SPORTS AROUND THE WORLD
1. POCKETING THE BALL
Basketball is a popular team sport where two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or shooting a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules. The team with more points at the end of the game wins. The ball can be advanced in the court bouncing it while walking or running or passing it to a teammate but it is a violation to walk with the ball. The violations are called “fouls”. The tallest members of a team will play “center” “small forward” or “power forward” positions and shorter players who possess the best ball handling skills and speed play “point guard” or “shooting guard”. Disruptive physical contact i;e a personal foul is penalized. A free throw is awarded to the opposite teams player if he is fouled while shooting the ball. A technical foul is given for an unsportsmanlike conduct. The first official game was played in a YMCA gymnasium on January 20, 1892 with nine players.
2. CUE SPORTS: A ROYAL GAME
Billiards sports are also called as cue sports. It is a game of skill played with a cue stick. The stick is used to strike billiard balls which moves around a billiards table. There are three major sub-divisions in billiards.
1. Carom billiards is a game played on tables without pockets.
2. Pool generally played with six pockets
3. Snooker is a pocket billiards game.
Billiard balls were made from many materials like clay, Bakelite, ivory, plastic, steel and wood. Tables are rectangles twice as long as they are wide and are covered by a cloth called baize. A rack is a frame used to organize billiard balls. chalk is applied at the tip of the cue stick. The first known mention of a form of the word “billiards” appears in Edmund Spenser’s “mother hubberd’s tale” in 1591. The word “billiard” may have evolved from the French word billiart or billette meaning stick .Billiards games are mostly played with a stick known as CUE.
3. THAT’S A PUNCH
Two people punch and fight using their fist in a martial art called boxing. The game is supervised by a referee during a one-to three minute intervals called rounds. Boxers of similar weight generally fight. There are three ways to win in boxing. A knockout is where the opponent is knocked out and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten seconds. A technical knockout where the opponent is too injured .If the fight is not stopped after the agreed number of rounds the referee decides or the judges score board decides. A match generally consists of 12 – three minute rounds. Initially a minute is spent between each round by the fighter in the corner of the ring receiving advice from the coach and staff. The referee woks within the ring to judge and control the fighters, check their conduct, safety, count during the knock outs and rule on fouls. Early history of fist fighting goes back during the days of Sumerians and ancient Egyptians
4. THE BIKING SPORT
Bicycling or biking is a game where a person cycles using a bicycle. cycles can be used in recreation, for transport or for sport. The persons engaged in cycling are called cyclists or bicyclists. Apart from the two-wheeled bicycle there are also unicycle, tricycle, Quadra cycle and other human powered vehicles. Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century. There are about a billion cycles in the world. The price of a bicycle can range between $50 - $20,000. These are the principal means of transportation in many regions. Cycling can be more efficient and comfortable with special shoes, gloves and shorts .Bicycle helmets can be used for safety reasons. The road bicycles can weigh as little as 3.2kg. In wet weather, riding can be tolerable with waterproof clothes such as cap, jacket, pants and overshoes. Battery operated lights, reflectors and audible signaling devices like bell or horn can be used for safety. Mountain biking grew in the late 20th century as a recreation and racing.
5. FENCING WITH A BLADE
Fencing also called modern fencing is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons. The English term fencing is said to be “the action or art of using the sword scientifically” .Fencing has been featured at every modern Olympic games. There are three types of weapons used in Olympic fencing.
Foil – a light thrusting weapon. The valid target is the torso, chest, shoulders and back.
Epee – a heavy thrusting weapon. The valid target area is the entire body.
Sabre – a light cutting and thrusting weapon. Target area is the saddle line, which is from one side of the fencers hip to the other and up, this also includes head. It’s also used for training. The first known use of defens in reference to Renaissance swordsmanship is in william shakespeare’s “merry wives of windsor”. The original meaning of fence is “the act of defending “derived ultimately from the latin. Olympic fencing refers to the fencing seen in current competitions including world cup and olympic games.
