Sports in Latvia

What sports are played in Latvia?

The Latvian Olympic Committee (Latvijas Olimpiskā komiteja, LOK) publishes its membership as a list of named organisations and prints no total. The list runs alphabetically from the rowing federation, Latvijas Airēšanas federācija, to the volleyball federation, Latvijas Volejbola federācija, and closes with the Latvijas Olimpiešu klubs. It includes federations for basketball, ice hockey, bobsleigh and skeleton, luge (Latvijas Kamaniņu sporta federācija), football, athletics, biathlon, skiing, handball, tennis, curling, lacrosse, weightlifting, cycling and canoeing.^[8]

A second list is kept outside the committee. The Latvijas Sporta federāciju padome publishes a register of recognised sports federations, the Atzīto sporta federāciju reģistrs, which also prints no total. It includes the Latvijas Skolu sporta federācija and the Latvijas Augstskolu sporta savienība, which §9 covers.^[12] The Sports Law of 2026 provides for that register's information to pass into a state Sporta reģistrs, as §3 sets out.^[10]

Olympedia's medals-by-sport table for Latvia, filed as LAT, carries rows for BMX racing, artistic gymnastics, bobsleigh, 3x3 basketball, athletics, luge, canoe sprint, skeleton, weightlifting, modern pentathlon, shooting, wrestling, beach volleyball, road cycling, judo and short track speed skating.^[1]

What is the most popular spectator sport in Latvia?

No season attendance total for a Latvian league was retrieved from a league or federation source. The proxy that can be reported is television audience. The audience-measurement company Fifty5Blue (formerly Kantar Latvia) publishes a monthly list of the most-watched broadcasts on consolidated television. Its August 2026 release describes the panel as permanent residents of Latvia aged four and over in households with at least one working television, and counts viewing at broadcast time and time-shifted viewing up to seven days after it.^[15]

Ice hockey. In the release for May 2026, published on 10 June 2026, the three most-watched broadcasts were games of the IIHF World Championship on LTV7: Latvia–Norway, with a rating of 17.8 per cent and 287.3 thousand viewers; Latvia–Germany, 15.3 per cent and 248.1 thousand; and Latvia–Great Britain, 13.7 per cent and 222.0 thousand. The release states that nine of the month's top 20 broadcasts were hockey games.^[13]

Basketball. In the release for August 2025, published on 10 September 2025, the third most-watched broadcast was the European basketball championship game Latvija–Igaunija on TV3, with a rating of 6.6 per cent and 113.8 thousand viewers.^[14]

Each figure is one month's reading, and each month fell during a championship. Hockey and basketball both have a claim on this proxy. The public broadcaster's sport pages are divided into football, volleyball, hockey, basketball, tennis, athletics, motor sport, winter sport and tautas sports.^[16]

How is sport organised in Latvia?

The state. The Saeima's English text is titled “The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia”; its Article 1 reads: “Latvia is an independent democratic republic.”^[9]

The statute. The Sporta likums (Sports Law) was adopted by the Saeima on 18 June 2026, proclaimed on 30 June 2026 and published in Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 122A of 30 June 2026. It entered into force on 1 August 2026. The text read here is the consolidated version on likumi.lv in force from 1 August to 31 December 2026; the portal lists a future version from 1 January 2027.^[10] It replaced the Sporta likums of 24 October 2002 (Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 165, 13 November 2002), which the portal marks as no longer in force.^[11]

Article 2 begins: “Likuma mērķis ir veicināt sporta attīstību kā sabiedrības izaugsmes un labklājības pamatu”. Article 9(1) reads: “Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija pilda valsts pārvaldes funkcijas sporta jomā.” Article 14(1) describes the Latvijas Nacionālā sporta padome as “konsultatīva institūcija, kas piedalās valsts politikas sporta jomā veidošanā un īstenošanā, veicina sporta attīstību un sadarbību sporta jomā, kā arī saskaņo pasaules čempionātu un Eiropas čempionātu finālsacensību, olimpisko spēļu un paraolimpisko spēļu norisi Latvijā”. Under Article 16(3), decisions to recognise a sports federation are taken by the private or public body to which the state administrative task named in Article 9(3), point 4, is delegated. A transitional provision directs the register's current holder, the association Latvijas Sporta federāciju padome, to transfer its information into the Sporta reģistrs in the order and within the time set by the Cabinet.^[10]

Article 17(1) states: “Latvijas Olimpiskā komiteja ir sporta organizācija, kuras mērķi atbilstoši Olimpiskajai hartai ir šādi”, and lists three: “vadīt un koordinēt olimpisko kustību Latvijā”; “pārstāvēt Latvijas intereses Starptautiskajā Olimpiskajā komitejā”; and “nodrošināt valsts dalību olimpiskajās spēlēs, jaunatnes olimpiādēs un citos starptautiskās olimpiskās kustības pasākumos”.^[10]

