Indonesia Sports – The Most Popular Sports in Indonesia
Wondering what sports the Indonesians like to play?
Discover everything about the most popular sports in Indonesian in this post. 🏸
The Most Popular Indonesian Sports
Find below Indonesia national sports, ranked by popularity:
| Rank | Sport |
|---|---|
| 1 | Badminton |
| 2 | Football |
| 3 | Volleyball |
| 4 | Futsal |
| 5 | Basketball |
| 6 | Table tennis |
| 7 | Martial arts |
| 8 | Taekwondo |
So there you have them, the most popular Indonesian sports! Keep reading below for more information about each sport in Indonesia.
What is the National Sport of Indonesia?
The national sport of Indonesia is Pencak silat.
While there is no official national sport in Indonesia, it is de facto Pencak silat. It is basically Indonesian martial arts, and it is full-body fighting. It includes strikes, grappling, throwing, and weaponry. Every part of the body is involved in these sports.
Learn More About Indonesia Popular Sports
Indonesia is an archipelago made of more than 17,000 islands (the most famous of them being Java, Sumatra, and Borneo), and it is located in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Its capital city is Jakarta, which counts more than 10,562,000 inhabitants (but more than 33,430,000 if you include the metropolitan area!).
An interesting part of the country that I wanted to tackle is its most popular sports. In light of that, I have listed all Indonesia popular sports, and I hope you will love them:
Badminton
The most popular sport in Indonesia is, surprisingly, badminton, by far.
The sport slowly became the #1 in the country because of Chinese minorities. Wealthy Chinese families promoted the sport throughout the history of the country.
Now, it is still the most popular sport, and it has been for quite a while. During the 1990s, Indonesia became the first Gold medal winner in many different competitions around the world. There are some athletes that are literal influencers in the country, like Susi Susanti or Taufik Hidayat: some children are named after them, and everyone in Indonesia, from children to grownups, loves badminton.
Famous Indonesian Badminton players: Taufik Hidayat, Susi Susanti, Alan Budikusuma, Liliyana Natsir, Hendra Setiawan, Mohammad Ahsan, Markis Kido, Tony Gunawan, Hendrawan
Football
The second most popular sport in Indonesia is football.
Football fans will be disappointed when they go to Indonesia: while it is the overall most popular sport in the world by far, it is not the #1 in Indonesia.
Don’t get me wrong, it is still very popular, but nothing gets even close to badminton in the archipelago. There are many football clubs in Indonesia, and the national football team was formed by the government, to support young talents with great skills as best they can.
Famous Indonesian Football players: Bambang Pamungkas, Atep, Boaz Solossa, Evan Dimas Darmono, Irfan Bachdim, Andik Vermansyah, Stefano Lilipaly, Hansamu Yama, Bima Sakti, Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto
Volleyball
The third most popular sport in Indonesia is volleyball.
Actually, the popularity of volleyball is very comparable to that of football. There are tons of clubs all around the country, and they are as renowned as football clubs. The first name of volleyball in the country was PBVSI.
The reason volleyball is a tiny bit less popular than football is probably the fact that it is less adapted to children, opposite to football. In fact, you need to be quite strong and energetic to smash the ball!
Famous Indonesian Volleyball players: Tri Retno Mutiara Lutfi, Yulis Indahyani, Ratri Wulandari, Megawati Hangestri Petriwi, Alya Annastasya, Ajeng Viona Adelea, Amalia Fajrina Nabila, Tisya Amallya Putri
Futsal
The fourth most popular sport in Indonesia is futsal.
Football is so popular in Indonesia that there is even a variant of it at the high rank of 4th position on this list: futsal. Futsal is basically indoor football, on a very small field (similar to that of handball), and it is quite popular in many cities around the world.
This sport is especially popular amongst young generations, more precisely high school and college students. It is a great pastime and a perfect way to spend their energy and relax.
Famous Indonesian Futsal players: Iksan Rahadian, Firman Ardiansyah, Marvin Alexa, Rizki Xavier, Rio Pangestu, Bayu Saptaji, Randy Satria, Andri Kustiawan, Syahidansyah Lubis
Basketball
The fifth most popular sport in Indonesia is basketball.
While basketball is arguably not one of the most popular sports in Indonesia, there is an annual big match that is hyped up almost as much as badminton or volleyball: the DBL competition. There are also other tournaments with Asian countries.
Similar to futsal, basketball is mostly made for the youth. While everyone, no matter their age, loves playing and watching football, basketball is still struggling to gather older fans. It is one of the most popular options for students who do not wish to get into football.
Famous Indonesian Basketball players: Jamarr Andre Johnson, Hardianus Lakudu, Andakara Prastawa, Arki Dikania Wisnu, Agassi Goantara, Vincent Rivaldi Kosasih, Abraham Damar Grahita
Table tennis
The sixth most popular sport in Indonesia is table tennis.
Table tennis is not seen very often among top sports in any given country, but it is widely appreciated in Indonesia.
The sport is rising in popularity, and it requires quite a lot of focus actually, with such a small ball and such intense matches. The game can be played individually or as a team, and there is also a national governing body, like volleyball, called the PTMSI.
Famous Indonesian Table tennis players: Ling Ling Agustin, Ismu Harinto, Tonny Maringgi, Rossy Pratiwi Dipoyanti, Anton Suseno, Lin Huiqing, Lin Meiqun, David Jacobs
Martial arts
The seventh Indonesia most popular sport is martial arts.
Next up on this list is martial arts. Globally speaking, these have seen some of the most explosive growths in many countries, and Indonesia is no exception.
However, these sports have been popular in the country for quite a while now, and the national sport is an Indonesian martial art. Depending on the region, it is also very close to the top of the table in terms of popularity.
Famous Indonesian Martial arts players: Chris John, Ellyas Pical, Umar Syarief
Taekwondo
The eighth most popular sport in Indonesia is taekwondo.
Taekwondo is, especially on a competitive level, very popular and reputed in Indonesia. The country has seen wide success around the world, and not only with men anymore: women are now allowed to play the sport, and they are very talented.
There are slight differences between taekwondo and martial arts, even though the primary function is self-defense. Also, the sport is becoming more and more popular among young people, especially women.
Famous Indonesian Taekwondo players: Dirc Richard Talumewo, Rahmi Kurnia, Susilawati, Jefi Tri Aji
So there you have them, these were all the most popular sports in Indonesia. I hope you enjoyed them and that you learned something new today. Keep reading to get a few more facts.
Why is badminton a popular sport in Indonesia?
Indonesia is the home of badminton. But why?
Historically, it became the top sport in the country because of its inclusivity towards ethnic minorities, especially ethnic Chinese, throughout the history of the country. Wealthy Chinese business families promoted the sport a ton, and largely helped with its growth in popularity.
More Sport Facts!
Loved these Indonesia sports facts? Want to see what sports are the most popular in other countries?
Then check out these posts:
Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.
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