6. CRICKET – THE BAT AND BALL GAME
Cricket is a team sport and according to documents it was played in southern England in the 16th century. By the end of 18th century it became the national sport of England. (ICC) International cricket council with 104 member countries is the governing body. Cricket is the worlds second most popular sport after football. The copyright for the laws of cricket is held by ICC and MCC (Marylebone cricket club). Cricket is played on a cricket field or pitch. Contest happens between two teams of eleven players each. One team bats and tries to score runs without being out or dismissed while other team bowls or fields. After available over or no batsmen left the opposite team bats to outscore the opposition. The bat is made of wood. The ball is a hard leather seemed spheroid. These balls can be bowled at a speed of more then 90 miles/hr. so the batsmen wear protective clothing including pads for knees ,batting gloves for hands, helmet for head and a box inside the trousers.
7. SHOOTING THE ARROW WITH A BOW
Archery is the art or skill of shooting the arrows using a bow. Historically, archery was used for hunting and combat. The one who practices archery is an “archer” or a “bowman”. The archer who is an expert is referred as “toxophilite”. The revival of modern primitive archery can be traced to Ishi, who came out of hiding in California in 1911. Ishi was the last of the yahi Indian tribe. The shooting technique is to hold the bow in the hand opposite to the archer’s dominant eye. Classic civilizations like the Assyrians, Hungarians, Persians, parthians, Indians, Koreans, Chinese and Japanese fielded large number of archers in their armies. The bow is said to be inverted in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic periods. The “Pope and young club” founded in 1961 and named in honor of pope, is one of North Americas leading bow hunting and conservation organization. In the united states, competition archery and bow hunting for may years used English style longbows
8. PLAYING THE GAME OF FOOTBALL
Association football also commonly called football or soccer is a team sport played with eleven players in each team using a spherical ball. It is the worlds most popular sport. The rules were coded in 1863. The teams compete to get the ball into other teams goal, to score a goal. The team that scores more goals at the end of the game is the winner. It is a draw if each team scores the same number of goals .Each team is led by a captain. The pitch is 105m long and 68m wide for A international matches. A foul occurs when a player commits an offence. The major international competition in football is the world cup, organized be FIFA.
The rules were coded in England by the football association. There are seventeen laws in the official laws of the game. Some of the offences in the game are handling the ball and pushing an opponent are “Penal fouls”, punishable by a “direct free kick” or “penalty kick”. Other fouls have an indirect free kick. The referee may also punish a misconduct with a “yellow card” or a “red card”.
9. SQUASH – WHAT A GAME?
Squash is a racquet sport played between two players or four players in a four walled court with a small rubber ball. Squash still remains to be included in the Olympics. Squash has its roots from the early 1500’s in France. Monasteries in France developed this game. Squash got developed in England after tennis. The squash rackets association was formed in 1925 to set standards for squash in Great Britain. It has difficulty to observe the sport as a spectator since, the ball travels so quickly.Special coated balls were designed to increase visibility. Special glass courts were also made. Because of this problem the professional squash players earn less than their counterpart in the tennis world. Squash is played throughout the world and is similar to tennis in skills and fitness requirements. In the 1900’s the game increased in popularity with various schools, clubs and even private citizens building squash courts. The first squash court in North America appeared at St.Pauls school in New Hampshire in 1884.
10. PLAYING IN THE COURT – TENNIS
Tennis is a sport played between two players (singles) and four players (Doubles). The players use a racquet to strike the ball over the net into the opponent’s court. The modern tennis originated as lawn tennis in United Kingdom in late 19th century. Tennis spread through the upper class English population before spreading around the world. Tennis is a popular sport and enjoyed by millions as a recreational sport and as a spectator sport. There are four grand slam tournaments or “majors” , the Australian open, the French open , Wimbledon and the U.S. open.. Approximately 400 future tournaments are played each year. The majority of players use the challenger series to work their way up the rankings. Tennis is said to have been originated in France in the 12th century, but the ball was then stuck with the palm of the hand. A serve in tennis is a shot to start a point. The serve is hit by tossing the ball into the air and hitting it over the net to the opposite side.
