Soccer leads Singapore, ahead of Swimming and Badminton. Ranking of 15 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Singapore by the evidence behind each one, because no single participation, membership, or license figure that covers a majority of the ranked sports on a shared basis could be confirmed in this fast pass, so the ranking rests on documented organizational presence, competitive infrastructure, and international results rather than one comparable number. The figures come from Sport Singapore.
Soccer is on top, followed by Swimming and Badminton. The full table below covers 15 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Singapore
The table counts evidence, not people who say they like a sport. It is the figure that is published the same way for every sport in the list, which is what makes the rows comparable.
| # | Sport | Basis for the placing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soccer | The Football Association of Singapore is the country’s oldest national sports association and runs the top domestic men’s league, giving soccer the broadest and longest running org |
| 2 | Swimming | Swimming produced Singapore’s only individual Olympic gold medal, which has kept the sport prominent in national sports coverage and youth participation programs. |
| 3 | Badminton | Badminton is recognized by Sport Singapore as a National Sports Association sport and is played widely at community centers and schools across the country. |
| 4 | Basketball | The Basketball Association of Singapore describes itself as the central body for promoting and developing basketball across the nation, organizing competitions and national teams. |
| 5 | Table Tennis | Table tennis has delivered Singapore’s most consistent Olympic and Asian Games medal results among team sports, keeping it prominent in national sport coverage. |
| 6 | Athletics | Athletics, including competitive running, gained renewed national attention after Singapore’s first Asian Games track gold in decades. |
| 7 | Cricket | Cricket is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and has an organized club and league structure with a long colonial era history. |
| 8 | Tennis | Tennis is recognized by Sport Singapore as a National Sports Association sport, supported by public and club courts across the country. |
| 9 | Rugby | Rugby is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and the country hosts an annual leg of the international rugby sevens circuit. |
| 10 | Sailing | Sailing is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore, supported by the country’s coastal geography and dedicated sailing facilities. |
| 11 | Bowling | Ten pin bowling is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and the country has a long record of regional competitive success in the sport. |
| 12 | Golf | Golf is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore, supported by a network of golf clubs and courses on the island. |
| 13 | Netball | Netball is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and is played mainly through school and club competitions. |
| 14 | Dragon Boat | Dragon boat racing is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and the country hosts an annual international dragon boat regatta. |
| 15 | Sepak Takraw | Sepak takraw is recognized as a National Sports Association sport in Singapore and is regularly contested at the Southeast Asian Games, where the region’s teams compete. |
Is There a National Sport of Singapore?
Singapore has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. Singapore has no sport designated as the official national sport by law or government decree.
- Soccer. Soccer is generally treated as Singapore’s de facto national sport because of its long organizational history and broad following.
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Football Association of Singapore
- Top national league: Singapore Premier League
- Best known athlete: Fandi Ahmad. Fandi Ahmad was the first Singaporean to play professional football in Europe, joining FC Groningen in the Netherlands in the 1980s, and later served as a national team captain and coach
Soccer has the longest continuous organizational history of any sport in Singapore, run nationally by the Football Association of Singapore. The domestic top flight, the Singapore Premier League, gives the sport a permanent competitive structure that most other sports in the country do not have.
The sport also has the country’s most recognized international figure in Fandi Ahmad, who became the first Singaporean to play professional football in Europe. His career and later coaching work helped keep soccer at the center of Singapore’s sporting identity.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Swimming
- Governing body: Singapore Swimming Association
- Best known athlete: Joseph Schooling. Joseph Schooling won the 100 meter butterfly at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Singapore’s first and so far only individual Olympic gold medal
Swimming holds a distinct place in Singapore sport because of the country’s only individual Olympic gold medal, won in the pool rather than on land. That result gave the sport sustained national attention and drove interest in youth swimming programs.
Joseph Schooling remains the sport’s defining figure after his win at the 2016 Rio Olympics. His result is still referenced as the high water mark of Singaporean Olympic performance across any sport.
Latest Posts about Swimming
#3 Badminton
- Governing body: Badminton Association of Singapore
Badminton is one of the most widely played recreational sports in Singapore, supported by courts at community centers, schools, and private clubs across the island. Its low equipment cost and indoor format make it accessible year round.
The Badminton Association of Singapore organizes the sport nationally and feeds players into regional and international competition, giving the sport an organized base beyond casual play.
Latest Posts about Badminton
#4 Basketball
- Governing body: Basketball Association of Singapore
Basketball has a strong following in Singapore, particularly among school and community league players, supported by outdoor courts that are common in housing estates. The sport benefits from low barriers to casual participation.
The Basketball Association of Singapore organizes national competitions and teams, giving the sport a formal structure that extends from school leagues up to regional international play.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#5 Table Tennis
- Governing body: Singapore Table Tennis Association
- Best known athlete: Feng Tianwei. Feng Tianwei won an Olympic team bronze medal in 2012 in London and an individual bronze in singles, and has multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth medals for Singapore
Table tennis is one of the sports where Singapore has produced its most consistent international results, especially through the women’s national team. That record has kept the sport highly visible in national sport coverage.
