Is wrestling the most popular sport anywhere in the world?

[irani 824]

I would argue, that Juybar, Mazandaran is the winner

Some data

• Population of around 30k
• Have produced a few world medalists and champions, including
  • Hassan Yazdani
  • Reza Yazdani
  • Komeil Ghasemi
  • Masoud Esmaeilpour
  • Mehdi Hajizadeh
• The main square in the small city is called the wrestling square!  Picture below

Edited August 24, 2021 by irani

[gowrestle 697]

On 8/22/2021 at 10:01 PM, gimpeltf said:

I suspect most of the Former Soviet Block countries (which include Eastern Europe) are/were setup to train people in what would show to be their best sport- not by the athletes choice necessarily. They started training in futbol at an early age to develop motor skills and then it was determined what sport fit them best. So I would still guess that futbol would be the most popular even if not the best from a country-wide skill standpoint. Everyone played.

In the former Soviet Union, the government used sport as a way proving the superiority of communism. Once a youth was identified as a gifted athlete in a given sport, the entire educational program for that youth evolved around athletic development. Aside from developing some good athletes (at a considerable cost to the athlete) communism was a complete failure. The Soviet Union was a third world country with a bomb. 

[Katie 1,076]

16 minutes ago, gowrestle said:

In the former Soviet Union, the government used sport as a way proving the superiority of communism. Once a youth was identified as a gifted athlete in a given sport, the entire educational program for that youth evolved around athletic development. Aside from developing some good athletes (at a considerable cost to the athlete) communism was a complete failure. The Soviet Union was a third world country with a bomb. 

The term “third world” used to describe countries that were not aligned with either NATO (including the US) or the Warsaw Pact (including the USSR).  So the USSR could not have been a third world country. 

[gimpeltf 2,085]

19 minutes ago, Katie said:

The term “third world” used to describe countries that were not aligned with either NATO (including the US) or the Warsaw Pact (including the USSR).  So the USSR could not have been a third world country. 

Not by the very old and original definitions. But most people currently use the term to describe countries that are poorly economically developed.

[lu_alum 924]

On 8/23/2021 at 7:41 AM, jchapman said:

San Marino

This was the first year San Marino has won a medal in an Olympiad (1 silver, 2 bronze).  They earned more medals in trap shooting than wrestling in Tokyo.

Prior to the Tokyo games, San Marino has had 93 Olympians, only one of which was for wrestling (in 1960).

[Katie 1,076]

46 minutes ago, gimpeltf said:

Not by the very old and original definitions. But most people currently use the term to describe countries that are poorly economically developed.

By definition, it makes no sense to say that the USSR was a third world country. It was a second world country.

I suspect that when people use the term “third world” today, they actually often mean something like “developing country.”

[gimpeltf 2,085]

Just now, Katie said:

By definition, it makes no sense to say that the USSR was a third world country. It was a second world country.

I suspect that when people use the term “third world” today, they actually often mean something like “developing country.”

Again, by original definition not current general usage.

[Katie 1,076]

Just now, gimpeltf said:

Again, by original definition not current general usage.

I don’t know anyone who uses the term “third world.”  Is that something uneducated people still say?

Regardless, saying that the USSR was a third world country is like saying 2+2=3.  It’s incorrect no matter how many people say otherwise.

[gimpeltf 2,085]

1 minute ago, Katie said:

I don’t know anyone who uses the term “third world.”  Is that something uneducated people still say?

Regardless, saying that the USSR was a third world country is like saying 2+2=3.  It’s incorrect no matter how many people say otherwise.

I don't know anyone that uses the original definition other than you.

[Katie 1,076]

2 minutes ago, gimpeltf said:

I don't know anyone that uses the original definition other than you.

I hope you can find better educated friends. 

[LJB 2,093]

pretentious...

 

[cjc007 774]

I hope you can find better educated friends. 

...he's a lehigh guy, so watch out buster.

... they're big brained.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

[Silhouette94 29]

On 8/23/2021 at 3:49 PM, Housebuye said:

Judo and Sambo are popular too, but I think many start in wrestling and then migrate to other sports 

Sambo is pretty popular in Dagestan, and Judo maybe on the rise in Ossetia (due to Madina Taimazova's bronze medal), but they are both much stronger in wrestling than they are in Judo/Sambo.

[Plasmodium 2,307]

So, Mongolia is still the only one in the running? 

[TripNSweep 795]

Dagestan?

[Plasmodium 2,307]

7 hours ago, TripNSweep said:

Dagestan?

I'm thinking of countries, Dagestan is not a country.  Neither is Mazandaran.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Plasmodium

[HawkY 112]

1 hour ago, Plasmodium said:

I'm thinking of countries, Dagestan is not a country.  Neither is Mazandaran.

Georgia maybe. Not crazy about soccer and have been great at wrestling for decades consistently. 

[nhs67 2,101]

1 hour ago, Plasmodium said:

I'm thinking of countries, Dagestan is not a country.  Neither is Mazandaran.

I think OP referred to 'regions' though, didn't it?  Specific regions would work, then.

[Plasmodium 2,307]

2 hours ago, nhs67 said:

I think OP referred to 'regions' though, didn't it?  Specific regions would work, then.

Right on both counts.

[jp157 551]

It depends on whether you look at it from macro or micro level

While not the most popular. There are regions and local schools with coaches that have actually done the work. They’ve promoted, marketed, and built up a following and support. 

They work hard get good to great attendance, and the sport is supported. 

Thing is. It’s hard. You have to hustle. You have to take time to do things like emailing staff how the kids did and whatnot. 

On the macro level. People do realize that college football and basketball didn’t magically Become media and cultural juggernauts. There were strategic decisions made. Their people went into admin and “played politics”. It’s why it’s quite irritating when people just say wrestling will always be a niche sport.

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,067]

not quite the answer to the OP but I looked at the top wrestling states and how Football, Basketball and Wrestling compared based on Google Trends back in 2015. I doubt the trends of changed much since then. link to old blog post. spoiler: wrestling is most popular relatively in Iowa for states. Johnstown-Altoona in PA though was the metro area where it was the most popular.

Edit: found another old blog post supporting Iowa as the state where wrestling is the most popular. 

Wrestling may be the most popular in Mongolia if you include all forms of wrestling like their traditional belt style, Sumo, etc. everywhere else i think you have to go to regions and even then I think soccer or something else would would end up being most popular. 

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by Jaroslav Hasek

[flyingcement 917]

Take a look at the packed house for this old gem of a matchup.  On the contrary, down in Delaware, we would have a handful of folks in the stands (mostly our parents)

[gimpeltf 2,085]

Referee is Mike Bateman from across the river in Pburg.

[grappler111 11]

Judo and Sambo are popular too, but I think many start in wrestling and then migrate to other sports 

Pankration is another WRESTLING style very popular in Dagestan and other republics.

The Russian wrestling federation help the development of Pankration and Grappling.

 

 

 

[fadzaev2 549]

On 8/22/2021 at 9:51 PM, dmm53 said:

According to this website at least, it's the most popular in these countries:  

http://chartsbin.com/view/33104

Bahrain	Wrestling
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Wrestling
Ecuador	Wrestling
Lebanon	Wrestling
Oman	Wrestling
Trinidad and Tobago	Wrestling

I question this source as well, especially when you combine boxing with wrestling????  The above countries aren't even good at wrestling.