The sports industry does not stand still - new sports appear almost every year. In the 20th century, the world of sports was replenished with, for example, field hockey, snowboarding and pylon sports, and today they no longer see anything unusual in these disciplines. Over the past 20 years, new sports have appeared in the world, which are distinguished by their unusual rules.
Some disciplines go international and officially receive the status of a sport, like Welsh football or curling, others remain amateur games.
Squash
Squash is the British equivalent of tennis, which originated in English prisons. The prisoners asked for a racket and hit the ball against the wall in their own cells until they organized the first competitions. The main difference between squash and tennis is a lightweight racket and a solid rubber ball. Squash is played mainly in pairs, but there are also double games. Squash is recognized as a sports discipline, and many bookmakers accept bets on this sport.
Triathlon
Triathlon is a sport that includes cycling, overcoming a water obstacle and running to the finish line. The participants of the marathon do not stop and pass the entire route at speed. Triathlon originated in France in 1920, but the first championship was held in the United States in 1974. Triathlon has been recognized by the International Olympic Committee since 1995. There is a winter variation of the triathlon, which includes running on snow, cycling and skiing.
Underwater hockey
A new interpretation of the popular sport involves playing hockey under water in the pool. Players dive and use special clubs to direct the puck into the opponent's goal. Underwater hockey sticks are called "pushers". The length of the pusher can reach only 35 cm, unlike the classic two-meter hockey sticks.
Rabbit racing
Northern Europe gave the world horse racing, and later dog racing. In 2012, a new tournament was held in Sweden - rabbit races. Athletes train rabbits, teach them to overcome obstacles and perform tasks for speed. Rabbit racing is gaining popularity in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the UK.
Bo-Taosi
In Japan, there is a national fun Bo-Taoshi, which has been claiming the status of a sports discipline for several years. The rules of the game are simple - the players meet on a special field, where two pillars are installed instead of the gate. Each team has 150 players: 75 defenders, 75 forwards. The goal of the game is to overwhelm the opponent's pillar. Despite all the eccentricity of the rules, the game enjoys audience sympathy and is actively gaining popularity among Japanese youth.
The most "weird" games that claim to be sports status
Every year, new amateur federations appear in the world that oversee the holding of games and competitions in sports that do not have the official status of sports disciplines. Among these games, a number of the most strange and often dangerous confrontations can be distinguished:
- Sports ironing. In England, the Bureau of Extreme Ironing is registered, which delivers "athletes" to the tops of the mountains so that they can iron their clothes. According to representatives of the Bureau, their passion should be recognized as an official sport.
- Gagabol. Gagabol is a Brazilian analogue of the popular game in Russia in "Bouncer". Players knock each other out by kicking the ball to the legs until the last remaining participant. The game takes place on specially equipped octagonal grounds.
- Quidditch. A game that appeared after a series of books by J. Rowling. The creator of the Harry Potter universe gave the world an exciting game of running on broomsticks and throwing balls into the basket. The game is popular mainly in England, but there are already Quidditch teams in Russia.
- Checkbox. Chessbox is a mixture of chess and boxing. These competitions were invented by comic book author Enki Bilal at the end of the 20th century. In 2003, the first world chess boxing championship was held. One round takes place according to the rules of boxing, the other - at the chessboard.
- Buzkashi or no-kasi. The national sport in Afghanistan is chasing a decapitated goat carcass on horseback. The goat's head is cut off, after which 10 participants on horseback catch it on a specially equipped field. Buzkashi is recognized as a sport in Afghanistan.
- Pesapallo. Pesapallo is Finnish baseball, the national sport in the country. The difference from US baseball is that the ball is thrown up, which adds dynamism to the game.
- Bossaball. Bassaball is a game on a volleyball field according to the rules of volleyball, with one exception - the ball cannot be touched by hands. Participants can only pass the ball with their feet or head. Players often refer to bossaball as a mixture of volleyball, football and gymnastics.
- Shin kicking. The game, which originated in northern England, involves alternating kicks to the shin. The two contenders take turns kicking each other's legs until one of them admits defeat.
Whether these games will become official sports is unknown. But even 50 years ago, many sports disciplines that are now familiar did not have such a status: for example, e-sports, snooker, darts.