Ice hockey leads Belarus, ahead of Soccer and Biathlon. Ranking of 10 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Belarus by the evidence behind each one, because no single participation, membership, or license count covering all ranked sports could be confirmed for Belarus from a ministry, statistics office, or federation source in this session, so the ranking below rests on documented evidence of national significance, such as Olympic results, state investment, and international hosting, rather than one comparable number. The figures come from Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus.
Ice hockey is on top, followed by Soccer and Biathlon. The full table below covers 10 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Belarus
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. The reference year is 2024.
| # | Sport | Basis for the placing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ice hockey | Belarus built the Minsk Arena and hosted the 2014 IIHF World Championship as part of a state program to raise the sport’s national profile, and ice hockey continues to receive sust |
| 2 | Soccer | The Belarusian Football Federation is a full member of FIFA and UEFA and organizes a men’s and women’s national team program alongside a nationwide domestic league system. |
| 3 | Biathlon | Belarus has produced Olympic and World Championship medalists in biathlon across multiple decades, giving the sport an international profile well beyond the size of the country. |
| 4 | Rhythmic gymnastics | Belarusian rhythmic gymnasts have repeatedly medaled at World Championships and the Olympics, and the sport is a long standing state supported program. |
| 5 | Tennis | Belarus has produced two WTA world number one players since 2012, an unusually strong record for the country’s population size. |
| 6 | Athletics | The Belarusian Athletic Federation is a full member of World Athletics and fields national teams in track and field events at World Championships and the Olympics. |
| 7 | Wrestling | The Belarus Wrestling Federation is affiliated with United World Wrestling and enters national teams in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling at continental and world championships. |
| 8 | Basketball | The Belarus Basketball Federation is a member of FIBA and organizes national men’s and women’s teams alongside a domestic league. |
| 9 | Volleyball | The Belarus Volleyball Federation is affiliated with the FIVB and fields national teams that compete in European and world qualification events. |
| 10 | Handball | The Belarus Handball Federation is a member of the International Handball Federation and organizes a domestic league alongside national team competition. |
Most Played and Most Watched Are Not the Same Sport
Membership and license numbers tell you what people do. Audience figures tell you what they watch, and the two lists rarely have the same sport on top.
| Sport | Figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | 740,000 | The 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk set a new total attendance record for the tournament at the time. |
Is There a National Sport of Belarus?
Belarus has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. Belarus has not designated an official national sport by law or government decree.
- Ice hockey. Ice hockey is widely treated as Belarus’s de facto national winter sport because of sustained state promotion.
#1 Ice hockey
- Governing body: Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation
- Top national league: Belarusian Extraleague
- Best known athlete: Ruslan Salei. Salei was a defenseman who played in the National Hockey League for four different franchises, the longest and most prominent NHL career of any Belarus-born player
Ice hockey holds a prominent place in Belarusian sport because of sustained state investment. The country built the Minsk Arena and hosted the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in 2014, a rare honor for a nation outside hockey’s traditional powers.
The Belarusian Extraleague is the top domestic competition, and the Minsk based club Dinamo Minsk has represented the country in the Kontinental Hockey League. Ruslan Salei is the sport’s best known export, having built a long career in the National Hockey League.
Latest Posts about Ice Hockey
#2 Soccer
- Governing body: Belarusian Football Federation
- Top national league: Belarusian Premier League
- Best known athlete: Aleksandr Hleb. Hleb played for Arsenal and Barcelona, winning the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona, the most decorated European club career of any Belarusian footballer
Soccer is organized nationwide through the Belarusian Premier League and a full pyramid of amateur and youth competitions under the Belarusian Football Federation, which holds full FIFA and UEFA membership.
Aleksandr Hleb is the country’s most recognized footballer internationally, having played in the Premier League and La Liga and won the UEFA Champions League with Barcelona before returning to play in Belarus.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#3 Biathlon
- Governing body: Belarusian Biathlon Federation
- Best known athlete: Darya Domracheva. Domracheva won three individual gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the most gold medals won by any Belarusian athlete at a single Games
Biathlon carries outsized international prestige for Belarus. The Belarusian Biathlon Federation fields national teams on the IBU World Cup circuit and at the Winter Olympics every four years.