The committee. The LOK's statutes, approved in a new version on 26 March 2021, state in Article 1.1: “LOK ir nevalstiska bezpeļņas sporta organizācija, kas „biedrības” juridiskā formā uz neierobežotu darbības termiņu pienācīgā kārtā reģistrēta Latvijas Republikā un īsteno savu jurisdikciju tās teritorijā.” The preamble refers to “atjaunojot Latvijas Olimpiskās komitejas atzīšanu Starptautiskajā Olimpiskajā komitejā”.^[7]

Three dates. Founded: the committee states that it “tika nodibināta 1922. gada 23. aprīlī Latvijas sporta organizāciju sanāksmē Rīgā”.^[5] Original recognition: no date was established. The committee's pages state that in 1923 it received the IOC's invitation to the 1924 Games in Paris, and that its president, Jānis Dikmanis, was elected a member of the IOC in May 1926; the second is an individual's election, not a recognition of the committee.^[6] Restored recognition: the committee states that on 18 September 1991 the IOC, “sesijā, kas notika Berlīnē, nolēma atjaunot Latvijas Olimpiskās komitejas tiesības Olimpiskajā saimē”.^[5] Olympedia states that Latvia's “National Olympic Committee was recognized by the IOC in 1991”.^[1] Separately, the committee dates the restoration of its own activity to an assembly of 483 delegates on 19 November 1988.^[5] Olympedia's organisation entry for the committee could not be retrieved.

What are the main domestic leagues and competitions?

Football. The Latvian Football Federation's site names the men's top division the Tonybet Virslīga, with the LVBET līga below it and the LVBET Latvijas kauss as the cup. Women's competitions include the LuckyBet Sieviešu līga and a Baltic women's league.^[17]

Basketball. The Latvian Basketball Union's site lists the Latvijas–Igaunijas Basketbola līga, the Latvian-Estonian league, alongside the Latvijas Basketbola līga, the Ramirent Nacionālā basketbola līga and the Latvijas Sieviešu basketbola līga.^[18] The cross-border league's own site is robots-disallowed, so its organising body and its list of Latvian clubs could not be read from it. LSM reported on 21 September 2026 that the league had grown “no 14 uz 15 vienībām” and would start the season without a title sponsor; its article names the Latvian clubs BK “Valmiera Glass/ViA”, “VEF Rīga”, “Rīgas zeļļi”, “Latvijas Universitāte”, BK “Liepāja” and the new “Rīgas Ekselences Juniori”.^[21] The Latvijas Basketbola līga's site carries the headline “Optibet LBL: „Valmiera Glass VIA” paņem arī trešo kausu, kļūstot par Latvijas čempioniem”, and announced that its season and the Latvian-Estonian league's would open on 22 September in Rīga.^[19]

Ice hockey. The Latvian Hockey Federation organises the Optibet Hokeja Līga. Its 2026–2027 standings list nine teams, given here in alphabetical order rather than by standing: HC Energija, HC Hockey Punks-Mototoja, HC Kyiv Capitals, HC Panter, HK MOGO/RSU, HK Prizma/RTU, HK Zemgale/LBTU, Liepājas hokeja komanda and RĪGAS HS/DINABURGA.^[20]

Russia and Belarus. Article 33(1) of the 2026 Sports Law prohibits organising in Latvia two kinds of team-sport competition: the national championships and national cups of the Russian Federation and Belarus, and competitions in international team-sport leagues “kurās vairāk nekā puse dalībnieku ir komandas no Krievijas Federācijas vai Baltkrievijas Republikas”. Article 33(2) prohibits organising national-team competitions in team sports in which those countries' national teams take part “ar savu karogu vai neitrālā statusā”. Article 37(1) prohibits teams formed by legal persons registered in Latvia from taking part in the competitions listed in Article 33(1). Article 37(2) prohibits athletes and sports staff from taking part in competitions held in Russia and Belarus. Article 37(3) prohibits Latvia's national teams in team sports from playing either country's national team when it competes under its own flag or in neutral status. Under Article 37(4), anyone who breaches part 2 may not be included in a Latvian national team and may not receive state or municipal budget funds for training and competition costs.^[10]

How has Latvia performed at the Olympic Games?

Pre-war rows. Olympedia's participation table for LAT lists the Summer Games of 1924, 1928, 1932 and 1936 and the Winter Games of 1924, 1928 and 1936. Its medals-by-Games table carries two pre-war rows: 1932 Summer, 0 gold, 1 silver, 0 bronze; and 1936 Summer, 0 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze.^[1]

Post-1992 rows. The participation table resumes with the Winter and Summer Games of 1992 and lists every edition from then to the 2026 Winter Games. The Olympic Games medal rows are, as gold, silver and bronze: 1992 Summer, 0, 2, 1; 1996 Summer, 0, 1, 0; 2000 Summer, 1, 1, 1; 2004 Summer, 0, 4, 0; 2006 Winter, 0, 0, 1; 2008 Summer, 1, 1, 1; 2010 Winter, 0, 2, 0; 2012 Summer, 1, 0, 1; 2014 Winter, 1, 1, 3; 2018 Winter, 0, 0, 1; 2020 Summer, 1, 0, 1; 2022 Winter, 0, 0, 1; and 2026 Winter, 0, 1, 1.^[1]

Neither table prints a totals row. Added up, the Olympic Games rows of the by-Games table and those of the by-sport table each come to 5 gold, 15 silver and 13 bronze, of which the pre-war rows are 0, 2 and 1. That sum is this page's arithmetic, not a figure Olympedia prints. Neither medal table carries a row for the art competitions, and the sums include none.^[1]

Olympedia types Youth Olympic Games rows separately; they are left out of the figures above. Its narrative links the Soviet Union's page, URS. Results filed under that code, or under any other code, are not LAT rows, and none is added here.^[1]

Which athletes and teams are internationally recognised?

