In modern times, thanks to the past and current government institutions, OSFNA, an independent sports organization, Oromo athletes have transitioned from traditional games to international sports, achieving immense success, particularly in distance running.

• Athletics (Distance Running): The Oromo people are a dominant force in international athletics. Athletes from the Oromia region have consistently won Olympic and World Championship medals in middle and long-distance events.
  • Abebe Bikila, an Oromo runner, was the first African to win an Olympic gold medal, famously running the 1960 Rome Marathon barefoot.
  • Derartu Tulu was the first black African woman to win an Olympic gold medal, winning the 10,000 meters in Barcelona in 1992.
  • The Dibaba sisters (Tirunesh, Genzebe, and Ejegayehu) and Meseret Defar are other notable Oromo women who have dominated the world of distance running.
• Football (Soccer): Football is a very popular sport in Oromia. The region is home to several professional football clubs, such as Adama City F.C. and Jimma Aba Jifar F.C.
• Basketball: Basketball is also a popular sport in the Oromia Regional State, played at various levels.

Traditional Oromo sports are often deeply connected to daily life, cultural practices, and the development of skills necessary for survival and community. These activities served as a form of education, recreation, and social bonding.

• Horseback Riding (Garmaamsa/Gugssa): The Oromo are renowned horsemen, and horseback riding has long been a central part of their culture. This skill was vital for herding, hunting, and warfare. Competitive horseback riding, known as garmaamsa or gugssa, is a traditional game that showcases skilled horsemanship.
• Running (Fiigicha): Running is the most frequent form of sport among Oromo youth. In a society where people often live at high altitudes, activities like herding cattle over long distances naturally developed endurance. A good runner was highly valued and could become a hero in their community.
• Wrestling (Waldhaansoo): Wrestling is an ancient sport played by Oromo men and youth to test their strength and skill. Matches are often held after harvests and can be a competition between different villages.
• High and Long Jump (Utaalchoo): These jumping events, which sometimes included pole vaulting, were practiced to develop physical agility and strength.
• Field Hockey (Kollee/Qillee): Similar to modern field hockey, this game involved using sticks to hit a ball made from a tree branch into an opponent's goal.
• Spear Throwing (Geengoo/Korboo): A game involving a rolling wheel made of vine, where children would throw sharpened sticks to stop it by spearing its center. This taught children how to target a moving object, a skill useful for hunting and warfare.
• Board Games (Gabata/Saddeeqa): Gabata, a type of mancala, is a traditional board game played with pebbles in rows of hollows on the ground or a wooden board. This game is considered one of the oldest board games in history.