About Sports
Sport (or, in the United States, sports) is all forms of competitive physical activity which,[1] through casual or organized participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants.[2] Hundreds of sports exist, from those requiring only two participants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals.
Sport is generally recognized as activities which are based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity, with the largest major competitions such as the Olympic Games admitting only sports meeting this definition,[3][2]bona fide sports, and Sport Accord, the international sports federation association, recognizes five non-physical sports,[4][5] although limits the amount of mind games which can be admitted as sports.[1] and other organizations such as the Council of Europe using definitions precluding activities without a physical element from classification as sports. However, a number of competitive, but non-physical, activities claim recognition as mind sports. The International Olympic Committee (through ARISF) recognizes both chess and bridge as
Sports are usually governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to ensure fair competition, and allow consistent adjudication of the winner. Winning can by determined by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first, or by the determination of judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance, including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance or artistic impression.
In organized sport, records of performance are often kept, and for popular sports, this information may be widely announced or reported in sport news. In addition, sport is a major source of entertainment for non-participants, with spectator sports drawing large crowds to venues, and reaching wider audiences through sports broadcasting.
Definition
The precise definition of what separates a sport from other leisure activities varies between sources, with no universally agreed definition. The closest to an international agreement on a definition is provided by Sport Accord, which is the association for all the largest international sports federations (including association football, American football, cycling, equestrian sports, baseball and more), and is therefore the de facto representative of international sport. In order to widen participation, and reduce the impact of losing on less able participants, there has been an introduction of non-competitive physical activity to traditionally competitive events such as school sportsdays, although moves like this are often controversial.[9][10
Sports are an incredibly important contributor to human nature in our pacified society. The lack of responsibility and risk taking swells to the point where people avoid any kind of competitive activity because of the inherent risk of failure. Participating in sport at any level will replace the necessary competitive edge in an individual and kindle the fire of dedication, hard work, and almost reckless intensity; the stuff of 70′s Big.Competition
There are opposing views on the necessity of competition as a defining element of a sport, with almost all professional sport involving competition, and governing bodies requiring competition as a prerequisite of recognition by the IOC or Sport Accord.[1]
Other bodies advocate widening the definition of sport to include all physical activity. For instance, the Council of Europe include all forms of physical exercise, including those completed just for fun.
In order to widen participation, and reduce the impact of losing on less able participants, there has been an introduction of non-competitive physical activity to traditionally competitive events such as school sports days, although moves like this are often controversial.[9][10]
History
There are artifacts and structures that suggest that the Chinese engaged in sporting activities as early as 2000 BC.[11] Gymnastics appears to have been a popular sport in China's ancient past. Monuments to the Pharaohs indicate that a number of sports, including swimming and fishing, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt.[12] Other Egyptian sports included javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling. Ancient Persian sports such as the traditional Iranian martial art of Zourkhaneh had a close connection to the warfare skills.[13] Among other sports that originate in ancient Persia are polo and jousting.
Motorized sports have appeared since the advent of the modern age
A wide range of sports were already established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably. Sports became such a prominent part of their culture that the Greeks created the Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.[14]
Sports have been increasingly organized and regulated from the time of the ancient Olympics up to the present century. Industrialization has brought increased leisure time to the citizens of developed and developing countries, leading to more time for citizens to attend and follow spectator sports, greater participation in athletic activities, and increased accessibility. These trends continued with the advent of mass media and global communication. Professionalism became prevalent, further adding to the increase in sport's popularity, as sports fans began following the exploits of professional athletes through radio, television, and the internet—all while enjoying the exercise and competition associated with amateur participation in sports.Importance of Sports
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“Health is wealth.” Those who have understood its importance will try to keep themselves fit. Apart from a balanced diet, sports are necessary to maintain our health. If we do not play regularly, our body does not develop. Our body becomes weak. We may become a target for many of the diseases. Sports are necessary for maintaining our health and physical fitness.
Sports also inculcate good qualities in us. Involving oneself in competitive sports will encourage healthy competition. Taking up captain ship in team gameswill inculcate leadership qualities. Playing as a team will encourage co-operation among the players.
We may feel that, if we spend our time in playing, when should we study? Here is a solution- Study in the morning as the mind is fresh. After you return home from school, play for about one to two hours as the mind is tired. Then you canstudy again. So friends, always remember the proverb, “All study and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This proverb not only applies to Jack but for all of us.
Sports makes humanbeing healthy and we know that health is incredible wealth of humanbeing. If a man is very rich but he is not healthy then, his wealth is of no use. He cannot do any work and can't eat delicious food but on the otherhand if a man is very poor and he has a good health then he has all the comforts of the world Sports also inculcate good qualities in us. Involving oneself in competitive sports will encourage healthy competition. Taking up captain ship in team gameswill inculcate leadership qualities. Playing as a team will encourage co-operation among the players.
