Zimbabwe

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sport in Zimbabwe}}
[[File:Canada wins Zimbabwe in Rio Olympics 07.jpg|thumb|[[Zimbabwe women's national football team]] at the [[Football at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament|2016 Olympic Games]]]]
Football ''(also known as soccer)'' is the most popular sport in Zimbabwe.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Alao |first1=Abiodun |author1-link=Abiodun Alao |last2=Tofa |first2=Moses |author2-link=Moses Tofa |editor1-last=Falola |editor1-first=Toyin |editor1-link=Toyin Falola |editor2-last=Jean-Jacques |editor2-first=Daniel |editor2-link=Daniel Jean-Jacques |encyclopedia=Africa: An Encyclopedia of Culture and Society [3 Volumes] |title=Zimbabwe |url={{google books |plainurl=y |id=YjoVCwAAQBAJ |page=1316}} |date=2015 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1598846652 |pages=1305–1326}}</ref> [[Zimbabwe national football team|The Warriors]] have qualified for the [[Africa Cup of Nations]] five times (2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021), and won the [[COSAFA Cup|Southern Africa championship]] on six occasions (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2017, 2018) and the [[CECAFA Cup|Eastern Africa cup]] once (1985). The team is ranked 68th in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Men's Ranking |url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/origin1904-p.cxm.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/men |access-date=2022-07-23 |website=www.fifa.com |language=en }}{{dead link|date=August 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Rugby union]] is a significant sport in Zimbabwe. [[Zimbabwe national rugby union team|The national side]] have represented the country at 2 [[Rugby World Cup]] tournaments in 1987 and 1991.<ref>{{cite web |last=worldrugby.org |title=World Rugby |url=https://www.world.rugby/tournaments/rankings/mru}}</ref>

[[Cricket]] is also a very popular sport in Zimbabwe. It used to have a following mostly among the white minority, but it has recently grown to become a widely popular sport among most Zimbabweans.<ref>{{cite web |last=VOA News |title=Black Cricket's Spiritual Home in Zimbabwe Becomes International Venue for Game|date=2 July 2023 |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/black-cricket-s-spiritual-home-in-zimbabwe-becomes-international-venue-for-game/7164431.html}}</ref> It is one of twelve [[Test cricket]] playing nations and an [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] full member as well. Notable cricket players from Zimbabwe include [[Andy Flower]], [[Heath Streak]] and [[Brendan Taylor]].

Zimbabwe has won eight Olympic medals, one in [[field hockey]] [[Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team|with the women's team]] at the [[Zimbabwe at the 1980 Summer Olympics|1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow, and seven by swimmer [[Kirsty Coventry]], three at the [[Zimbabwe at the 2004 Summer Olympics|2004 Summer Olympics]] and four at the [[Zimbabwe at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics]]. Zimbabwe has done well in the [[Commonwealth Games]] and [[All-Africa Games]] in swimming with Coventry obtaining 11 gold medals in the different competitions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/117BySport.html |title=2004 Olympic Games swimming results |access-date=22 July 2007 |publisher=CNN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060509051921/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2004/schedules/117BySport.html |archive-date=9 May 2006 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Montreal_2005/results/sw.php |title=Montreal 2005 Results|access-date=9 June 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070128064425/http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Montreal_2005/results/sw.php |archive-date = 28 January 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Melbourne_2007/results/swimming.php|title=12th FINA World Championships|access-date=9 June 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070606111744/http://www.fina.org/events/WC/Melbourne_2007/results/swimming.php |archive-date = 6 June 2007}}</ref> Zimbabwe has competed at [[Wimbledon Championships|Wimbledon]] and the [[Davis Cup]] in tennis, most notably with the Black family, which comprises [[Wayne Black]], [[Byron Black]] and [[Cara Black]]. The Zimbabwean [[Nick Price]] held the official World Number 1 golf status longer than any player from Africa has done.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gold |first=Jack Of |url=http://www.freetv4africa.co.uk/2012/05/africa-punching-above-its-weight-in.html |title=Africa punching above it's &#91;sic&#93; weight in golf |publisher=Free TV 4 Africa |date=29 May 2012 |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208110629/http://www.freetv4africa.co.uk/2012/05/africa-punching-above-its-weight-in.html |archive-date=8 February 2013 }}</ref>

Other sports played in Zimbabwe are basketball, volleyball, [[netball]], and [[water polo]], as well as [[Squash (sport)|squash]], [[motorsport]], martial arts, [[chess]], cycling, [[polocrosse]], [[kayaking]] and [[horse racing]]. However, most of these sports do not have international representatives but instead stay at a junior or national level.

Zimbabwean professional [[rugby league]] players playing overseas are [[Masimbaashe Motongo]] and [[Judah Mazive]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/hull-fc-masimbaashe-matongo-s-dream-journey-just/story-28185324-detail/story.html|title=From Zimbabwe to Hull FC: Masimbaashe Matongo's 'dream' journey is just beginning|date=17 November 2015|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail|access-date=18 February 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225200610/http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hull-FC-Masimbaashe-Matongo-s-dream-journey-just/story-28185324-detail/story.html|archive-date=25 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://zimbabwe-today.com/2016/10/sports/zimbabwe-teenager-judah-mazive-signs-contract-play-rugby-england/|title=Zimbabwe teenager Judah Mazive signs contract to play rugby in England|newspaper=Zimbabwe Today|access-date=18 February 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113154539/http://zimbabwe-today.com/2016/10/sports/zimbabwe-teenager-judah-mazive-signs-contract-play-rugby-england/|archive-date=13 January 2017}}</ref> Former players include now [[SANZAAR]] CEO [[Andy Marinos]] who made an appearance for [[South Africa national rugby league team|South Africa]] at the [[Super League World Nines]] and featured for the [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs|Sydney Bulldogs]] as well as Zimbabwe-born former [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland rugby union international]] [[Scott Gray (rugby union)|Scott Gray]], who spent time at the [[Brisbane Broncos]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.superxv.com/south-africas-marinos-appointed-new-sanzar-ceo/|title=South Africa's Marinos appointed new SANZAR CEO – Super Rugby – Super 18 Rugby and Rugby Championship News, Results and Fixtures from Super XV Rugby|date=23 November 2015|access-date=18 February 2017}}</ref>

Zimbabwe has had success in karate as Zimbabwe's [[Samson Muripo]] became [[Kyokushin]] world champion in Osaka, Japan in 2009. Muripo is a two-time World Kyokushi Karate Champion and was the first black African to become the World Kyokushin Karate Champion.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The making of Samson Muripo {{!}} The Standard|date=22 October 2017|url=https://www.thestandard.co.zw/2017/10/22/making-samson-muripo/|access-date=2021-07-21|language=en-US}}</ref>