Cricket leads Bangladesh, ahead of Soccer and Kabaddi. Ranking of 12 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Bangladesh by the evidence behind each one, because no single comparable count (registered federation members, licenses, or a national participation survey) could be verified across sports for Bangladesh in this fast research pass, so the ranking below is ordered by documented status instead: active national federation, international competition record, and widely reported cultural prominence.
Cricket is on top, followed by Soccer and Kabaddi. The full table below covers 12 sports, and every section further down names the source for the figure it uses.
The Most Popular Sports in Bangladesh
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 | Cricket | Cricket is run by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, the country’s Test-playing national federation, and the national team’s matches draw the largest television audiences of any sport i |
| 2 | Soccer | Football is governed by the Bangladesh Football Federation, whose official website (bff.com.bd) confirms it as the sport’s national body; football has a long organized history in t |
| 3 | Kabaddi | Kabaddi, locally called Ha Du Du, has been recognized as Bangladesh’s official national sport since 1972 and is organized nationally through the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation with |
| 4 | Badminton | Badminton is run by the Bangladesh Badminton Federation and is one of the most widely played recreational sports in the country, with informal alley and street courts becoming espe |
| 5 | Volleyball | Volleyball is organized through the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation and is a common community sport in rural areas, where village level tournaments are a regular feature of local |
| 6 | Field hockey | Field hockey is organized through the Bangladesh Hockey Federation and has historically been one of the country’s more competitive team sports at the regional South Asian level. |
| 7 | Chess | Chess has an organized federation and club culture in Bangladesh, and the country produced South Asia’s first grandmaster, Niaz Morshed, in 1987. |
| 8 | Archery | Archery gained national attention after Roman Sana became the first Bangladeshi archer to qualify directly for the Olympic Games, competing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. |
| 9 | Shooting | Shooting became one of the country’s most closely followed sports after Asif Hossain Khan won bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Bangladesh’s first |
| 10 | Kho Kho | Kho Kho is an organized traditional tag sport in Bangladesh with its own national federation and regular school and district level competitions. |
| 11 | Athletics | Athletics is organized nationally through the Bangladesh Athletics Federation, which runs school and national level track and field competitions feeding into international events s |
| 12 | Table tennis | Table tennis has an organized national federation in Bangladesh and is commonly played at schools and clubs in urban areas. |
Is There a National Sport of Bangladesh?
- Kabaddi. Kabaddi, known locally as Ha Du Du, has been recognized as the national sport of Bangladesh since 1972.
- Cricket. Despite Kabaddi holding the formal national sport designation, cricket is the sport most Bangladeshis actually follow and play, and it draws the country’s largest sport audiences.
#1 Cricket
- Governing body: Bangladesh Cricket Board
- Top national league: Bangladesh Premier League
- Best known athlete: Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib Al Hasan reached the number one ICC all-rounder ranking in Test, ODI and T20I cricket at the same time in 2015 and is Bangladesh’s all time leading wicket taker in international cricket
Cricket is organized nationally by the Bangladesh Cricket Board, which fields the men’s and women’s national teams in Test, ODI and T20I cricket and runs the domestic Bangladesh Premier League.
The national team’s international matches consistently draw the country’s largest television audiences, and Shakib Al Hasan is the sport’s best known player, having held the top ICC all-rounder ranking across all three formats in 2015.
#2 Soccer
- Governing body: Bangladesh Football Federation
- Top national league: Bangladesh Premier League (football)
- Best known athlete: Jamal Bhuyan. Jamal Bhuyan has captained the Bangladesh national football team for an extended period and is widely covered in domestic football media as the team’s long serving captain
Football in Bangladesh is administered by the Bangladesh Football Federation, whose official site confirms it as the recognized governing body, and the sport has an organized club structure that predates the national rise of cricket.
Jamal Bhuyan has served as national team captain and is one of the sport’s most recognized current players in domestic coverage.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#3 Kabaddi
- Governing body: Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation
Kabaddi holds the formal status of national sport of Bangladesh, a recognition that dates to 1972, and it remains organized nationally through the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation.
The game is played widely at the village and district level, particularly in rural areas, where it has a long standing place in local sporting culture.
