Sport in Algeria dates back to antiquity. In the

Aurès Mountains The Aures Mountains ( ar, جبال الأوراس) are an eastern prolongation of the Atlas Mountain System that lies to the east of the Saharan Atlas in northeastern Algeria and northwestern Tunisia, North Africa. The mountain range gives its na ...

, people played games such as El Kherdba or El khergueba (a

chess Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to dist ...

variant). Playing cards,

checkers Checkers (American English), also known as draughts (; British English), is a group of strategy board games for two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform game pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over opponent pieces. Checkers ...

and chess games are part of Algerian culture. Horse racing (

fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...

) and

rifle shooting Shooting sports is a group of competitive and recreational sporting activities involving proficiency tests of accuracy, precision and speed in shooting — the art of using ranged weapons, mainly small arms (firearms and airguns, in forms such as ...

are among the recreational traditions of Algeria. The first Algerian, Arab, and African gold medalist was

Boughera El Ouafi Ahmed Boughèra El Ouafi ( ar, أحمد بوقرة الوافي; 15 October 1898 – 18 October 1959) was an Algerian athlete during the time of the French occupation of Algeria. In 1928, he won the Olympic gold medal in the marathon. Biog ...

in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

at the 1928 Olympics of Amsterdam. The second Algerian medalist was marathon runner

Alain Mimoun Alain Mimoun, born Ali Mimoun Ould Kacha (1 January 1921 – 27 June 2013), was an Algerian-born French long-distance runner who competed in track events, cross-country running and the marathon. He was the 1956 Olympic champion in the marathon. ...

, who won the marathon at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, w ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

. The

Ministry of Youth and Sports A Ministry of Sports or Ministry of Youth and Sports is a kind of government ministry found in certain countries with responsibility for the regulation of sports, particularly those participated in by young people. The Ministry of Youth and Sp ...

in Algeria manages sport-related activities.

Popular sports

Football

The most convenient and the most popular sport in Algeria is

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

. During the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

, the FLN football team (Le Onze de l'indépendance), consisting of players who later joined the National Liberation Front (FLN) (an Algerian independence movement), participated in several tournaments and sports events. The

Algerian Football Federation The Algerian Football Federation (AFF); ( ar, الاتحادية الجزائرية لكرة القدم) is the governing body of football in Algeria. It was formed in 1962 and was based in the capital Algiers. It has jurisdiction on the Algerian ...

(AFF) is an association of Algerian football clubs that organizes national competitions and international matches for the

Algeria national football team The Algeria national football team ( ar, منتخب الجزائر لكرة القدم) represents Algeria in men's international football and is governed by the Algerian Football Federation. The team plays their home matches at the 5 July Sta ...

. The AFF organized the meetings of the Algeria Championship of football, a professional league of 16 clubs, the

Algerian Cup The Algerian Cup ( ar, كأس الجزائر) also known the Republic Cup ( ar, كأس الجمهورية), is a football competition in Algeria, pitting regional teams against each other. It was established in October 1962, three months after in ...

, and is also a member of the

Confederation of African Football The Confederation of African Football, or CAF for short (french: link=yes, Confédération Africaine de Football, ar, link=yes, الاتحاد الأفريقي لكرة القدم, al-Ittiḥād al-Afrīqī li-Kurat al-Qadam), is the administ ...

. Notable Algerian players in the history of the sport include:

Lakhdar Belloumi Lakhdar Belloumi ( ar, لخضر بلومي; born on 29 December 1958) is an Algerian former football player and manager. He is widely considered as the best Algerian player of all time and one of the best players in Africa. He is said to have inv ...

Rachid Mekhloufi Rachid Mekhloufi ( ar, رشيد مخلوفي; born 12 August 1936 in Sétif, French Algeria) is a French-Algerian former football striker. He later became a manager and coached the Algeria national football team. International career In the ...

, Hassen Lalmas, Rabah Madjer, Salah Assad and

Djamel Zidane Djamel Zidane (born 28 April 1955) is an Algerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played in two World Cups. He appeared for the Algeria national team at the 1982 World Cup and at the 1986 World Cup, in which he scored ...

. The Algerian national team qualified for the

FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament has ...

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

and most recently

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wa ...

. In 1982, the national team came close to progressing into the second round, but was eliminated after Germany beat Austria in the so-called " non-aggression pact of Gijón". In 2014 Algeria proceeded to the

Round of 16 A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...

for the first time after finishing in second place in

Group H Group H may refer to: * A set of international motor racing regulations used in touring car racing * One of eight groups of four teams competing at the FIFA World Cup ** 2022 FIFA World Cup Group H ** 2018 FIFA World Cup Group H ** 2014 FIFA Worl ...

