Sport in Catalonia
The main sports in Catalonia are football, basketball, handball, rink hockey, tennis, and motorsport.
Football is considered the most important sport in Catalonia and was introduced in the late 19th century by a combination of British immigrant workers, visiting sailors and students returning from Britain.
Basketball was played for the first time in Catalonia in 1913, in the school Vallparadís of Terrassa, encouraged by Alexandre Galí and Artur Martorell.
After the First World War the Frenchman Emile Tiberghien incorporated the basketball in his gym in Barcelona.
Despite these early experiences, it is commonly accepted that basketball was introduced in Catalonia in 1922 by Father Eusebi Millan when organized the first team in the School "Escoles Pies de St. Anton" in Barcelona.
In those days, basketball was developed mainly through the educational centers and associations of popular and Catholic character.
On 15 April 1923 began the first Catalan Basketball Championship that was played until 1957 (except the period of the Civil War).
In 1997 was replaced by the Pirenees league adding teams from the south of France and the coorganization of the Ligue Languedoc Roussillon.
BM Granollers is the other historical Catalan handball club that plays in the Liga ASOBAL.
The most successful teams are FC Barcelona, with 19 European League Championships, Reus Deportiu with 7 and Igualada HC with 6.
This sport's widespread popularity and the existence of top-level competitive teams in Catalonia (such as FC Barcelona and Reus Deportiu) prompted the Organizing Committee to suggest its inclusion in the Olympic programme.
In 2004 the Federació Catalana de Patinatge was admitted by the International Roller Sports Federation (FIRS) as a provisional member, and as such it took part in the 2004 Rink Hockey World Championship B in Macau.
But in the following FIRS congress, in Fresno, the official recognition was revoked because of the opposition of the Spanish federation, in an assembly full of irregularities as the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled.
A new assembly was thus held in Rome, as the CAS verdict had decided, and Catalonia's application was rejected again.
[11] Motorsport has a long tradition in Catalonia involving many people, with some world champions and several competitions organized since the beginning of the 20th century.
Also of note is the Montjuïc street circuit which regularly hosted the Spanish F1 and motorcycle Grands Prix up to the 1970s.
[18] Pitch and putt is played in Catalonia since the "1980s" when Martin Withelaw build a course in Solius (Santa Cristina d'Aro, Girona).
[25] And it's also managed by Catalonia Football Federation (FCF) for the teams that play the FIFA game.
Catalonia men's national team has played five times the UEFS European Championships, reaching the second place in 2006, and twice in AMF Futsal World Cup, in 2007 and 2011.
[29] Catalonia national team played their first competition in 2009, the RLEF Euro Med Challenge, with Morocco[30] and Belgium.
In 1911 the first edition of Volta a Catalunya was held, making it the third oldest cycling stage race in the world, behind only the Tour de France (1903) and the Giro d'Italia (1909).
Other important races in Catalonia are the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme (1963) and Escalada a Montjuïc (1965).
Rugby union was introduced in Southern Catalonia in 1921, when Baldiri Aleu i Torres founded the Unió Esportiva Santboiana.
In Southern Catalonia UE Santboiana, who have won the Spanish championship seven times, and FC Barcelona, are the best Catalan rugby union teams that compete in the División de Honor.
Swimming was introduced in Catalonia by Bernat Picornell, founder of Club Natació Barcelona in 1907.
In 1908 this club organized the first Copa Nadal swimming race in the Barcelona Harbour and the first water polo match.
In 1907, alumni of the Ateneu Calasanç in Terrassa began playing field hockey, a sport that already practiced the English people living in Catalonia, and founded the Lawn Hoquei Club Calassanç in 1911.