#4 Badminton
- Governing body: Bangladesh Badminton Federation
Badminton is organized nationally by the Bangladesh Badminton Federation and ranks among the most widely played recreational sports in the country.
It is especially visible during the Eid holidays, when informal courts appear in streets and alleys across cities including Dhaka.
Latest Posts about Badminton
#5 Volleyball
- Governing body: Bangladesh Volleyball Federation
Volleyball is governed nationally by the Bangladesh Volleyball Federation and has a strong presence in rural community sport.
Village level tournaments are a regular and popular feature of local sporting calendars in many parts of the country.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#6 Field hockey
- Governing body: Bangladesh Hockey Federation
Field hockey in Bangladesh is administered by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation and has a long organized history in the country.
The national team has historically been competitive within South Asian regional tournaments, and the sport retains an organized club structure in Dhaka.
Latest Posts about Field Hockey
#7 Chess
- Governing body: Bangladesh Chess Federation
- Best known athlete: Niaz Morshed. Niaz Morshed became the first grandmaster from South Asia when he earned the grandmaster title in 1987, and he remains the sport’s most historically significant figure in Bangladesh
Chess is organized nationally through the Bangladesh Chess Federation and has a long standing competitive club culture, particularly in Dhaka.
The sport’s defining figure is Niaz Morshed, who became the first grandmaster from South Asia in 1987, a milestone still referenced in the country’s chess history.
#8 Archery
- Governing body: Bangladesh Archery Federation
- Best known athlete: Roman Sana. Roman Sana became the first Bangladeshi archer to qualify directly for the Olympics, competing at the 2020 Tokyo Games, and has won multiple South Asian Games gold medals
Archery is organized through the Bangladesh Archery Federation and gained significant national visibility after the sport’s Olympic breakthrough.
Roman Sana became the first Bangladeshi archer to qualify directly for the Olympics at the 2020 Tokyo Games, raising the sport’s domestic profile considerably.
Latest Posts about Archery
#9 Shooting
- Governing body: Bangladesh Shooting Sports Federation
- Best known athlete: Asif Hossain Khan. Asif Hossain Khan won bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, becoming the first Bangladeshi to win an individual Olympic medal
Shooting is organized nationally through the Bangladesh Shooting Sports Federation and saw a sharp rise in public attention following the sport’s Olympic success.
Asif Hossain Khan won bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the first individual Olympic medal in the country’s history, which brought the sport significant new domestic interest.
#10 Kho Kho
- Governing body: Bangladesh Kho Kho Federation
Kho Kho is administered nationally by the Bangladesh Kho Kho Federation and is a traditional tag based team sport with organized school and district competitions.
It remains part of the physical education curriculum in many schools, which sustains its regular play at the youth level.
#11 Athletics
- Governing body: Bangladesh Athletics Federation
Athletics in Bangladesh is organized through the Bangladesh Athletics Federation, which runs school and national level track and field competitions.
These events feed into regional competition such as the South Asian Games, where Bangladeshi athletes regularly compete.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#12 Table tennis
- Governing body: Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation
Table tennis is governed nationally by the Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation and has an established club structure in urban centers.
The sport is a regular fixture in school and community sport programs across the country.
Latest Posts about Table Tennis
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 is the national sport of Bangladesh?
The formally recognized national sport of Bangladesh is kabaddi, locally known as Ha Du Du, a status it has held since 1972. Cricket and football are far more widely watched today, but kabaddi keeps the official designation.
What is Bangladesh’s most popular sport?
Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangladesh by audience and cultural attention, organized nationally by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. It draws the country’s largest television audiences for any sport.
What is the second most popular sport in Bangladesh?
Football ranks second after cricket in Bangladesh. It is governed by the Bangladesh Football Federation and has a long organized history in the country that predates cricket’s rise in popularity.
Is badminton popular in Bangladesh?
Yes, badminton is one of the most widely played recreational sports in Bangladesh. It is organized by the Bangladesh Badminton Federation and becomes especially visible on informal street and alley courts during the Eid holidays.
Are there other popular sports and activities in Bangladesh?
Beyond cricket and football, kabaddi, badminton, volleyball and field hockey all have active national federations and regular organized competition in Bangladesh. Chess, archery and shooting have also drawn growing national attention through individual international results.
