Soccer leads Oman, ahead of Handball and Basketball. Ranking of 15 sports.
This page ranks the sports of Oman by the evidence behind each one, because no single Omani body publishes a comparable participation, membership, or licensing count across sports that could be checked in this session, so the ranking below rests on organizational scale, league structure, and public visibility rather than one shared metric.
Soccer is on top, followed by Handball and Basketball. 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 Oman
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 | Oman fields a men’s national team active in AFC qualifying competitions and runs a domestic top division, the Oman Professional League, giving the sport the broadest club and feder |
| 2 | Handball | Oman’s men’s national handball team regularly enters Asian and Arab championship competitions, reflecting a maintained federation and youth pipeline. |
| 3 | Basketball | Oman maintains national men’s and women’s basketball teams that compete in West Asian and Gulf regional tournaments. |
| 4 | Volleyball | Oman enters men’s volleyball teams in Gulf and Asian regional qualifying events on a recurring basis. |
| 5 | Athletics | Oman sends athletes to Asian Athletics Championships and Gulf regional meets, and Muscat hosts road running events open to public participation. |
| 6 | Swimming | Oman sends swimmers to Asian Games and Arab regional swimming championships through its national federation. |
| 7 | Cricket | Oman’s men’s national team qualified for and played at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022, an achievement documented by the International Cricket Council. |
| 8 | Equestrian endurance riding | Oman hosts FEI sanctioned endurance riding events and has fielded riders in international endurance competition for years, with government and royal patronage supporting the sport. |
| 9 | Sailing | Oman Sail is a government backed national program that has run competitive sailing training and hosted international sailing events based in Muscat. |
| 10 | Camel racing | Camel racing is organized through a dedicated national federation and regular meets held at tracks across Oman, drawing spectators from local communities. |
| 11 | Taekwondo | Oman fields competitors in Asian and Arab regional taekwondo championships through its national federation. |
| 12 | Table tennis | Oman enters national teams in Gulf and Arab regional table tennis championships on a recurring basis. |
| 13 | Bodybuilding | Oman sends competitors to Asian and Arab regional bodybuilding championships through a dedicated national federation. |
| 14 | Squash | Oman has hosted regional squash events and fields players in Asian junior and senior championships through its federation. |
| 15 | Cycling | Oman organized the Tour of Oman, a UCI sanctioned multi day professional road race held annually in Muscat and the surrounding region until its later editions. |
Is There a National Sport of Oman?
Oman has no national sport laid down by law or by government decision. No Omani law or royal decree setting an official national sport could be identified from memory this session, so this field is reported as unresolved rather than guessed.
- Soccer. Soccer functions as Oman’s de facto national sport in practice, based on it having the country’s largest federation, the only domestic professional league, and the most followed national team.
#1 Soccer
- Governing body: Oman Football Association
- Top national league: Oman Professional League
- Best known athlete: Ali Al-Habsi. Longtime national team goalkeeper and former captain who played over a decade in England’s top divisions for Bolton Wanderers, Wigan Athletic and Reading, the best known Omani footballer internationally
Soccer holds the largest organized following in Oman, built around a men’s national team that competes in AFC World Cup qualifying and Gulf regional tournaments. The domestic top flight, the Oman Professional League, gives clubs from Muscat, Seeb, and other cities a regular competitive structure.
The sport’s highest profile figure remains Ali Al-Habsi, a goalkeeper who spent years playing in England before returning to lead the national side, and whose career is widely cited as the clearest example of an Omani player reaching a major European league.
Latest Posts about Soccer
#2 Handball
- Governing body: Oman Handball Association
Handball is one of the more established team sports in Oman outside soccer, with a men’s national side that takes part in Asian and Arab regional championships on a recurring basis.
The sport draws support through school and club programs in Muscat and other governorates, though public visibility stays well below that of soccer.
Latest Posts about Handball
#3 Basketball
- Governing body: Oman Basketball Association
Basketball has a steady following in Oman, supported by a national federation that fields both men’s and women’s teams in regional competition.
Club play is concentrated in Muscat, with school leagues serving as the main entry point for younger players.
Latest Posts about Basketball
#4 Volleyball
- Governing body: Oman Volleyball Association
Volleyball is played at club and school level across Oman, with a national team that appears in Gulf Cooperation Council and Asian regional qualifiers.
The sport does not have the stadium draw of soccer but keeps a consistent competitive calendar through its federation.
Latest Posts about Volleyball
#5 Athletics
- Governing body: Oman Athletics Association
Track and field in Oman spans both a competitive federation program and a growing public road running scene, with organized runs held in Muscat drawing broad participation beyond registered athletes.