Basketball. FIBA records that the first EuroBasket was held in Geneva from 2 to 4 May 1935 with ten teams, and that Latvia beat Spain 24–18 in the final.^[22] At the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, held in Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines from 25 August to 10 September 2023, Latvia beat Lithuania 98–63 in the game for fifth place in Manila; FIBA's report records it as Latvia's World Cup debut.^[24][23] In 3x3, FIBA reports that Latvia's men won the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2026 in Warsaw on 7 June 2026, beating Germany 20–15 in the final.^[25]

Ice hockey. At the 2023 IIHF World Championship, Latvia beat the United States 4–3 in overtime in the bronze-medal game at the Nokia Arena in Tampere on 28 May 2023.^[27][26]

Bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. Olympedia's LAT results for the 2014 Winter Olympics list gold in the men's four-man bobsleigh and bronze in the two-man, both for the crew entered as Latvia 1, bronze in men's doubles luge and in the mixed luge team relay, and silver in men's skeleton for Martins Dukurs.^[2] Its 2018 results list bronze in the men's two-man bobsleigh.^[4] For 2026, they list silver in women's singles luge for Elīna Bota and bronze in the men's 1,500 metres short track for Roberts Krūzbergs.^[3]

What major international competitions has Latvia hosted?

IIHF World Championship. The IIHF records Riga 2006 as running from 5 to 21 May 2006.^[28] For 2021, the IIHF Council stated on 18 January 2021 that moving the championship from Minsk was “unavoidable”, citing “safety and security issues that are beyond the IIHF's control”.^[30] On 2 February 2021 it voted to confirm Riga as sole host.^[31] That championship ran from 21 May to 6 June 2021 at Arena Riga and the Olympic Sports Centre.^[29] For 2023, the IIHF reported on 27 July 2022 that its Annual Congress had approved a joint bid of Finland and Latvia, “replacing St. Petersburg after the hosting rights had been withdrawn from Russia”.^[32] It was played from 12 to 28 May 2023 at the Nokia Arena in Tampere and Arena Riga.^[26]

EuroBasket 2025. FIBA lists Latvia, Finland, Cyprus and Poland as the four hosts, with games from 27 August to 14 September 2025 and the knockout rounds and final in Riga.^[33]

Luge. The International Luge Federation (FIL) announced on 6 July 2011 that its 59th Congress in Berlin had awarded the 2015 World Championships to Sigulda, “for the second time after 2003”. The same notice records that the 1991 Worlds “had been allocated to Sigulda” and that “Winterberg in Germany then stepped into the breach at short notice.”^[34] The 2015 championships were held on 14 and 15 February 2015.^[35] None of these events was running on 25 September 2026.

What are Latvia's main sporting rivalries?

The documented recurring fixtures are with the two neighbouring Baltic states. The football count below comes from a single secondary statistics site, not from a federation's own record.

Against Estonia, 11v11 publishes Latvia's men's record as 30 won, 20 drawn and 11 lost, beginning with a 1–1 friendly on 24 September 1922. The most recent match it lists is a 1–1 result in the Baltic Cup on 16 November 2022, which 11v11 marks as a win.^[36] Fifty5Blue lists the Latvia–Estonia game of the European basketball championship on TV3 among August 2025's three most-watched broadcasts.^[14]

Against Lithuania in basketball, FIBA records Latvia's 98–63 win in the game for fifth place at the 2023 World Cup.^[23]

What is the role of school and university sport?

The Sports Law places sport in the curriculum. Article 7(2) reads: “Vispārējās izglītības un profesionālās izglītības (izņemot profesionālo augstāko izglītību) programmās iekļauj sporta nodarbības atbilstoši valsts izglītības standartam un pirmsskolas izglītības vadlīnijām.” Article 7(6) reads: “Augstskolas un koledžas nodrošina iespējas nodarboties ar sportu un attīstīt duālo karjeru, apvienojot augstākās izglītības ieguvi un profesionāla sportista karjeru.”^[10]

The register of recognised sports federations includes the Latvijas Skolu sporta federācija, for school sport, and the Latvijas Augstskolu sporta savienība, for university sport.^[12] No programme, calendar or participation figure from either body was retrieved; the university union's site could not be reached.

Were any sports invented in Latvia?

None of the bodies whose documents were opened — the LOK, the Saeima's Sports Law, the national federations and the international federations cited above — claims that a sport was invented or codified in Latvia. The 2026 Sports Law declares no national sport. Its Article 1 defines tautas sports generically, as physical activity or competition without age limits aimed at strengthening and improving health, not as a named sport.^[10]