The Most Popular Sports in Latvia (Top 13 Ranked)

Basketball leads Latvia, ahead of Ice hockey and Soccer. Ranking of 13 sports.

This page ranks the sports of Latvia by the evidence behind each one, because no single dated participation survey covering all sports in Latvia could be retrieved in this run, so ranking is based on organized federation presence, competitive results, and cultural prominence instead of one comparable membership figure per sport. The figures come from Latvian Olympic Committee, national federation member list.

Basketball is on top, followed by Ice hockey and Soccer. The full table below covers 13 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.

The Most Popular Sports in Latvia

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 2026.

#	Sport	Basis for the placing
1	Basketball	The Latvian Basketball Association governs national leagues and youth competitions across all age groups and both genders, reflecting the deepest organized playing base of any spor
2	Ice hockey	The Latvian Hockey Federation organizes professional leagues, national teams, and youth championships, and the men’s national team is a regular participant in the IIHF World Champi
3	Soccer	The Latvian Football Federation administers national teams, domestic competitions, youth development, and grassroots programs, giving soccer one of the largest participation bases
4	Athletics	Athletics is organized through a national federation affiliated with the Latvian Olympic Committee and World Athletics, with Latvian competitors regularly present at Olympic Games
5	Beach volleyball	Latvia has produced Olympic medalists in beach volleyball, and the national federation runs both the indoor and beach disciplines, giving the sport an international profile disprop
6	Bobsleigh	Latvia has won multiple Olympic bobsleigh medals, an unusually strong record for a small nation, supported by a national training track in Sigulda.
7	Boxing	Latvia has produced a unified world champion boxer, and the national federation runs amateur clubs that feed both Olympic and professional competition.
8	Judo	Judo is organized nationally with club structures feeding Olympic qualification, and Latvian judoka regularly compete at European and World Championships.
9	Wrestling	Wrestling has an established club tradition in Latvia, particularly in freestyle and Greco Roman disciplines, organized under a national federation affiliated with United World Wre
10	Tennis	Latvia has produced a Grand Slam singles champion, and the national tennis union runs club competitions and junior development that gained visibility after that result.
11	Handball	Handball is organized through a national federation running domestic leagues and youth teams, with the men’s national team competing in European qualification tournaments.
12	Rowing and canoeing	Rowing and canoe sprint clubs in Latvia use the country’s lakes and rivers for training, feeding national teams that compete at European Championships and Olympic qualification reg
13	Orienteering	Orienteering has a well established club base across the Baltic region including Latvia, organized under a national federation affiliated with the International Orienteering Federa

Is There a National Sport of Latvia?

Latvia has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No Latvian law or government decision designating an official national sport was found in this research run.

Basketball. Basketball is widely regarded as Latvia’s de facto national sport due to its historical depth and cultural prominence, even without a legal designation.

#1 Basketball

Governing body: Latvian Basketball Association (LBS)
Top national league: Latvian-Estonian Basketball League
Best known athlete: Kristaps Porzingis. NBA All-Star and NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in 2024, the most prominent Latvian athlete in any sport internationally

Basketball has the widest organized following of any sport in Latvia, run nationally through the Latvian Basketball Association, which oversees leagues from youth level up to the senior national teams for men and women.

The sport is closely tied to national identity, reinforced by Latvia hosting EuroBasket in 2015 and by Latvian players competing in the NBA and top European leagues.

Latest Posts about Basketball

#2 Ice hockey

Governing body: Latvian Hockey Federation (LHF)
Top national league: Optibet Hokeja Liga
Best known athlete: Zemgus Girgensons. NHL forward and long time captain of the Buffalo Sabres, and a mainstay of the Latvian national team at IIHF World Championships

Ice hockey ranks among the most followed sports in Latvia, with a national federation that runs domestic leagues, youth development, and the senior national teams.

The men’s national team competes regularly in the top division of the IIHF World Championship, and Riga has hosted the tournament, underlining the sport’s standing in the country.

Latest Posts about Ice Hockey

#3 Soccer

Governing body: Latvian Football Federation (LFF)
Top national league: Virsliga
Best known athlete: Roberts Uldrikis. Latvian international forward who has played in the German Bundesliga, one of the most visible Latvian footballers of his generation

Soccer is organized nationally by the Latvian Football Federation, which runs the Virsliga as the top domestic league alongside national teams and grassroots programs.

As in most countries, soccer draws one of the broadest participation bases in Latvia even though the men’s national team has not matched the international results of basketball or ice hockey.

Latest Posts about Soccer

#4 Athletics

Governing body: Latvian Athletic Association

Athletics is one of the traditional Olympic sports in Latvia, organized through a national federation that runs club competitions and sends athletes to European and world championships.

