Chinlone leads Myanmar, ahead of Soccer and Lethwei. Ranking of 10 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Myanmar by the evidence behind each one, because no single registration, membership, or participation survey covering all sports in Myanmar could be identified or verified in this session, so the ranking is ordered by the strength of documented evidence (organized leagues, national federations, regional competition results, and cultural status) rather than by a shared numeric measure.
Chinlone is on top, followed by Soccer and Lethwei. 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 Myanmar
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 | Chinlone | Chinlone is widely documented as Myanmar’s traditional sport, played in villages, at festivals, and in schools nationwide, and it carries formal rules established in the mid twenti |
| 2 | Soccer | Soccer draws the largest organized spectator following of any competitive sport in Myanmar, supported by a national professional league structure and youth academies. |
| 3 | Lethwei | Lethwei has moved from village festival contests into an organized professional circuit, including a dedicated world championship series that stages regular cards in Myanmar. |
| 4 | Sepak takraw | Sepak takraw is played at school and community level throughout Myanmar and the national team competes regularly at the Southeast Asian Games. |
| 5 | Volleyball | Volleyball is played widely at school and township level and is organized through state and national competitions. |
| 6 | Boxing | Olympic style amateur boxing is organized through state training programs and Myanmar boxers compete at the Southeast Asian Games. |
| 7 | Swimming | Swimming is included in school physical education programs in urban areas and Myanmar swimmers compete regionally at the Southeast Asian Games. |
| 8 | Basketball | Basketball participation has grown through amateur leagues and street courts concentrated in Yangon and Mandalay. |
| 9 | Traditional boat racing | Traditional long boat races are staged as part of regional seasonal festivals and draw large local crowds along riverbanks. |
| 10 | Naban wrestling | Naban is a traditional Burmese wrestling style practiced at village festivals, most closely associated with Rakhine State. |
Is There a National Sport of Myanmar?
Myanmar has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No Myanmar law or government decree confirming an officially designated national sport could be identified within this session’s research limits.
- Chinlone. Chinlone is widely described as Myanmar’s traditional national sport based on its cultural status and nationwide reach rather than a legal designation.
Sports That Were Invented in Myanmar
- Chinlone. Chinlone originated in Myanmar and its formal rules were codified there in the mid twentieth century.
- Lethwei. Lethwei is a striking sport that originated in Myanmar and predates modern gloved boxing in the country.
- Bando. Bando is a traditional Burmese martial art that originated in Myanmar and combines striking and grappling techniques.
#1 Chinlone
- Governing body: Myanmar Traditional Chinlone Federation
Chinlone is a noncompetitive team sport built around keeping a woven rattan ball airborne using the feet, knees, and head, and it is closely tied to Myanmar’s cultural identity. It is played across the country at community festivals, in schoolyards, and as part of pagoda celebrations.
Unlike most ranked sports, chinlone traditionally has no opposing team and no formal scoring against an opponent, which sets it apart from soccer, boxing, or volleyball. Its wide informal reach across age groups and regions is the main reason it leads this list.
#2 Soccer
- Governing body: Myanmar Football Federation
- Top national league: Myanmar National League
Soccer is Myanmar’s most followed competitive spectator sport, organized nationally through the Myanmar National League and supported by club academies in Yangon and Mandalay. Domestic matches and international qualifiers draw consistent local media attention.
The men’s national team competes in regional and Asian qualifying competitions, and youth participation is common in school and township tournaments across both urban and rural areas.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#3 Lethwei
- Governing body: Myanmar Traditional Boxing Federation
- Top national league: World Lethwei Championship
Lethwei is a traditional bare knuckle striking sport that predates modern boxing in Myanmar and remains a fixture of festival programs, particularly during Thingyan and other seasonal celebrations. Fighters compete without gloves under rules that allow head strikes.
Organized promotions have professionalized the sport over the past decade, staging regular televised events, which has widened its audience beyond its traditional rural base.
#4 Sepak takraw
- Governing body: Myanmar Sepak Takraw Federation
Sepak takraw combines elements of volleyball and soccer, using a woven rattan ball played over a net with the feet, knees, chest, and head. It is common in schoolyards and community grounds across Myanmar.
Myanmar fields national teams at regional Southeast Asian competitions, and the sport’s low equipment cost helps sustain its popularity in both urban and rural settings.
#5 Volleyball
- Governing body: Myanmar Volleyball Federation
Volleyball is a common school and community sport in Myanmar, played on informal courts in villages as well as in organized township and state league matches. It requires minimal equipment, which supports broad participation.
National tournaments bring together teams from Myanmar’s states and regions, and the sport is a standard part of school physical education programs.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#6 Boxing
- Governing body: Myanmar Amateur Boxing Federation
Amateur boxing under international gloved rules is separate from lethwei and is developed through state sports training centers. It serves as a pathway for athletes into regional competitions.
Myanmar boxers regularly compete at the Southeast Asian Games, and the sport has a smaller but longstanding organized base compared to lethwei’s festival roots.
Latest Posts about Boxing
#7 Swimming
- Governing body: Myanmar Amateur Swimming Federation
Swimming is taught as part of physical education in urban schools with access to pools, and it is practiced recreationally along rivers and coastal areas elsewhere in the country.
Myanmar sends swimmers to the Southeast Asian Games, and the sport has an organized competitive base concentrated in Yangon and Mandalay.
Latest Posts about Swimming
#8 Basketball
- Governing body: Myanmar Basketball Federation
Basketball has grown in popularity in Myanmar’s larger cities, played on outdoor courts and through amateur club leagues. Its growth has been concentrated mainly in urban centers such as Yangon and Mandalay.
Compared to soccer or chinlone, basketball’s organized base is smaller and more recent, reflecting urban recreational trends rather than a long cultural history in the country.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#9 Traditional boat racing
Traditional long boat racing is held during seasonal festivals, including celebrations around the end of the Buddhist lent, on rivers and lakes across Myanmar. Village and township teams compete in narrow rowed boats.
The races function as both a sporting and a religious cultural event, drawing spectators along the banks rather than in enclosed stadiums.
#10 Naban wrestling
Naban is a traditional grappling and wrestling style most closely associated with Rakhine State, contested at village and township festivals rather than in a standing national league.
It has a smaller and more regionally concentrated following than sports such as soccer or chinlone, but it remains an active part of local festival culture.
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 in Myanmar?
Myanmar has no sport designated as its official national sport by law. Chinlone is widely described as the country’s traditional national sport because of its cultural status and nationwide reach, but this is a customary designation rather than a legal one.
What are traditional sports in Myanmar?
Chinlone, lethwei, traditional long boat racing, and naban wrestling are among Myanmar’s traditional sports. Chinlone and lethwei both originated in the country and remain part of festival and school culture today.
What is the second most popular sport in Myanmar?
Soccer ranks as the second most prominent sport in Myanmar after chinlone, organized nationally through the Myanmar National League and supported by youth academies and school programs.
What sports are played in Myanmar by children?
Children in Myanmar commonly play chinlone, soccer, sepak takraw, and volleyball, all of which appear in school physical education programs and are played informally in villages and townships with minimal equipment.
What sports are played in Myanmar?
Myanmar’s most prominent sports include chinlone, soccer, lethwei, sepak takraw, volleyball, boxing, swimming, basketball, traditional boat racing, and naban wrestling, ranging from indigenous traditional sports to internationally organized competitive sports.
