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Both men's and women's teams in football have managed to reach various levels domestically and internationally across the Central African countries. But while football is, without a doubt, one of the most popular sports in Central Africa, there are a number of other options there too. In fact, not only are some other sports popular, but the countries in Central Africa are also considered good at them, competing on the international stage to various degrees of success. Some of these other sports include basketball, rugby, athletics such as track and field, and boxing. Let's have a look at them in more detail.
One of the most popular sports within the Central African region is running. Many countries in the area are well-known for their track and field abilities, notably some in long-distance races. In the Central African Republic (CAR), there's Franck Elemba, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 400m. There are more recent success stories, too. Berganger-Aymard Bossee competed in the 2007 World Championships and the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics in the 100 metres. He's never taken home a medal, but has made it through a few rounds within each of these competitions. Mireille Derebona is a middle-distance runner, specializing in the 800 metres. She competed in the 2007 World Championships too, as well as the 2008 Summer Olympics. Sadly, despite being the flag bearer for CAR, she was disqualified from her heat and could not even compete for a medal.
It's not all about running, though, for there have been other successes in athletics from countries in this region. Cameroon has had success in the triple jump, for instance. Impressively, Mbango Etone became the first female Cameroonian to win a gold medal when she claimed the victory in the 2004 Olympic Games.
The Central African Republic is also rather successful in boxing as well. There have been several world champions from the country, one of whom was a former WBA super featherweight champion, Gervonta Davis. Outside of boxing, but still in the ring, the country has also been successful when it comes to wrestling, and judo. The latter sport has seen various medals in competitions, both domestic and international and encourages more options when it comes to sport betting.
Another country in the centre of Africa that's had some solid success in boxing is Cameroon. The country debuted at the Olympics in the sport back in 1964. Following this, Joseph Bessala won the first ever medal for the country, taking home silver in the welterweight boxing in the 1968 Olympics. The country is also home to wrestling, a sport that's also considered one of the more traditional ones for the area. It's considered a common village sport and is often paired with other fun sports and competitions such as tug-of-war and even dancing.
Unsurprisingly, basketball has a strong presence in Africa as a whole; there have been some stars who hail from countries in Central Africa. Bismark Biyombo is a major national hero for the Central African Republic since he was drafted into the NBA back in 2011. Within the Central African Republic, it's commonly played in an urban setting, and many athletes from the country have even competed in the Olympics. Other countries that have seen success in this sport include Cameroon and Angola within the region.
In more recent years, there has been growing popularity for rugby. Of course, primarily, this sport is popular in South Africa, but it has spread to other countries such as Namibia, Morocco, Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast. The fact that there is now the Africa Cup has helped to push this sport further into the limelight, though all African teams only perform at the second-tier level, with the exception of South Africa.
Depending on which country we look at, there are other sports that are popular too. For example, canoeing, horse racing and even cricket are popular in some areas. More sports are gradually making their way into these countries, too, meaning that there's a widening selection of sports to watch and play for anyone hailing from these countries.
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