Examining the data spanning from 1985 to 2005, the given line chart illustrates how many people participated in 4 distinct types of sports in a particular area.
Overall, rugby was the dominant sport in the first half of the period while tennis led the way in the second one. In addition, rugby showed a gradual downward trend while the opposite was right for the case of tennis. Moreover, throughout the period, the trends for basketball and badminton were relatively stable and comparable, with the latter sport remaining the least common.
In 1985, rugby was at its zenith, accounting for just under 250 players, surpassing the figure for tennis players by around 100. Basketball claimed the third position, with around 80 participants in turn. Possessing the lowest figure in the starting year, badminton attracted just over 50 people.
In the next decade, the number of people participating in rugby witnessed a remarkable decline, reaching parity with tennis (at 200 people) in the same year, then plunging, hitting a low of 50, equal to the figure for badminton in 2005. In contrast, the trend for tennis was upward, with its participation rates increasing to roughly 220 people at the end of the period, overtaking rugby and became the leading sport. Finally, the figures for basketball and badminton underwent negligible changes, hovering around 80 and 50 participants respectively.