Sport in Yemen
Camel Jumping is the traditional sport in Yemen. Literally, one must jump over camels. And it’s not just one camel we’re discussing here; it’s a row of camels. The one who leaps over the most number of camels is considered the winner. This is the traditional sport of Yemen and local celebrations aren’t complete without it. Now, with modernization, this sport has been gradually forgotten and the men of the Zaraniq tribe are left in to relive Yemen’s very own, unique, and traditional sport.
However, along with the new generation, Yemenis have come to love football, and it is now the most popular sport in the country. The sport is run by the Yemen Football Association that administers the Yemen National Football team, as well as the Yemeni League. Unfortunately, its national team has never won a championship. The country even hosted the 2010 Gulf Cup of Nations in Aden but still did not snag the top prize.
Ali Al-Nono was named to be the best Yemeni footballer for his exceptional skills and plays as a striker for Al-Ahli San’a. Why not, he is just the captain of Yemen National Football team and the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Yemeni League. Yemen has only joined the Summer Olympic Games since 1992. Unfortunately, they have never won any medals.
Camel Jumping in Yemen. Still image from the Camel Jumping VideoBelow are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Yemen. Is there something missing? If you know of something that should be listed here, please let us know.
Popular sports of Yemen
- football (soccer), boxing, mountain climbing, surfing
Traditional or Regional Sports
- Camel Jumping — the objective of the sport is to clean jump a group of camels that are stacked together horizontally.
Yemen Sporting Success
Great athletes from Yemen
- Naseem Hamed (boxing)
- Ali Al- Nono (football)
Yemen Sports trivia
- South Yemen made its debut at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988. Sending only eight athletes, the country won no medals. This was the only time the country went to the Olympics until unification in 1990.
Yemen at major events
- About Aden and South Arabia at the Commonwealth Games.
- Yemen at the Summer Olympics. Also South Yemen and North Yemen at the Olympics.
Past sporting events hosted in Yemen
- 2010 - Gulf Cup of Nations in Aden and Abyan (football)
Upcoming sporting events in Yemen
Annual sporting events held in Yemen
Sporting Facilities in Yemen
- Altawra Sports City Stadium - a multi-purpose stadium in San'a', Yemen
- 22 May Stadium- a multi-purpose stadium in Aden, Yemen
Related Pages
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
Current Events