Traditional sports in Cameroon include canoe racing, swimming, tug of war, and wrestling. Wrestling has featured in the initiation rites and other ceremonies of ethnic groups such as the Bakweri and the Duala.In modern times, sports such as basketball, boxing, cycling, handball, netball, and table tennis have become popular. The 40 km (24.8 mi) Mount Cameroon Race of Hope draws several hundred runners each year. Tourists hike, rock climb, and mountaineer, especially up Mount Cameroon. Yaoundé, Tiko and Kribi have golf courses. Rugby union is also played, with about 15 clubs and 3000 players nationally

Football in Cameroon
The most popular sport by far is football (soccer). Virtually every village has its own football pitch, and large numbers of spectators watch games between rival villages. The Cameroon national football team has gained world-renown since their strong showing in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The team has won four African Cup of Nations titles. The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables (The Indomitable Lions), is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side.

Footballer Roger Milla is known around the world, and the 2003 death of Marc-Vivien Foé during a game made international headlines. Many Cameroonian footballers have gone on to forge relatively successful careers in Europe, including Rigobert Song and African Footballer of the Year winners Lauren Etame Mayer and Samuel Eto'o.