11. A GAME OVER A TABLE
Table tennis also known as ping-pong is played on a hard table divided by a net between two or four players. Players hit a light ball back and forth with a racquet .Except for the initial serve, players must allow the ball played with only one bounce on their side of the table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side . Points are scored when the player fails to return the ball within the rules. The game is fast paced and reactions are quick. It is popular and is controlled by the international table tennis federation (ITTF) founded in 1926. The game originated in Britain in 1800’s and was called “Wiff – waff”. Since 1988, table tennis has been an Olympic sport .Table tennis is the most popular racket sport in the world, with more then 300 million active members of governing associations world wide. The modern version of the racket was invented in 1901 by E.C Goode. He fixed a sheet of pimpled rubber to the wooden blade.
12. SWIM ACROSS, CYCLE UP AND RUN AFTER
A triathlon is a multi-sport event consisting of swimming, cycling and running in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for the overall course completion time between the transitions of swimming, biking and running. Triathlon races very in distances. There are different distances for international triathlon union, sprint distance, intermediate or Olympic distance, the long course and ultra distance. The most popular branded ultra distance is the “ironman triathlon”. The nature of the sport demands on persistent and periodical training in all three games, workouts, and strength. Just the proficiency in swimming, cycling and running alone is not enough for success in triathlon. Transition areas are positioned both between the swim and bike segments (1) and between the bike and run segments (2) with a single check point at intervals. The players can use these areas to store bicycles and other accessories to prepare for the next stage of race. The transition time is included in the overall time of the race. So speed during the transition is essential.
13. SPIKE AND BLOCK IN VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball is Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 players play each other over a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball in the other teams court under a set of rules. Many other variations of volleyball have developed notably the beach volleyball. A game starts by a player beginning a rally by serving the ball from the boundary line over the net into the receiving end. They may touch the ball as many as three times. First two touches are preparation for the attack over the net. If the ball is grounded outside the boundary, catching or throwing, double hits they are considered faults. Spiking and blocking are the consistent techniques. Since the play is made above the top of the net, vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport besides passing and setting. The ball is usually played with hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push the ball with any part of the body.
14. LIFTING THE WEIGHTS
Weight lifting also called Olympic weightlifting is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight, single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates. The two lifts competed are “clean and jerk” and the “Snatch”. Weightlifting also refers to weight training. This sport is controlled by the international weightlifting federation (IWF) based in Budapest and that was founded in 1905. Competitors compete in one of the eight divisions determined by their body mass. competitors are given prizes for the heaviest weights lifted in the “Snatch”, “clean and Jerk” and two combined. The order of competition is up to the lifters. Weights are set in 1 kilogram increments and each lifter can have a maximum of three lifts, regardless of weather lifts are successful or not. The order of the competition is up to the lifters. The competitor who chooses to attempt the lowest weight goes first. If they are unsuccessful at the weight, they can have a reattempt or can try a heavier weight later.
15. HAND TO HAND COMBAT
Wrestling is an ancient martial art where the wrestlers do clinch fighting, throws, take downs, joint locks and pins. The wrestling bout is a physical competition between two competitors who attempt to gain or maintain a superior position. Wrestling term is said to have originated before 1100 A.D. . Freestyle wrestling spread rapidly in the United Kingdom and in the United States, after the American civil war. Wrestling professionals soon increased the popularity of Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling worldwide resulting in the rise of gymnasiums and athletic clubs. The international federation of associated wrestling styles (FILA) has regulated amateur wrestling since 1921 as an athletic discipline. There are a range of styles in wrestling with varying rules with both traditional historic and modern styles. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into other maritial arts as well as military hand to hand combat systems. The Mahabharata describes the encounter between the accomplished wrestlers Bhima and Jarasandha.
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