. Additionally, several football clubs have won continental and international trophies, such as the clubs

ES Sétif Entente Sportive Sétifienne ( ar, الوفاق الرياضي السطايفي), known as Entente de Sétif, commonly referred to as ES Sétif or ESS for short, is an Algerian professional football club based in Sétif. The club was founded in ...

and

JS Kabylia Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie (in ar, شبيبة القبائل), ( Kabyle: Ilemẓiyen inaddalen n leqbayel, In Tamazight: ⵉⵍⵎⵣⵢⵏ ⵉⵏⴰⴷⴰⵍⴻⵏ ⵏ ⵍⵇⵠⴰⵢⵍ), known as JS Kabylie or JSK, is an Algerian professi ...

Handball

Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

is the second most popular spectator and participation sport in Algeria. Algeria's national handball team has seven titles at the Men's African Championship, four gold medals at the

African Games The African Games, formally known as the All-Africa Games or the Pan African Games, are a continental multi-sport event held every four years, organized by the African Union (AU) with the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (A ...

and many other titles with many participations in the

World Men's Handball Championship The IHF Men's Handball World Championship has been organized indoor by the International Handball Federation since 1938. In the twenty-seven tournaments held, eleven nations have won the title. France is the most successful team with six titl ...

and in the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

. The national clubs are also strong and win many international titles. Algeria, along with Tunisia, is one of the best African male

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

teams. The men's national handball team has won several titles including in the African Championship in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1996 and 2014. The women's national handball team has also triumphed in the tournaments of the African Championship and the Pan Arab games.

Athletics

Algeria has a strong reputation in

middle-distance running Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 1 ...

(800m, 1500m, 5000m); it has had many winners in the IAAF World Championships and gold medals in the

. Several men and women have been champions in athletics since the 1990s including Noureddine Morceli,

Hassiba Boulmerka Hassiba Boulmerka ( ar, حسيبة بولمرقة, born 10 July 1968) is a former Algerian middle distance athlete. Career Born in Constantine, Boulmerka started running seriously at the age of ten, specializing in the 800 a ...

, Nouria Mérah-Benida, and

Taoufik Makhloufi Taoufik Makhloufi ( ar, توفيق مخلوفي; born 29 April 1988) is an Algerian athlete who specialises in middle-distance running. He became the 1500 metres Olympic champion at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England. In 2016, Makhloufi ...

— all specialists in middle-distance running.

Boxing

Algeria has had many African and world champions in boxing, and has won many medals in boxing at the

. The country's boxing champions have included Mustapha Moussa,

Mohamed Bouchiche Mohamed Bouchiche ( ar, محمد بوشيش; born February 24, 1962 in Oran) is an Algerian former boxer who fought in the heavyweight division. He participated for two times at the olympic games 1980 and 1984. He won many national and internati ...

, Mohamed Benguesmia,

Loucif Hamani Loucif Hamani (15 May 1950 – 9 November 2021) was an Algerian boxer who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in the light-middleweight event where he reached the quarter finals before losing to Alan Minter of Great Britain. Earlier, Ham ...

, and

Hocine Soltani Hocine Soltani (December 1972 – March 2002) was an Algerian boxer, who won two Olympic medals. In 1992, the southpaw placed third in the featherweight division (54–57 kg), and at the 1996 Summer Olympics he won the gold medal in the l ...

, the Olympic champion in Atlanta 1996.

Cycling

Notable cyclists from Algeria have included Abdelkader Merabet,

Hichem Chaabane Hichem Chaabane ( ar, هشام شعبان; born 10 August 1988 in Blida) is an Algerian former professional road cyclist. He represented his nation Algeria at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Career Riding for , Chaabane qualified for the Algerian squad ...

, Redouane Chabaane, Abdel Basset Hannachi,

Azzedine Lagab Azzedine Lagab (born 18 September 1986) is an Algerian road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . During his career he won medals in Algerian national championships, in African and Arab cycling championships as well as a ...

, Eddy Lembo and

Youcef Reguigui Youcef Reguigui (born 9 January 1990) is an Algerian road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Continental team . He began his professional career with the African team in 2013. His first professional win came in 2014 at the 2.1-ranked ...

Martial arts

Algeria has had tens of thousands of Vovinam practitioners, some of whom competed in the World Championship of 2011 in

Ho Chi Minh City , population_density_km2 = 4,292 , population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2 , population_demonym = Saigonese , blank_name = GRP (Nominal) , blank_info = 2019 , blank1_name = – Total , blank1_ ...

. In judo,

Amar Benikhlef Amar Benikhlef (born 11 January 1982) is an Algerian judoka who competed in the middleweight division. He won the silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. In September 2021, Benikhlef was suspended for 10 years, until July 2031. Bi ...

and Ali Idir have won the

African Judo Championships African Judo Championships is a continental judo championship organized by the African Judo Union. The 1965, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2007 editions were held during the respective African Games The African Games, formally known as the All ...

several times in their categories. Several women including

Soraya Haddad Soraya Haddad (born 30 September 1984) is an Algerian judoka. She won abronze medal in the 52 kg weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She has been the African champion five times: 2004, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2012, and also a bronze me ...

and

Salima Souakri Salima Souakri (born 6 December 1974) is an Algerian judoka who competed at four Olympic Games. She finished in joint fifth place in the extra-lightweight (48 kg) division at the 1996 Summer Olympics, having lost the bronze medal match to ...

have won medals at the African Championship of Nations of Women's Judo and at the Olympic Games.

