Test your sports trivia knowledge with these 40 questions and answers that cut across different sporting activities, eras, and sports records. For all sports lovers and enthusiasts out there, these are questions that you should be able to answer even before embarking on your own personal journey as a sportsman or sportswoman, and no matter the kind of sports you like, we hope you’ll find these ones interesting.
A Mix of Easy and Hard Sports Trivia Questions and Answers
- Frankie Fredericks represented which African country in athletics?
Namibia
Frank “Frankie” Fredericks is a former track and field athlete born in Windhoek, South West Africa on 2 October 1967 to Riekie Fredericks and Andries Kangootui. He took to sports from a very young age and grew to become a specialist in the 100 meters and 200 meters races. He holds 4 Olympic Silver medals from the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic games. He also has four gold medals (1998 Dakar, 2020 Tunis, 2002 Tunis) and a silver medal (1998 Dakar) from the African Championships in Athletics, amidst numerous other laurels.
2. What is an NBA player deemed to be if he has received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy?
The most valuable player (MVP)
The NBA Most Valuable Player Award or the Maurice Podoloff Trophy is given annually since 1955. The trophy was named in honor of the NBA’s first commissioner, Maurice Podoloff who was an American lawyer, basketball, and ice hockey administrator that lived from August 18, 1890 – November 24, 1985. The award was first won by then St. Louis Hawks Power forward Bob Pettit in the 1955–56 season. More recently, it was won by Nigerian born Greek national and Milwaukee Bucks Power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
3. What sport used the term ‘home run’ long before baseball?
Cricket
A home run occurs in baseball when a hit of the ball allows the batter to completely run the circuit of the bases and score a run.
4. What was the first sport that allowed women to compete at the Olympics?
Tennis
In the 1900 games in Paris, about 997 athletes competed in the game out of which just 22 of them were women. However, being the very first time to see women compete in the games, it was something worth celebrating. The women competed in sports like golf, sailing, croquet, tennis, sailing, and equestrian sports, and Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain became the first gold medalist.
5. Which team is as well-known for their comic antics as for their on-court skills?
Harlem Globetrotters
They have played in about 124 countries more than any professional basketball team in the world and also boast a game record of 26, 000 matches. Though they are exhibition matches. The Herschend Family Entertainment owned team plays about 450 live events annually.
6. Which type of ball was basketball played with until 1929?
Soccer ball
In the early days of the game, basketball was played with the more popular soccer balls. However, these balls proved to be inefficient as players faltered at dribbling and handling the ball. Thus, by 1894, a bicycle manufacturing company attempted to produce a more suitable ball and by the end of the decade, Spalding became the official basketball maker. Coming into the early 90s, teams were at liberty to make their own balls but the irregularity this brought in ball sizes and shapes made the idea be jettisoned. The year 1929 marked the beginning of a new era as basketballs were redesigned to have concealed laces and more bounce.
7. What’s the second event on day one of a men’s decathlon?
Long Jump
Decathlon is an athletic competition that lasts 2 consecutive days. Typically, athletes are scored by their performance in each event they compete in and the criteria for this scoring is set by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). On the first day, athletes compete in a 100-meter dash, running long (broad) jump, shot put, high jump, and 400-meter run. While on the second day of the event, athletes compete in 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500-metre run.
8. The Borg-Warner Trophy is awarded to the winner of which race?
Indianapolis 500
The Borg-Warner Trophy celebrates many Indianapolis 500 drivers who have distinguished themselves for excellence on the race track. The reward; having a driver’s face permanently sculpted onto the trophy. The first driver to have won this trophy is Louis Meyer in the year 1935 and since then, many other drivers have won th trophy. The most recent winner is French professional racing driver, Simon Pagenaud who won the race in 2019.
9. What number lies between 5 and 9 on a British dartboard?
Number 12
The numbers in a British dartboard and indeed every other standard dartboard are not just arranged randomly. They are arranged in such a way to encourage accuracy and reduce the possibility of a dart thrower scoring a number by chance. For the 20 number segments on a British dartboard, there are a total of 2,432,902,008,176,640,000 possible ways the numbers can be arranged.
10. Name the England rugby league forward that joined the Bath rugby union club in 2014?
Samuel “Sam” Burgess
Born 14 December 1988, Samuel Burgess began his professional rugby career in 2006 playing for English West Yorkshire rugby team Bradford Bulls till 2009. He then played in the Australian rugby league for South Sydney from 2010 to 2019 before retiring.
11. Which 100/1 outsider won the 2009 Grand National?
Mon Mome
At the age of 9, French-bred Mon Mome rode by Liam Treadwell won the 2009 Grand National race by 12 lengths in a time of 9 minutes 34 seconds. With this victory, she made a record as the first 100/1 to win a race since Foinavon did in 1967.
12. The San Siro Stadium is in which Italian city?
Milan
The San Siro Stadium or Stadio Giuseppe Meazza located in Milan, Italy is the home ground of two Italian football giants: A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. The stadium which was officially opened on 19 September 1926 now has a maximum seating capacity of 78,275 people.
