Additional sports on the rise in Kuwait include powerboating, handball, field hockey, rugby union, and shooting.
Kuwait is home to many football clubs including Al-Arabi, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Jahra, Al-Kuwait, Al-Naser, Al-Salmiya, Al-Shabab, Al Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk, Kazma, Khaitan, Sulaibikhat, Sahel, and Tadamon.
Kuwait has also been to one FIFA World Cup, in 1982, but didn't win a single match, but tied 1–1 with Czechoslovakia on the first round.
[citation needed] In recent years powerboating has risen in popularity in Kuwait, due in part to the achievements of Kuwaiti Yousef Al Abdulrazzaq, an Aquabike rider competing in Runabout GP1 who became World Champion in 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2020.
[citation needed] For many years, Kuwait was suspended from participating in international sports due to undue government interference and corruption.
Since 2007, Kuwait has been suspended by FIFA three times for "political interference" and were allowed to participate in the 2011 Asian Cup qualifying campaign and other international competitions on a provisional basis.
[6] Contrary to the road map established by FIFA and the AFC, the Al Sabah ruling family continued to interfere in sport elections.
Elections were held on 9 October 2007 in direct violation of the FIFA Executive Committee's May 2007 decision to the contrary.
[8] The suspension was lifted after the federation said it will ratify new statutes to prevent government interference in the sport as demanded by FIFA.
[15] Kuwait tried to get the suspension lifted at the 66th FIFA Congress but this was rejected and therefore from the earlier announcement on 27 April 2016, the hosting of the Arabian Gulf Cup tournament was moved to Qatar.
[20] The Kuwaiti government responded to the Olympics suspension in an official press release: It's totally unacceptable that Kuwait is treated in this unfair way and barred from international sports activities without any appropriate probe being conducted.
From the very beginning Kuwait did it its utmost to prevent the IOC suspension and showed a sincere desire to co-operate, but all to no avail.