London is the hub of all important activities in the United Kingdom. The city offers immense opportunities to pursue your interests in sports and related recreational activities. There are more than 11 city- operated indoor arenas and over 70 tennis courts in the city. An abundance of public and private golf courses can also be found in the city. Apart from this there are countless baseball pitches, soccer fields and quite a few indoor pools. Enough trails have also been provided so that people can avail of walking, running biking and hiking options. The city is best recognized for its role as a host in the 2001 Canada Summer Games, the 2004 Memorial Cup and the 2006 Scott Tournament of Hearts.
The contribution of the city of London to the world of sports is not a new phenomenon. Way back in 1908 this city hosted the Summer Olympics. History repeated itself in July 2005 when London was chosen as the host of the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games. It is expected that the East End of the city will witness enormous levels of development in the years to come as it will be the home to the Olympic Village.
The main sport played in London is football and this sport has created history for the nation. In fact football happens to be the most popular spectator sport in London and the city houses many of the premier football clubs. Being the capital city, London clubs are invested with the capacity of charging more for their tickets than other clubs spread over the nation. The 2007- 08 Premier League will feature five London Clubs- Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Fulham and West Ham United. Wembley Stadium situated in the north- western part of the city is the national football stadium and is also home to the FA Cup Final.
Apart from football, rugby is next in importance and has gained national significance over the years. The Rugby Union is well established in the city and four of the twelve clubs participating in the Guinness Premiership have London origins. The city is home to rugby league matches and a famous London club playing at the national level is London Skolars.
Cricket is another game that is played widely in London and surrounding areas. The city is home to two of the nation’s most famous cricket grounds- Lord’s and The Oval. Other games that get a lot of importance from the capital city are rowing and tennis. Rowing can thrive in the city especially because of the River Thames. It is the venue for the Boat Race held between the Oxford and Cambridge Universities yearly. Thames is also home to more than twenty rowing clubs. Wimbledon, in South London, hosts the Wimbledon tournament. Other sports played within the confines of the city include athletics, ice hockey, basketball, boxing, squash and horse- racing. Home to a wide variety of sports, London also holds one of the world’s largest mass- participation marathon- the London Marathon.
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