Volleyball

Algeria's volleyball team qualified to the

2010 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship The 2010 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship was held in Italy from 25 September to 10 October 2010. The tournament featured 24 teams to determine the world champions in men's volleyball. In addition to 2006 champion Brazil and host nation ...

. They have won titles in several international competitions in the past.

Basketball

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

is another important sport in Algeria; however, the country has won few international titles.

Other sports

Freestyle swimmer and African and Arabic champion Salim Iles competed in the 2004 Olympics. Another growing sport in Algeria is

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

. The Algeria national rugby team played their first official game on 18 December 2015 since the creation of the Algerian Rugby Federation. The match was played against the Tunisian rugby union team, to which they won 16–6. This was also the first international match played on Algerian soil (Oran), which was televised on the Algerian channel Canal Algérie in the country for the first time. Ice Hockey in Algeria is governed by

Hockey Algeria Hockey Algeria is the public name of the authority which governs both ice hockey, inline hockey and ball hockey in Algeria. Hockey Algeria was founded in 2008 by Karim Kerbouche, Harond Litim and Nassim Boulakdem and was later accepted into the ...

who became members of the

IIHF The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 m ...

in 2019.

Major sport events hosted

* 1960 World Military Cup ''(

French Algeria French Algeria (french: Alger to 1839, then afterwards; unofficially , ar, الجزائر المستعمرة), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of French colonisation of Algeria. French rule in the region began in 1830 with the ...

)'' *

1975 Mediterranean Games The 1975 Mediterranean Games, officially known as the VII Mediterranean Games, and commonly known as Algiers 1975, were the 7th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Algiers, Algeria, from 23 August to 6 September 1975, where 2,444 athletes ...

1978 All-Africa Games The 3rd All-Africa Games – Algiers 1978 was a multi-sport event played from July 13, 1978, to July 28, 1978, in Algiers, Algeria. 45 countries from 49 independent African countries participated in twelve sports. At the closing ceremonies the t ...

1990 African Cup of Nations The 1990 African Cup of Nations was the 17th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa ( CAF). It was hosted by Algeria. Just like in 1988, the field of eight teams was split into two groups of four. Algeria won i ...

2004 Pan Arab Games The 10th Pan Arab Games was an international multi-sport event which took place in Algiers, Algeria, between 24 September and 10 October 2004. It witnessed the participation of all Arab League members for the first time – 22 countries participate ...

* 2005 Volleyball U19 World Championship * World Cup Vovinam VietVoDao 2006 *

2007 All-Africa Games The 9th All-Africa Games took place between 11 and 23 July 2007 in Algiers, the capital city of Algeria. Algiers is the first city to hold All-Africa Games for a second time. The 1978 All-Africa Games were held there. Besides Algeria, only Niger ...

* Vovinam World Championship 2015 *

2022 Mediterranean Games The 2022 Mediterranean Games ( ar, ألعاب البحر الأبيض المتوسط 2022, links=, lit=, translit=ʾAlʿāb al-Baḥr al-ʾAbyaḍ al-Mutawassiṭ 2022), officially known as the XIX Mediterranean Games and commonly known as Oran ...

2022 Vocotruyen World Championship The 2022 Vocotruyen World Championships was the 3rd Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts World Championship, held in Algiers, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , i ...

2022 African Nations Championship The 2022 African Nations Championship, known as CHAN 2022 for short and/or the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship for sponsorship purposes, will be the 7th edition of the biennial association football tournament organized by the Confed ...

Best athletes of the year

Below the list of the Best Awards sounding of athletes of the year organized by the

Algeria Press Service Algeria Press Service (APS; french: Algérie Presse Service, links=, lit=, translit=, label=; ar, وكالة الأنباء الجزائرية, links=, lit=, translit=Wakālat al-’Anbā’ al-Jazā’iriyyah; ber, ⵜⴰⵡⴰⴽⵍⴰ � ...

(APS) since 1977, in collaboration with the national press.

Best athletes of the year

Below the list of the Best Awards sounding of athletes of the year organized by the ''Al Fadjr'' since 2020, in collaboration with the national press.

References

External links

Official website of the Ministry of Youth and Sport
{{Sports governing bodies in Algeria

Popular sports

Football

Handball

Athletics

Boxing

Cycling

Martial arts

Volleyball

Basketball

Other sports

Major sport events hosted

Best athletes of the year

Best athletes of the year

See also

References

External links