The Flemish people are both active and passive sports enthusiasts. Almost every municipality has its sports centre, with or without an indoor swimming-pool. There are football pitches and tennis courts, athletics tracks, basketball and volleyball halls, etc. Recent Flemish sporters include: Olympic Champion High Jump 2008 Tia Hellebaut, 5 times European Champion 100 meters Kim Gevaerts, Olympic champion 100m breaststroke 1996 Frederik Deburghgraeve, tennis champion Kim Clijsters, female NBA-basketball star Ann Wouters, And the most famous Olympian at the moment is Flemish: President of the International Olympic comittee, Jacques Rogge.

In Melsbroek, the 'Brabantse Golf' has created a golf course. In Flanders, 1 in every six people is registered with an official sports league. Some of the world's top judo and motocross racers are Flemish, too. Popular Anglo-Saxon games such as baseball, American football or cricket are virtually unknown here. However, Flemish youngsters know everything about basketball heroes like Michael Jordan.

The most popular sports remain football and cycling. The football league's championship is organised at national level, yet most of the clubs in the top division are Flemish teams. FC Brugge and Anderlecht have achieved European fame. The fame of Flemish cyclists seems to have waned a little, nowadays. They used to be known as the Plandriens, stolid racing cyclists who were at their best when the wind was up and the rain poured.

However, the Flemish are still cycling connoisseurs, and enthusiastic supporters. Almost every village organises its own cycling race and all major competitions broadcast on Flemish television pull in large audiences. Cycling legend Eddy Merckx is but one famuos Flandrien. Winner of not only the Tour the France, but also de Ronde van Vlaanderen. Each year, over a million Flemish supporters come out to cheer on the racers.