil and Argentina.
Jamaica regularly participates in the Men’s Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship. However, the country has yet to be qualified for the Summer Olympics and FIBA World Cup.
Some notable Jamaican basketball players are Nick Richards, Pat Ewing, Samardo Samuels, Wayne Sappleton, and Omari Johnson, among others.
4. Rugby League
We have picked Rugby league as our number 8 pick for the most popular sport in Jamaica. Rugby League is more popular in the country than Rugby Union; hence, it is our number 4.
The difference between the two sports is the number of players playing the game. 13 players play in the league, while 15 players participate in Rugby Union.
The team for Rugby League was formed in 2005 and initially consisted of four teams. The Jamaica Rugby League National Club Championship represents the country in international competitions called Reggae Warriors.
The Jamaica Rugby League Association is the governing body. This governing body has worked with Rugby League European Federation, the Rugby League International Federation, and other rugby league governing bodies.
The Reggae Warriors have participated in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifying game, the 2018 Americas Rugby League Championship, and recently in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.
3. Soccer
The third most popular sport in Jamaica is soccer. Like the rest of the world, Jamaicans love soccer. It was introduced at the end of the 19th century by British colonialists.
The first soccer team was founded in 1893. The Jamaican Football Federation is the governing body of the sport, which was formed in 1910. The Federation joined the CONCACAF and FIFA in 1962.
The island has both the men’s and women’s national soccer teams. Between 1987 and 1991, the Jamaican Women’s Football Federation governed women’s soccer.
The Jamaican men’s national team only appeared in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They finished third in their group and failed to advance. However, the team successfully ran at the Caribbean Cup and won six times.
Similarly, they have appeared in the CONCACAF Gold Cup thirteen times and finished twice as runners-up. The team was invited to the 2015 and 2016 Copa America but was eliminated in the group stages.
2. Cricket
Next, we have the national sport of Jamaica, cricket. The sport was brought to the island after Britain colonized it.
When the sport first arrived in the country, it was played only by the elites. At present, the sport is played all across the country. The national cricket team was founded back in 1888.
The Jamaican national cricket team, also known as Jamaica Scorpions, is the first-class team representing the country on an international platform.
Some Jamaican cricketers like Chris Gayle, Andre McCarthy, George Headley, and Courtney Walsh, among others, are renowned worldwide.
Similarly, the team also plays for the West Indies cricket team. Some of the most notable wins of the Jamaican teams were the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cup and the 2012 and 2016 Cricket Council World Cup.
Likewise, the national team has won ten Regional Four Day Competitions and seven WICB Cups. The team has been playing in Sabina Park in Kingston since 1895.
1. Athletics
The number 1 most popular sport is Athletics. The country is renowned for its sport, and they have dominated sports on the international platform.
Some of the greatest athletes in sports were produced in Jamaica. Who hasn’t heard about Usain Bolt? He is considered the greatest sprinter of all time. Similarly, Yohan Blake, Asafa Powell, and Veronica Campbell are all great sprinters from Jamaica.
The island is one of the leading countries in sports, and Jamaican athletes have repeatedly broken the World Record. It could all be the result of the solid high school athletics program run throughout the country.
The top high schools annually compete in the Inter-Secondary Boys’ and Girls’ Championships. From the early 20th century to 2019, the country has won 42 Commonwealth Golds, 14 World Championship Golds, and 17 Olympic gold medals.
Jamaican athletes dominate the sports. Thanks to Usain Bolt, the country has further enhanced and reigns supreme. Currently, Jamaica holds the World Record for 100m and 200m in athletics.
Conclusion
There is even a famous saying that Jamaicans are incredible athletes, and they have proven this saying to be true. These most popular sports in Jamaica are played across the country and are beloved by kids and adults alike.
So this concludes our list of the 10 most popular sports in Jamaica. We hope you enjoyed our list!
