hand ▁combat , ▁is ▁a ▁popular ▁spect ator ▁sport ▁in ▁coast al ▁regions . ▁It ▁is ▁tradition ally ▁pract iced ▁by ▁men , ▁but ▁women ▁have ▁recently ▁begun ▁to ▁particip ate . ▁The ▁wrest ling ▁of ▁z eb u ▁cattle , ▁which ▁is ▁named ▁sav ika ▁or ▁to lon - om by , ▁is ▁also ▁pract iced ▁in ▁many ▁regions . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁sports , ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁games ▁are ▁played . ▁Among ▁the ▁most ▁em blem atic ▁is ▁fan or ona , ▁a ▁board ▁game ▁w ides p read ▁throughout ▁the ▁High land ▁regions . ▁According ▁to ▁folk ▁legend , ▁the ▁succession ▁of ▁King ▁And rian j aka ▁after ▁his ▁father ▁R al am bo ▁was ▁partially ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁ob session ▁that ▁And rian j aka ' s ▁older ▁brother ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁with ▁playing ▁fan or ona ▁to ▁the ▁det r iment ▁of ▁his ▁other ▁respons ib ilities . ▁ ▁Western ▁recre ational ▁activities ▁were ▁introduced ▁to ▁Mad agas car ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁two ▁centuries . ▁Rugby ▁union ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁national ▁sport ▁of ▁Mad agas car . ▁Soccer ▁is ▁also ▁popular . ▁Mad agas car ▁has ▁produced ▁a ▁world ▁champion ▁in ▁p ét an que , ▁a ▁French ▁game ▁similar ▁to ▁la wn ▁bow ling , ▁which ▁is ▁widely ▁played ▁in ▁urban ▁areas ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁High lands . ▁School ▁athlet ics ▁programs ▁typically ▁include ▁s occer , ▁track ▁and ▁field , ▁j udo , ▁box ing , ▁women ' s ▁basketball ▁and ▁women ' s