A sport is defined as an activity governed by a set of rules or customs which usually carry consequences if not obeyed and often engaged in competitively. These activities usually test the player’s skill, endurance, strategy, agility and strength. Some sports however only test the mental faculties like card and board games and puzzles but still posses the basic characteristics of a sport, are organized, competitive and require fairness. The history of sports probably can be traced as far back the existence of people and has been a good way of socializing, entertainment and a common hobby. Sports such as hurling and polo have existed for around two thousand years and have evolved throughout history and are the modern hockey, rugby and football we now know. In fact the renowned Olympics which originated in ancient Greece are believed to be in practice from as 13th century BC but were only documented from 776BC onwards. How about today’s popular sport? Just who invented these well-known sports like, Boxing and soccer or basketball- with the most awaited NBA Celebrity All Star Game just around the corner, that keep everyone glued to their TV screens?
The earliest record of boxing or “pugilism” with the use of gloves is of the Minoans (1500-900BC) but the sport has existed in primitive forms can be traced back to its inclusion in the Greek Olympics in 688BBC. It existed in two forms during this era-the athletic and gladiatorial- and became so popular that even emperors started fighting. In 500AD it was banned under the Christian emperor Theodosius as being an insult to God because it disfigures the face, the image of God. Since then, many safety rules and precautions have been implemented and boxing remains a popular sport worldwide.
Basketball was invented by a Canadian physical education instructor, James Naismith in 1891. Players dribbled a soccer ball up and down a court and points were made when it was shot in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock style basket were then introduced in 1893.Ten years later, open nets were used which did away with the former problem of retrieving the ball from the peach basket every time a score was made. Professional basketball was proposed in 1946 by Walter Brown in the form of the Basketball Association of America which paved the way for battle between the East and West and made the NBA celebrity all star game possible.
Asia-China and Japan to be specific are the founders of soccer and can be traced as far back as 1004 B.C in Japan and 50BC in China. In China, players kicked a hair filled leather ball and it is certain that this game was played in Kyoto, the former Japanese capital in 611AD. A close resemblance of the modern soccer can also be found in the game played in Greece and Rome which consisted of 27 players. It isn’t clear how soccer spread to Europe and Africa but it is currently the most popular sport to play and to watch in the world!
With this brief sports history review in mind, whenever you read the latest sports review and news be it about the NBA or NFL, or while you watch the NBA celebrity all star game on TV, stop for a while and think of how far back in time they originated and how they’ve now become an integral part of our daily lives.