For women though, basketball is the most popular participation sport.

Football is the most popular women's participation sport in the country.

"Our goal is to make basketball the number-one participation sport in China by the year 2000, or whenever."

But this is essentially a participation sport rather than a spectator one.

From these American origins, basketball has grown to be one of the great international participation sports.

The popularity of rugby union as a woman's participation sport also challenges football.

Football is the most popular spectator and participation sport in the country.

Handball is the second most popular spectator and participation sport.

In the sixth form, netball is the fifth most popular girls' participation sport with a rate of 6.7%.

It had become the most popular participation sport in local high schools.