Sports:

Shimoga presents a robust profile on the sports front with a good infrastructure, a good number of record holders and a great deal of players and enthusiasts. The youth of the district play all major sports—football, cricket, hockey, basketball, table tennis, volleyball and badminton. Sportspersons from the district have represented Karnataka in athletics, basketballs, kho-kho, volleyball, kabaddi, badminton and wrestling and won National and International acclaim (at Asian and Commonwealth Games), particularly in power-lifting, bodybuilding and wrestling.

Shimoga has a nodal point for training in wrestling and related sports, with veteran wrestling-trainers and well-equipped gymnasia. Kho-kho is also a major sports in which the district has consistently excelled, created several records in Dasara Sports. In the recent days, however, cricket has been all over the sports scenario of the district— a part of the national phenomenon—with league-level coaching facilities springing up in many places. There has also been growth of cricket clubs in the district which has, at times, tended to attract even political attention by the sheer virtue of their 'captive' youth power. Badminton has also received due priority here with a facility that is among the best in the state.
Shimoga is famous for its motorbike and car rallies which whip up heavy popular excitements in and around the district. Treasure-hunt rallies are conducted regularly, which attract huge number of youth participants. Along with all other sports Shimoga is emerging as a centre for adventure sports, with lots of youth showing interest in trekking (in which district has an unbeatable natural advantage) and other such sports. These days treasure hunt has become a rage here, drawing hundreds of youth into its fold.

The town sports a well-equipped stadium—the Nehru Stadium—with exclusive facilities for different sports, including a table tennis hall and gymnasium. Sports events such as all-India cross-country relay race from Chikkamagalur to Shimoga, all-India invitation kho-kho tournament, state-level volleyball championships and football tournaments have all been hosted at Shimoga. Every town in the district has one or more recreation clubs with facilities for indoor and outdoor games.