We may feel that, if we spend our time in playing, when should we study? Here is a solution- Study in the morning as the mind is fresh. After you return home from school, play for about one to two hours as the mind is tired. Then you canstudy again. So friends, always remember the proverb, “All study and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This proverb not only applies to Jack but for all of us.
An Easy about Importance of Sports
The place of games and sports in the life of human beings is great. There is a very old saying that “Health is Wealth”. One can build has body by playing games as it provides exercise in open and fresh air. All work and no play makesa person dull. Exercise gives life and energy to the mind and the body of the people and helps to keep them fit. Exercises, walking, jogging and yoga are the parts of every games and sports and these help to build up the body of the people.Games and sports are a very necessary part of education. As we know the aim of education is all round development — physical, mental and moral of a student. Only a sound body can have a sound mind.
Mind cannot be stronger if the body is weak. A good student must take care of all the things. He must give time to his studies, but he should not neglect games. He should follow a general principle “work, while you work, play, while you play, that is the way to be happy and gay.” In the past there was no provision for games and sports in India schools and colleges. But, now no educational institution is complete without some arrangement for different games and sports.Games and sports have many advantages. They improve health and help in building up a good body. As games are played in the open air, the body gets plenty of sunshine and fresh air. The value of good health is well expressed in the proverb— “A sound mind in a sound body.” Hockey, football and other games provide better health.
Games have another advantage. They develop a spirit of friendship. Players do not play for themselves only but for the team as a whole. The dedication and skill displayed by every player on the field is worth watching. A sportsman develops a broad outlook and learns the value of cooperative work. These habits prove highly useful in life. Team spirit among the players should be followed by each and every person to make the earth a better place to live in.
Besides comradeship and team spirit games provide good training in discipline and organization. Games teach us discipline and sportsmanship. A sportsman treats victory and defeat equally. Games provide a good training for playing the game of life. A true player is unmindful of joys and sorrows. We learn to laugh in the face of failures. We do not feel proud at success.
Sportsmanship approach towards life helps us to face the challenges in life with a brave spirit. It gives the best education in the art of living. The spirit of sportsmanship helps in the formation of character. The player learns the value of showing respect to his elders and teammates. Players learn to obey their captain and carry out his instructions.Games teach us the art of leadership also. The captain wins the hearts of his team through love, sympathy and fair play. In this way games produce the best citizens of tomorrow. Games provide a good excitement in dull life of students we can make the best use of leisure by playing games. They also let off the surplus energy of young men.
If this surplus energy does not come out the result would be mischief and indiscipline. Students must be kept busy when they are not studying. Games often help in entering life. Extraordinary players choose games as their profession in life. Sometimes they are selected to represent their country in international tournaments and Olympic Games.
In our schools, however games and sports are a neglected subject today. Many schools have no proper arrangement for games. Games should be made compulsory for every student in every school. Education should mean a perfect balance of imparting physical and academic education to the child educationwithout games in incomplete in order to make a full man of a student. School should give due importance to games and sports. The state should allocate sufficient funds for the promotions of sports in the country.
But, there are some disadvantages of the games too. People attach to much importance to them. Games tend to become an end in themselves. It also prove harmful to study, if too much attention is paid to them. It often happens that many promising students sacrifice their careers by giving too much time to games.
To conclude games are necessary. But, too much cultivation of games has harmful results. Seeing the positive impact of games and sports in life and education parents should help children include games in their daily routine. A game even an hour a day, could benefit the child in his physical and mental development. There is a need for maintaining a perfect balance between the studies and sports. ‘Healthy and Wise’ citizens of a country can hope to be wealthy and prosperous.
Ancient Olympic Games
Ancient Olympic Games
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| First Olympic Game |
According to Hippias of Elis, who compiled a list of Olympic victors c.400 BC, at first the only Olympic event was a 200-yard dash, called a stadium. This was the only event until 724 BC, when a two-stadium race was added. Two years later the 24-stadia event began, and in 708 the pentathlon was added and wrestling became part of the games. This pentathlon, a five-event match consisted of running, wrestling, leaping, throwing the discus, and hurling the javelin. In time boxing, a chariot race, and other events were included.
The victors of these early games were crowned with wreaths from a sacred olive tree that grew behind the temple of Zeus. According to tradition this tree was planted by Hercules (Heracles), founder of the games. The winners marched around the grove to the accompaniment of a flute while admirers chanted songs written by a prominent poet.
