Sport in Belgium

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Football a.k.a. soccer is the most popular sport in Belgium.^{[citation needed]} Standard de Liege, Club Brugge and R.S.C. Anderlecht are important football teams in the Belgian football league system. Tennis, cycling, athletics, volleyball, basketball, hockey, and judo are other dominant sports in Belgian society, with many important historical and current sportspeople.^{[opinion needs balancing]}

[edit] Present-day sportspeople from Belgium

Belgium has successful sportsmen and sportswoman in various disciplines; Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin (tennis), Kim Gevaert (athletics), Tom Boonen (cycling), Ann Wauters (basketball), Sven Nys (cyclo-cross), Stefan Everts (motocross) and Kevin van der Perren (figure skating) are some of the athletes at the top of their sport. International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Count Jacques Rogge is also an important figure in the sport world in Belgium. Johan Bruyneel is the directeur sportif of Team Discovery (formerly U.S. Postal Service Pro Cycling Team) and has directed the team through Lance Armstrong's seven victories of the Tour de France.

[edit] Historical sportspeople from Belgium

In the past Belgium has also known many important sportspeople.In cycle racing, some important names are Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy, Roger De Vlaeminck, Lucien Van Impe, Patrick Sercu and Johan Museeuw. Among the notable soccer players from Belgium are Jean-Marie Pfaff, Eric Gerets, Enzo Scifo, Michel Preud'homme, Franky Van Der Elst and Jan Ceulemans. Other greats in Belgian sport history are Ivo Van Damme and Gaston Roelants, Jacky Ickx, Thierry Boutsen, Raymond Ceulemans, Jean-Michel Saive, Robert Van De Walle, Eddy Lejeune, Gaston Rahier, Gella Vandecaveye, Ingrid Berghmans, Frederik Deburghgraeve and Stefan Everts.

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