National team athletes compete at Asian and Gulf regional championships, though Oman has not been a frequent medal contender at that level.
Latest Posts about Athletics
#6 Swimming
- Governing body: Oman Swimming Association
Swimming is organized through school and club programs feeding into a national federation that sends competitors to Asian and Arab regional championships.
Oman’s long coastline supports informal recreational swimming alongside the competitive pool based side of the sport.
Latest Posts about Swimming
#7 Cricket
- Governing body: Oman Cricket
- Best known athlete: Zeeshan Maqsood. Captained Oman’s national team through its qualification for and appearances at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022, the sport’s highest profile moment for the country
Cricket has a large organized base among Oman’s South Asian expatriate community, and the men’s national team reached the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in both 2021 and 2022, the country’s highest profile result in any team sport during that period.
Muscat hosts international matches at dedicated cricket grounds, and the sport’s growth has been driven largely by resident communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
#8 Equestrian endurance riding
- Governing body: Oman Equestrian Federation
Endurance riding carries cultural weight in Oman beyond its competitive scale, supported by government and royal patronage and hosted through internationally sanctioned events under the Federation Equestre Internationale.
The sport connects to a longstanding Omani tradition of horsemanship, distinct from the country’s newer team sports.
#9 Sailing
- Governing body: Oman Sail
Sailing is promoted in Oman through Oman Sail, a national program set up to develop competitive sailors and host international racing based out of Muscat’s coastline.
The sport draws on Oman’s maritime history and has served as a platform for young Omani sailors to enter international competition.
Latest Posts about Sailing
#10 Camel racing
- Governing body: Oman Camel Racing Federation
Camel racing remains a widely attended traditional sport in Oman, run through a national federation that organizes meets at tracks in several regions of the country.
The sport is tied closely to Bedouin heritage and continues alongside Oman’s newer, internationally oriented sports.
#11 Taekwondo
- Governing body: Oman Taekwondo Association
Taekwondo is one of the more active combat sports in Oman, with a national federation sending competitors to Asian and Arab regional championships.
Club participation is concentrated in Muscat and grows mainly through youth and school programs.
Latest Posts about Taekwondo
#12 Table tennis
- Governing body: Oman Table Tennis Association
Table tennis has a modest but consistent competitive scene in Oman, run through a national federation that takes part in Gulf and Arab regional championships.
The sport is played mainly at club and school level rather than through a professional league.
Latest Posts about Table Tennis
#13 Bodybuilding
- Governing body: Oman Bodybuilding and Physical Fitness Federation
Bodybuilding and physical fitness competition has an organized federation presence in Oman, with competitors entered in Asian and Arab regional events.
Gym based training for the sport has grown alongside general fitness culture in Muscat and other urban centers.
#14 Squash
- Governing body: Oman Squash Association
Squash is played through a small but organized club circuit in Oman, with the national federation entering players in Asian regional junior and senior events.
Facilities for the sport are concentrated in Muscat, largely through sports clubs and hotel venues.
Latest Posts about Squash
#15 Cycling
- Governing body: Oman Cycling Association
Competitive cycling in Oman is best known through the Tour of Oman, a multi day professional stage race sanctioned by the UCI that brought international teams to race across the country’s roads and mountains.
Recreational cycling has grown in Muscat alongside the event, though club membership numbers are not published by the national federation.
Latest Posts about Cycling
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 the most popular sports in Oman?
Soccer is the most widely followed sport in Oman, organized through the Oman Football Association and the domestic Oman Professional League. Handball, basketball, volleyball, athletics, and cricket also have active national federations and regular regional competition, with cricket in particular supported by Oman’s South Asian expatriate community.
What is the national sport of Oman?
No law or royal decree establishing an official national sport for Oman could be confirmed. In practice, soccer functions as the de facto national sport, given its federation size, domestic league, and the national team’s public profile.
What do people in Oman like to do for fun, like sports?
Beyond organized federation sports such as soccer, handball, and cricket, Omanis take part in traditional activities including camel racing and equestrian endurance riding, both run through dedicated national federations. Coastal recreation such as swimming and sailing is also common, supported by programs like Oman Sail.
What sports is Oman known for internationally?
Oman is best known internationally for cricket, after its men’s team qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2022 under captain Zeeshan Maqsood. The Tour of Oman, a UCI sanctioned professional cycling stage race, and Oman Sail’s international sailing program have also brought the country visibility in individual sports.
Which sports federations are active in Oman?
Oman has active national federations for soccer, handball, basketball, volleyball, athletics, swimming, cricket, equestrian sports, sailing, camel racing, taekwondo, table tennis, bodybuilding, squash, and cycling, most of which compete in Asian or Arab regional championships.
