World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Oslo  - Sport
Sport

Oslo is a great place for the outdoor sports enthusiast with the surrounding forest and fjord areas maintained for leisure pursuits like hiking and skiing. From Oslo, it is very easy to access over 1000 miles of cross-country ski tracks and the many ski lifts that facilitate downhill skiing. Skiing is also a great spectator sport with tens of thousands gathering to watch the final stages from the world's oldest ski jump at Holmenkollen during the annual ski festival each March. With so much enthusiasm for winter sports, it is hardly surprising that Norway is one of the leading countries in the Winter Olympics. In 1998, with 25 medals, they came second only to Germany, with 29, and well ahead of the next contender, Russia, with a mere 18. Four years earlier, Norway was top of the table on home ground at Lillehammer with a total of 26 medals.

Football is, however, the number one sports in terms of participation, averaging in excess of a quarter of a million active players throughout Norway. But the population is not large enough to support the game via ticket sales so football survives on income from football pools and the transfer fees from selling their best players abroad. Most of the players in the national team are likely to be stars in the English Premier League.

Ullevaal Stadium with a seating capacity of 25,600 is Norway's biggest football stadium, where the national team plays and where the cup finals are held. Lyn, the local premier division side, also play at Ullevaal Stadion.

Tickets to virtually all performances in Oslo, from concerts to sporting events, can be purchased at any post office. Tickets can be ordered from Billet Service (tel: 8103 3133) to be picked up at the post office later or can be mailed to addresses abroad.

Cycling: The main cycling club, Syklistenes Landsforening, Storgata 23C (tel: 2241 5080), is the best source of information. Cycling is a way of life in Oslo - one that comes into its own on the outskirts, where there are over 300km (186 miles) of forest roads and paths with special signs for cyclists. The way to get there is by T Bane to Frognerseteren, Skullerud or Sognsvann - bikes are allowed on the underground.

Golf: Golf courses abound and several offer visitors the opportunity to play; fees tend to be moderate. Examples include: Golfsenteret, Sandakerveien 24 (tel: 2322 6565), Oslo Golf Club, Bogstad (tel: 2250 4402), Groruddalen Golf Club, Postboks 4 Vestal (tel: 2221 6718), Baerum Golfklubb, Hellerudveien 26, Lommedalen (tel: 6787 6700; website: www.bmgk.no).

Skiing: The best first stop for all information regarding skiing in Oslo is Skiforeningen (The Ski Society), Kongeveiein 5 (tel: 2214 5482). Several slopes are close to the city centre and can be reached by bus or T Bane or car, such as Wyllerløypa and Tryvanskleiva, with Norefjell the biggest (two hours' drive).

Tennis: Tennis is popular and there are numerous municipal and members clubs where visitors can book courts. Oslo Tennisklubb, Hyllveien 5 (tel: 2255 6981; website: www.oslotk.no), is one of the oldest clubs in Oslo, recently having celebrated its centenary. Njårds Tennisbaner, Jensmessveien 1 (tel: 2214 6774), has both outdoors and indoor courts. Holmenkollen Tennisklubb, Bjørnveien 74 (tel: 2214 6773; website: www.holmenkollentk.no), has indoor and outdoor courts, outdoor swimming pool and an exercise room. Frogner Stadion Tennisanlegg, Middelthunsgate 26 (tel: 2243 4060) offers outdoor courts only.



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