Feng Tianwei is the sport’s best known competitor for Singapore, with Olympic medal results dating back to the 2012 London Games that helped raise the sport’s profile domestically.
Latest Posts about Table Tennis
#6 Athletics
- Governing body: Singapore Athletics
- Best known athlete: Shanti Pereira. Shanti Pereira won the women’s 200 meter gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games and holds multiple national sprint records
Competitive running and athletics gained fresh national attention after Shanti Pereira’s gold medal run at the 2023 Asian Games, the country’s first track and field gold at that competition in decades.
Beyond elite competition, the sport also has a large recreational base through mass participation road races held annually in Singapore, which draw runners of all levels.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#7 Cricket
- Governing body: Singapore Cricket Association
Cricket has one of the longest histories of any organized sport in Singapore, tracing back to clubs founded during the colonial period. It remains actively played through club and league competition today.
The sport draws much of its playing base from Singapore’s South Asian community, and the men’s national team has competed in regional and international qualifying tournaments.
#8 Tennis
- Governing body: Singapore Tennis Association
Tennis is played across a network of public and private club courts in Singapore, with organized league and junior development programs run under the national association.
The sport is also visible through Singapore’s hosting of international tour events over the years, which has helped sustain public interest beyond club level play.
Latest Posts about Tennis
#9 Rugby
- Governing body: Singapore Rugby Union
Rugby has a smaller but organized playing base in Singapore, run through club and school competitions under the Singapore Rugby Union. The sport is played in both fifteens and sevens formats.
Singapore’s profile in the sport is boosted by hosting an international rugby sevens tournament, which brings the sport regular national media attention even though the domestic playing base is modest.
Latest Posts about Rugby
#10 Sailing
- Governing body: Singapore Sailing Federation
Sailing benefits from Singapore’s island geography, with dedicated clubs and training centers supporting both recreational and competitive sailors from a young age.
The sport has a consistent presence in Singapore’s regional and international competition results, particularly in dinghy classes used in Southeast Asian and Asian level competition.
Latest Posts about Sailing
#11 Bowling
- Governing body: Singapore Bowling Federation
Ten pin bowling has an unusually strong competitive tradition in Singapore relative to the size of the country, supported by bowling centers that double as training venues for national squads.
The sport is organized nationally through the Singapore Bowling Federation, which has produced competitors with a long record of medals at Southeast Asian and Asian level tournaments.
Latest Posts about Bowling
#12 Golf
- Governing body: Singapore Golf Association
Golf is played through a network of private and semi private clubs across Singapore, with the national association running amateur competitions and junior development programs.
The sport’s visibility in Singapore is also supported by the country’s history of hosting professional tour events, which have helped keep golf in national sports coverage.
Latest Posts about Golf
#13 Netball
- Governing body: Netball Singapore
Netball is played mainly by girls and women in Singapore through school and club competitions, organized nationally under Netball Singapore.
The sport has a long standing presence in the school sports calendar, which has kept participation steady even though it draws less general public attention than sports like soccer or badminton.
#14 Dragon Boat
- Governing body: Singapore Dragon Boat Association
Dragon boat racing has a visible seasonal presence in Singapore, centered on an annual international regatta that draws crews from across the region.
Outside the main competitive season, the sport is practiced by club and corporate teams training on Singapore’s reservoirs, giving it a steady if smaller year round base.
#15 Sepak Takraw
- Governing body: Singapore Sepaktakraw Federation
Sepak takraw is a regional sport with an organized following in Singapore, played competitively through club and school programs under the national federation.
The sport is most visible to the Singapore public during Southeast Asian Games cycles, when the national team competes against other countries in the region where the sport has its deepest roots.
Sources
- Sport Singapore
- Football Association of Singapore
- Singapore National Olympic Council
- Basketball Association of Singapore
Figures on this page come from national federations and statistics offices and are only as current as their latest published report. Last reviewed: August 2026.
FAQ
What is the most popular sport in Singapore?
Soccer is generally considered the most popular sport in Singapore. It is organized nationally by the Football Association of Singapore and has the country’s longest running top domestic competition, the Singapore Premier League.
What is the national sport of Singapore?
Singapore has no sport that is officially designated as its national sport by law or government decree. Soccer is often treated as the de facto national sport because of its long organizational history and wide following.
What are popular sports in Singapore?
Beyond soccer, sports with a strong organized presence in Singapore include swimming, badminton, basketball, table tennis, and athletics. Each is run by its own national sports association and has a track record in regional or international competition.
What is sport in Singapore?
Sport in Singapore is coordinated by Sport Singapore, the government agency that oversees sport policy, facilities, and the network of National Sports Associations. These associations run everything from soccer and swimming to sailing and dragon boat racing.
Common sports in Singapore
Common sports played in Singapore include soccer, swimming, badminton, basketball, and table tennis, supported by public courts, pools, and community sports facilities across the country. Running is also widely practiced through mass participation road races.