13. Why did the year 1994 see no baseball World Series?
Player’s strike
The 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike began on August 12, 1994, and lasted till April 2, 1995. In the period which lasted 232 days, a total of 948 games and was embarked on majorly to respond to a worsening financial situation in the league.
14. Who beat Ivan Lendl in a French Open final using underhand serves?
Michael Chang
Chang was desperate for victory yet so tired when he hit the only underhand serve of his career. As Lendl approached the net and returned the serve, Chang hit a forehand which went past Lendl.
15. Who is the only wild card entrant to have won Wimbledon?
Goran Ivanišević: 2001
Now a coach, Goran Ivanišević in 2001 entered the men’s singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard and ended up winning the men’s singles. He previously ended as a runner-up in 1992, 1994, and 1998.
16. Who is the youngest winner of a Ladies Singles title in the Open Era?
Martina Hingis: Winner in 1997 at 16 years of age.
Now retired, Martina Hingis made history as the youngest doubles winner at 15 years, 282 days and youngest-ever Grand Slam winner in 1996, the youngest winner of the Australian singles in 1997, the youngest winner in the US Open in 1997 as well as the youngest ever year-end No.1 in 1997 in tennis history and 1 spot as the youngest ever in tennis history.
17. Which is the only country to have played in each and every World Cup?
Brazil
As of the last FIFA World cup which was hosted by Russia, the tournament has been held a total of 21 times in 88 years. 8 national teams have won the world cup one of which is Brazil; the South American country has won the cup a total of 5 times and has not missed participating in any tournament. Perhaps, there can’t be a FIFA World Cup without Brazil.
18. What is the maximum time limit allowed to look for a lost ball in golf? 5 minutes?
5 Minutes
Rule 27-1-c states that a player is allowed a total of 5 minutes to find a lost ball or else the ball will be deemed lost.
19. Which was the first African country to qualify for a World Cup?
Egypt: 1934
The Pharaohs of Egypt without a doubt are one of Africa’s best football sides. They became the first African team to play in the World Cup on 27 May 1934 in a match against Hungary which they however lost to the better European side by 4 goals to 2.
20. Which country won the first World Cup held in 1930?
Uruguay
The inaugural FIFA World Cup which held from 13 to 30 July 1930 in Uruguay was won by the host nation following their 4–2 defeat of Argentina.
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21. The Eclipse Stakes is run at which racecourse?
Sandown
Every year in early July, horses that are 3 years and older can participate in the Eclipse Stakes Group 1 flat horse race which holds as the Sandown Park in Great Britain.
22. In which athletic event did Bruce Jenner win the gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics?
The Decathlon
Now, Caitlyn Jenner, William Bruce Jenner won the decathlon gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal with a record of 8,618 points.
23. Who won the men’s single at Wimbledon in 1985 at the age of just 17?
Boris Becker
Though now retired, Boris Franz Becker is noted as one of the most successful tennis players ever to grace the court. He was a tennis sensation right from the beginning of his professional career as he won the first 6 majors at the age of 17. He also won Wimbledon in 1985, 1986, and 1989; Australian Opens in 1991 and 1996 as well as the US Open in 1989.
24. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in which sport?
Basketball
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began his professional basketball career in the year 1969 playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. By 1975, he moved over to the Los Angeles Lakers where he was till 1989 after which he called it quits as a B-ball player to begin a coaching career.
25. How many players are on the field for each team in an Australian rules football match?
18 players
There are a total of 18 players on the field for each team which makes it a total of 36 players for both teams on the field. For each team, there is an additional 4 players on the interchange bench who can be used to replace injured players or tactically change the flow of the match.
26. In horse racing, what is a Yankee?
11 individual bets
The wager consists of 11 different bets that can be 6 doubles, 4 trebles, and a four-fold accumulator.
27. Who is the only coach to win both a Super Bowl and a Rose Bowl?
Dick Vermeil
Aside from achieving this feat, Dick Vermeil has coached at every level of American football and earned notable recognitions thereof. He has been named coach of the year in high school, junior college, NCAA Division 1, and in the NFL.
28. Before the NFL mandated the use of helmets in 1943, who was the last player not to use one?
Chicago Bears lineman Dick Plasman
Dick Plasman played a total of 8 seasons in the NFL; his first 6 seasons were with the Chicago Bears and his last 2 seasons were with the Chicago Cardinals. According to reports, he didn’t feel comfortable wearing a helmet.
29. Who is the only tennis player to have won each of the four grand slam events at least four times?
Steffi Graf
Steiff has won a total of 22 tiles which include 4 Australian Opens, 6 French Open, 7 Wimbledons, and 5 US Opens.
30. What is ‘El Clásico’?
A game between Spanish club giants Real Madrid and Barcelona
The two teams first played on 13 May 1902 in a match in which Barcelona had the upper hand with 3 goals to Real Madrid’s 1. However, the tables have turned and on aggregate, Real Madrid is the better side with 74 victories out of 181 times the two Spanish sides have locked horns. Barca is however trailing as a worthy contender with 72 victories while they share 35 draws between them as of this writing.
