As the Isle of Man basks in the title ‘Road racing capital of the world’, the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that other sports were, and are neglected. That is not the case. Cammag was traditionally played in the Island and today its successor, hockey, is still popular. Horse-racing and other sporting activities accompanied the development of tourism. This tourist tradition continues with the promotion in recent years of sports festivals which attract visitors from all parts of the British Isles. Following the Year of Sports in 1984, the popular Island Games was instigated in 1985 to enable small island nations to take part on equal terms, particularly in team competitions. However, individual Manx athletes have successfully competed at international and Commonwealth level in swimming, rifle shooting and cycling. Nowadays the Isle of Man Sports Council, set up in 1971, acts as an independent forum for the promotion and development of sports and recreation. A major achievement in recent years has been the establishment in 1991 of the National Sports Centre, on the outskirts of Douglas, which provides an athletics track with grass in-field area, a synthetic pitch, a raceway for cycling and race-walking, a 25-metre indoor pool, associated leisure facilities, ten badminton-court-size sports halls, and a health and fitness suite.

Although they have now fallen out of fashion, regattas were popular summer events until the second half of the twentieth century: they could embrace yacht-racing, at sea or on the Mooragh Park Lake and, more recently, on Baldwin Reservoir. A Round-the-Island yacht race is held in early May, and Manxmen such as Rick Tomlinson and Nicky Keig have also made their names on the international scene. Swimming galas were also popular and, besides races and diving competitions, might also include a bathing-beauty contest.

Clubs and organisations active in the 1990s embraced a variety of sports including, among others, athletics, bowling, clay pigeon, pistol and rifle shooting, cycling, equestrianism, gymnastics, association and rugby football, golf, lawn tennis, sailing and squash. Fell-walking is a sport particularly suited to the Island's terrain, and competitions attract entries from off the Island; competitive cycling also has a long pedigree.