The provided bar graph illustrates the participation of adults in various major sports in a specific area during the years 1997 and 2017, measured in thousands.
Overall, there was a notable increase in adult participation in most sports from 1997 to 2017. Football maintained its position as the most popular sport in both years, while basketball and cricket experienced significant changes in participation levels.
In 1997, football and swimming garnered the highest participation, with 45,000 and 35,000 adults, respectively. Conversely, tennis had the lowest participation at 10,000 adults. Meanwhile, basketball and rugby stood at 15,000 and 20,000 participants, respectively. However, by 2017, football participation surged to 50,000, maintaining its position as the most popular sport. Basketball saw a significant increase to 25,000 participants, while rugby and tennis experienced more modest growth, reaching 25,000 and 20,000 participants, respectively. In contrast, swimming, cricket, and golf experienced a decline in participation, with swimming showing the most substantial drop to 30,000 participants, followed by cricket at 30,000 and golf at 35,000 participants.
The most striking change from 1997 to 2017 was witnessed in basketball and cricket. Basketball participation doubled from 1997 to 2017, showcasing a remarkable increase. At the same time, cricket experienced a significant decrease, plummeting to a quarter of its 1997 participation levels. This indicates a notable shift in adult preferences for these sports over the 20-year period. Furthermore, the consistent popularity of football is evident, as it maintained its position as the most favored sport over the years, with a substantial increase in participation. In contrast, tennis and rugby saw relatively minor changes in participation levels, with tennis doubling its 1997 numbers and rugby experiencing a modest increase to 25,000 participants in 2017.