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31. Which Australian was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the first overall pick in the 2005 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft?
Andrew Bogut
Andrew Michael Bogut is a 7.0 inches tall Australian who made history as the first man from the Great Southern Land to emerge NBA’s first overall pick in 2005. He played for Milwaukee Bucks (2005–2012), Golden State Warriors (2012–2016), Dallas Mavericks (2016–2017), Cleveland Cavaliers (2017), Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2018), Sydney Kings, and lastly the Golden State (2018–2020) where he retired.
32. On which racecourse is the St Leger horse race run?
Doncaster racecourse
The Doncaster racecourse is one of the oldest racecourses in Britain and also one of the busiest. It hosts about 36 race events every year one of which is the St Leger Festival.
33. Which British Paralympic wheelchair athlete has won the London Marathon 8 times?
David Weir
David Russell Weir CBE was born with spinal cord transection which left him unable to use his leg; thus wheelchair-bound. He has won the London Marathon a total of 8 times and also has 6 gold medals from the 2008 and 2012 Paralympic Games.
34. Wladimir Klitschko is a champion boxer from which country?
Ukraine
Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko is a retired professional Ukrainian boxer. He was born on 25 March 1976 in Semipalatinsk (present-day Semey), Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union (now Kazakhstan) to Vladimir Rodionovic Klitschko and Nadezhda Ulyanovna. He’s the younger brother of Vitali Klitschko, a retired professional boxer who as of this writing is the mayor of Kyiv.
35. How many players, including the goaltender, make up an ice hockey team?
Six
Hockey is a contact team sport played on ice either indoors or outdoors by two opposing teams consisting of 6 players on each side. A team typically has 3 forward players, 2 defensemen, and 1 goaltender.
36. Which boxer was an underdog with odds of 42:1 when he stunned Mike Tyson?
Buster Douglas: 1990
James Douglas, A.K.A Buster is a retired American boxer who became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in the year 1990. To claim this title, he defeated then champion Mike Tyson at the Tokyo Dome on February 11, 1990, in what is still one of the greatest upsets in professional boxing record. He knocked out Tyson in the 10th round.
37. In the 1995–96 season, who scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton’s under-10s and 11s?
Wayne Rooney
The Everton and Manchester United legend Wayne Mark Rooney started his youth football career playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and later on switched to Copplehouse Boys Club before he joined Everton at the age of 9. He grew in the team and made his first-team appearance on April 20, 2002, in a 1-0 away win at Southampton. 2 years later, he moved to Manchester United and played with the Red Devils till 2017 before he went back to Everton in 2017. He joined D.C. United in 2018 and lastly Derby County in 2020.
38. What nationality is tennis player Novak Djokovic?
Serbian
Novak Djokovic was born on 22 May 1987 in Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia. His father Srđan Đoković is from Serbia while his mother Dijana Đoković has Croatian roots.
39. Who was the first athlete to fail an Olympic drug test?
Pentathlete Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall in 1968
He’s a Swedish pentathlon; an athlete who competes in fencing, freestyle swimming (200 m), equestrian show jumping (15 jumps), pistol shooting, and cross country running (3200 m). In the 1968 Summer Olympics, Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall tested positive for the use of alcohol; He took two beers to steady his nerves and was thus stripped of his bronze medal.
40. Which NFL team is the first to win 3 Super Bowls?
The Pittsburgh Steelers. They won Super Bowls IX, X, and XIII.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are on record one of the most successful teams in the NFL having won the Super Bowl many times.
- They first won the bowl on 12 January 1975 by defeating National Football Conference champion Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowls IX.
- The second time was against National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys on 18th January 1976.
- The third consecutive time was on 21st January 1979 against National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys.
41. Which sport is played on the biggest pitch in terms of area?
Polo
Polo is played on an outdoor field measuring 300 yards or 274.3m long by 160 yards or 146.3m wide. 8 yards apart, there are lightweight goalposts at each end of the field. For more clarity, a standard polo field is the equivalent of six soccer fields or 9 American football fields.
42. Name the European club David Beckham ended his career with?
Paris Saint-Germain
David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE is a retired English footballer who began his youth career playing for Ridgeway Rovers, later Tottenham Hotspur (1987-1991, Brimsdown Rovers (1989–1991) and lastly Manchester United youth team from 1991-1993. He began his senior career playing for Manchester United in 1992 through 2003 before he joined Real Madrid (2003-2007). Beckham played for LA Galaxy from 2007-2012 but was on loan to Milan from 2009 to 2010. He finally retired in 2013 with Paris Saint-Germain.
43. Who was the 1st non-European to win the Tour de France?
Greg Lemond from the US
Gregory James LeMond is the first non-European to win the Tour de France in 1986. He later won the competition in 1989 and 1990 and also won World Road Race Championship twice in 1983, and 1989.
