Popular sports for expatriates in Mauritius

The UK and France, Olympic powers in their own right, largely influenced sports development in Mauritius. Hence,  there won’t be a dearth of popular sports to play or watch for expatriates.

There is a wide selection also of  sports facilities available in Mauritius. The country boasts of sports complexes, gymnasiums, and stadiums. Additional facilities are coming. These include a new sports centre at Plaine Verte and a gymnasium and sports amenities at Bassin, Quatre Bornes.

Soccer—the national sport

Football stadiums are amongst the dominant sports facilities in Mauritius, simply because football or soccer is the country’s national sport. The largest of these stadiums is the Stade Anjalay in Belle Vue Maurell, with a capacity for 18,000 spectators. The Stade George V in Curepie is another prominent soccer venue because it was renovated in 2003 for Mauritius’s hosting of the Indian Ocean Games that year.

The Cȏte d’Or multi-sports complex in Moka is also an epicentre for football in Mauritius. Its pitch is home to an international football academy launched in September 2019. This soccer school is notably a partnership with the famed Liverpool Football Club.

Golf—an old-time favourite

Golf is the sport with a vintage appeal in Mauritius. This is because it’s been played in the country since 1902 when the members of the British Royal Navy opened the island’s first golf club—the Gymkhana Golf Club.

As of 2020, there are 14 golf courses in Mauritius. These include 10 18-hole championship layouts and four nine-hole courses. The newest is Mont Choisy le Golf, which opened in 2017.  It has not only captured the hearts of golfers. Many expatriates in Mauritius also live around luxury residences built around the course, including those that 2Futures has built.

Volleyball—generous government support

Like the national sport of football, volleyball in Mauritius is getting plenty of government support. The Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports & Recreation provides a national training centre for volleyball. Public access to volleyball facilities and coaching is free.

Local volleyball clubs, with membership available to expatriates, now figure in African regional indoor and beach volleyball competitions. The country also regularly hosts international volleyball tilts like the Indian Ocean Island Games for Beach volleyball held in 2019.

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