Darya Domracheva is the sport’s defining figure, winning three individual gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and becoming one of the most decorated athletes in Belarusian sporting history.
#4 Rhythmic gymnastics
- Governing body: Belarusian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation
- Best known athlete: Melitina Staniouta. Staniouta won the individual all around bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, the country’s first individual Olympic medal in rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is one of Belarus’s traditional strength sports, supported by a long standing state training program that has produced international medalists across several generations.
Melitina Staniouta is the sport’s most recent Olympic medalist, winning the individual all around bronze at the 2016 Rio Games after a career of World Championship medals.
#5 Tennis
- Governing body: Belarusian Tennis Federation
- Best known athlete: Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka reached world number one in the WTA rankings and won the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the US Open in 2024, the most Grand Slam singles titles of any Belarusian player
Tennis has become a source of major international visibility for Belarus through a small number of elite players developed through the national federation’s academy system.
Aryna Sabalenka is the sport’s leading figure, having reached the top of the WTA rankings and won multiple Grand Slam singles titles, following the earlier success of former world number one Victoria Azarenka.
Latest Posts about Tennis
#6 Athletics
- Governing body: Belarusian Athletic Federation
Athletics is organized nationally through the Belarusian Athletic Federation, which is affiliated with World Athletics and sends competitors to World Championships and Olympic Games in track and field disciplines.
The sport has a long standing base of school and club level competition in Belarus, feeding into the national team program that represents the country internationally.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#7 Wrestling
- Governing body: Belarus Wrestling Federation
Wrestling is contested in Belarus in both the freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines under the Belarus Wrestling Federation, which is affiliated with the international governing body United World Wrestling.
National championships and club level competitions form the base of the sport, feeding athletes into the teams that represent Belarus at continental and world championships.
Latest Posts about Wrestling
#8 Basketball
- Governing body: Belarus Basketball Federation
Basketball is organized nationally under the Belarus Basketball Federation, a member of the world governing body FIBA, with national men’s and women’s teams competing in European qualification events.
A domestic league runs alongside the national team program, supplying the players who represent the country in continental competition.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#9 Volleyball
- Governing body: Belarus Volleyball Federation
Volleyball is played nationally under the Belarus Volleyball Federation, which is affiliated with the international governing body FIVB and enters national teams in European qualification events.
The sport maintains a domestic club competition that supports the national team program in both the men’s and women’s game.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#10 Handball
- Governing body: Belarus Handball Federation
Handball is organized under the Belarus Handball Federation, a member of the International Handball Federation, with national teams entered in European qualification competitions.
A domestic league supports the sport at club level, providing the pool of players who compete for national team selection.
Latest Posts about Handball
Sources
- Ministry of Sport and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus
- FIFA
- Belarusian Biathlon Federation
- World Athletics
- United World Wrestling
- FIBA
- FIVB
- International Handball Federation
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 Belarus?
Ice hockey ranks first in this ranking because of sustained state investment, including the construction of the Minsk Arena and hosting the 2014 IIHF World Championship. Soccer and biathlon follow as the next most prominent sports.
Is biathlon popular in Belarus?
Yes, biathlon ranks third in this list. Belarusian biathlete Darya Domracheva won three individual gold medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the most won by any Belarusian athlete at a single Games.
What is the national sport of Belarus?
Belarus has no sport designated as a national sport by law or decree. Ice hockey is often described as the de facto national winter sport because of state promotion tied to the Minsk Arena and the 2014 IIHF World Championship.
Who is the most famous tennis player from Belarus?
Aryna Sabalenka is the most successful Belarusian tennis player, reaching world number one and winning the Australian Open in 2023 and 2024 and the US Open in 2024.
How many people attended the 2014 IIHF World Championship in Minsk?
The tournament drew about 740,000 spectators in total, a record attendance figure for the IIHF World Championship at the time.