It remains a core part of school and club sport, though it does not draw the mass spectator following of basketball or ice hockey.

Latest Posts about Athletics

#5 Beach volleyball

Governing body: Latvian Volleyball Federation
Best known athlete: Aleksandrs Samoilovs. Olympic silver medalist in beach volleyball at the 2012 London Games alongside partner Janis Smedins, Latvia’s most decorated beach volleyball player

Volleyball in Latvia is best known through its beach discipline, where Latvian pairs have reached the top of world rankings and won Olympic medals.

The national federation also runs indoor volleyball leagues, but the beach game carries the sport’s strongest international results and public recognition.

Latest Posts about Beach Volleyball

#6 Bobsleigh

Governing body: Latvian Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation
Best known athlete: Oskars Melbardis. Olympic bronze medalist bobsled pilot at the 2014 Sochi Games, part of Latvia’s strongest Winter Olympics discipline

Bobsleigh is a winter sport where Latvia punches well above its population size, helped by the Sigulda bobsled and luge track, one of the few such tracks in the region.

National teams compete regularly on the world cup circuit and have won Olympic medals, making the sport a source of consistent international recognition for Latvia.

Latest Posts about Bobsledding

#7 Boxing

Governing body: Latvian Boxing Federation
Best known athlete: Mairis Briedis. Former unified cruiserweight world champion, holder of world titles from multiple sanctioning bodies and one of Latvia’s most successful professional athletes

Boxing in Latvia is organized through amateur clubs under the national federation and has produced internationally recognized professional champions.

The sport’s profile rose significantly through world title fights broadcast internationally, bringing attention to a discipline that otherwise operates mainly at club level.

Latest Posts about Boxing

#8 Judo

Governing body: Latvian Judo Federation

Judo has a long standing club structure in Latvia, organized under the national federation and affiliated with the International Judo Federation.

Latvian judoka compete at European and World Championships and at the Olympic Games, though the sport draws a smaller participation base than team sports.

Latest Posts about Judo

#9 Wrestling

Governing body: Latvian Wrestling Federation

Wrestling is practiced in Latvia through a network of clubs affiliated with the national federation, covering both freestyle and Greco Roman styles.

The sport has a long regional tradition in the Baltics and produces competitors for European and World Championships, though its public following is smaller than that of the leading team sports.

Latest Posts about Wrestling

#10 Tennis

Governing body: Latvian Tennis Union
Best known athlete: Jelena Ostapenko. Winner of the 2017 French Open women’s singles title, the only Latvian to win a Grand Slam singles championship

Tennis in Latvia is organized through a national union running club leagues and junior programs, with participation concentrated in Riga and other larger cities.

The sport’s visibility increased sharply after a Latvian player won a Grand Slam singles title, which helped drive junior enrollment in club programs.

Latest Posts about Tennis

#11 Handball

Governing body: Latvian Handball Federation

Handball has a smaller but organized following in Latvia, run through a national federation that oversees domestic club leagues and junior competitions.

National teams take part in European qualification tournaments, though the sport has not reached the same participation levels as basketball, ice hockey, or soccer.

Latest Posts about Handball

#12 Rowing and canoeing

Governing body: Latvian Rowing Federation

Rowing and canoe sprint are organized through club programs that make use of Latvia’s lakes and rivers, feeding national teams for international regattas.

The disciplines maintain a steady presence at European Championships and Olympic qualification events, supported by a long standing club infrastructure.

#13 Orienteering

Governing body: Latvian Orienteering Federation

Orienteering is a traditionally strong participation sport across the Baltic states, and Latvia maintains an active club scene organized under its national federation.

The sport benefits from Latvia’s extensive forest terrain, which supports both recreational and competitive orienteering events throughout the year.

Sources

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 are Latvia’s sport records?

Latvia’s most notable international sporting results include Olympic bobsleigh medals, a French Open singles title in tennis, and a unified world boxing championship. Basketball and ice hockey have the deepest organized club bases in the country.

What are Latvia’s sports?

The most organized sports in Latvia are basketball, ice hockey, and soccer, followed by athletics, volleyball, bobsleigh, boxing, judo, wrestling, tennis, handball, rowing and canoeing, and orienteering.

What sport is popular in Latvia?

Basketball has the widest organized following in Latvia, run nationally by the Latvian Basketball Association, with ice hockey and soccer close behind in terms of federation size and public attention.

What’s a known sport in Latvia?

Basketball is the sport most associated with Latvia internationally, reinforced by Latvia hosting EuroBasket in 2015 and by Latvian players competing at the top level of the NBA and European leagues.