"De Facto" National Sports Trivia Quiz

Answer: Turkey

Oil wrestling, also called grease wrestling, is the national sport of Turkey. With roots going all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia and Greece, oil wrestling was so named because the wrestlers covered themselves in olive oil. Wearing leather trousers called a kisbet, the wrestler, or pehlivan, attempts to best his opponent.

This can be done in a variety of ways, such as pinning his opponent, carrying him for five steps or simply "exposing his navel to heaven". In ancient times, these contests had no time limit, but today the match lasts 30-40 minutes, depending on the status of the wrestlers.

Answer: Bhutan

Important for centuries in Bhutan as not only a weapon of war, but also a hunting tool, archery was named the national sport in 1971. Traditionally a male-dominated sport, women are allowed to watch, cheer on their men, and bring their best dishes of food and drink to the matches, which the men then pass along to other participants and match officials. Archery tournaments, popular events during holidays and festivals for the local people, also attract the attention of tourists visiting Bhutan.

Answer: Iceland

In Iceland, the sport of handball is governed by the Icelandic Handball Association. The organization not only manages handball leagues for both men and women who belong to popular handball clubs, but also orchestrates the Icelandic Cup competition, which is for men and women.

While the women's team has never made to the Olympics, the men's won a silver medal in the 2008 summer games in Beijing.

Answer: South Korea

Although martial arts were practiced in Korea as early as the first century AD, over time they became more commonly used in the military than among the ordinary population. Taekwondo schools were re-established in Seoul, Korea, after WWII by martial artists who had studied the sport in Japan.

After watching a display in 1952, then President Syngman Rhee suggested a merging of all the styles he saw into one Korean style of martial arts; in 1959 the Korea Taekwondo Association was established to oversee the suggested union.

Although all Taekwondo clubs may be different in practice, they do mainly focus on forms, sparring, and breaking.

Answer: Venezuela

It is believed that the presence of U.S. oil companies in Venezuela paved the way for baseball to become the "de facto" sport there. Established in the 1940s, the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League is a winter league comprised of Venezuelan clubs, while teams in the the Venezuelan Summer League, founded in the 1990s, are allied with Major League Baseball clubs in the United States.

Answer: Russia

Considered by many to be the second most popular winter sport after ice hockey, a game which is the predecessor to bandy has been played in Russia since the 900s; a modern version appears to have surfaced in Russia in the 1700s. While the name "bandy" is believed to have originated in England, the game itself is known as "Russian hockey". Considered to be a blending of the games of association football, ice hockey and field hockey, bandy is played with teams of eleven for two 45-minutes halves on ice, using small curved sticks and a ball.

Answer: Malaysia

A form of kick volleyball, participants in the game of sepak takraw use a rattan ball, which they may only touch with their feet, knuckles, chest, and head. Dating back to the 15th century, the game is known by different names in other countries, such as takraw in Thailand. Sepak takraw is a very popular sport throughout Southeast Adia, and is played in both the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games.

Answer: Romania

Popular since the 1300s in what is present-day Romania, oină has been part of the physical education program of Romanian schools since 1899. Like baseball in the use of a similar-sized ball, but with a longer and more narrow bat, oină also compares to lapta, which is a Russian ball and bat game.

Answer: Norway

Used for centuries as a form of transportation in Scandinavian countries, cross-country skiing was compared to the use of light cavalry by a 13th century writer. Contests were organized in the 1700s for Norwegian Army units, that included racing downhill among trees, (Yikes!) long distance racing in full military gear, and target shooting while skiing. Skiers would only use one pole, as the use of two poles, viewed with disdain, was called "Finnish skiing".

Answer: Jamaica

A popular game in many Caribbran nations, the origins of cricket have been traced back to 16th century England. Although it is believed to have first been a child's game, cricket eventually became a high stakes game for adults. Played on a field by two teams of eleven players using a bat and ball, the object of the game of cricket is to score (or prevent the opponent from scoring) as many runs as possible.