The Olympic Games were held without interruptions in ancient Greece. The games were even held in 480 BC during the Persian Wars, and coincided with the Battle of Thermopylae. Although the Olympic games were never suspended, the games of 364 BC were not considered Olympic since the Arkadians had captured the sanctuary and reorganized the games.
After the Battle of Chaironeia in 338 BC, Philip of Makedon and his son Alexander gained control over the Greek city-states. They erected the Philippeion (a family memorial) in the sanctuary, and held political meetings at Olympia during each Olympiad. In 146 BC, the Romans gained control of Greece and, therefore, of the Olympic games. In 85 BC, the Roman general Sulla plundered the sanctuary to finance his campaign against Mithridates. Sulla also moved the 175th Olympiad (80 BC) to Rome.
The games were held every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD, when they were abolished by the Christian Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I. The ancient Olympic Games lasted for 1170 years.
The successful campaign to revive the Olympics was started in France by Baron Pierre de Coubertin late in the 19th century. The first of the modern Summer Games opened on Sunday, March 24, 1896, in Athens, Greece. The first race was won by an American college student named James Connolly.
Chronology of athletic events added to the Olympic Games
According to the tradition of Hippias of Elis ca. 400 BC, the events of the Olympic Games were added to the program in the following order.
Year | Olympiad | Event |
776 BC | 1st Olympiad | Stadium race |
724 BC | 14th Olympiad | double-stadium race |
720 BC | 15th Olympiad | long-distance race |
708 BC | 18th Olympiad | Pentathlon |
708 BC | 18th Olympiad | Wrestling |
688 BC | 23rd Olympiad | Boxing |
680 BC | 25th Olympiad | 4-horse chariot race |
648 BC | 33rd Olympiad | horse race |
648 BC | 33rd Olympiad | Pankration |
520 BC | 65th Olympiad | race in armor |
408 BC | 93rd Olympiad | 2-horse chariot race |
Myths and the Olympic Games
Pelops myth
There are several Greek myths about how the games were started. The most common myth was the story of the hero Pelops, after whom the Peloponnese is named ("Pelops’ isle"). The story of Pelops was displayed prominently on the east pedimental sculptures of the Temple of Zeus. Pelops was a prince from Lydia in Asia Minor who sought the hand of Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oinomaos of Pisa. Oinomaos challenged his daughter's suitors to a chariot race under the guarantee that any young man who won the chariot race could have Hippodamia as a wife. Any young man who lost the race would be beheaded, and the heads would be used as decoration for the palace of Oinomaos. With the help of his charioteer Myrtilos, Pelops devised a plan to beat Oinomaos in the chariot race. Pelops and Myrtilos secretly replaced the bronze linchpins of the King's chariot with linchpins made of wax. When Oinomaos was about to pass Pelops in the chariot race, the wax melted and Oinomaos was thrown to his death. Pelops married Hippodamia and instituted the Olympic games to celebrate his victory. A different version of the myth refers to the Olympic games as funeral games in the memory of Oinomaos.Hercules (Herakles) myth
Another myth about the origin of the Olympic Games comes from the Tenth Olympian Ode of the poet Pindar. He tells the story of how Herakles, on his fifth labor, had to clean the stables of King Augeas of Elis. Herakles approached Augeas and promised to clean the stables for the price of one-tenth of the king's cattle. Augeas agreed, and Herakles rerouted the Kladeos and Alpheos rivers to flow through the stables. Augeas did not fulfill his promise, however, and after Herakles had finished his labors he returned to Elis and waged war on Augeas. Herakles sacked the city of Elis and instituted the Olympic Games in honor of his father, Zeus. It is said that Herakles taught men how to wrestle and measured out the stadium, or the length of the footrace.The Importance of the Olympic Games
The Importance of Ancient Greek Athletics
The ancient Greeks were highly competitive and believed strongly in the concept of "agon", or "competition" or "contest". The ultimate Greek goal was to be the best. All aspects of life, especially athletics, were centered around this concept. It was therefore considered one of the greatest honors to win a victory at Olympia. The fact that the only prize given at Olympia was an olive wreath illustrates this point. The athletes competed for honor, not for material goods.Athletics were of prime importance to the Greeks. The education of boys concentrated on athletics and music as well as academic subjects such as philosophy. Education took place in the gymnasion and the palaistra as well as the academy.
The Religious Aspects of the Ancient Olympic Games
In ancient Greece, games were closely connected to the worship of the gods and heroes. Games were held as part of religious ceremonies in honor of deceased heroes, a concept displayed in the funeral games for Patroklos in Book 23 of Homer's epic poem, The Iliad. Games were also held in the context of many ancient fertility festivals. The games at Olympia were connected with both the funeral games of Oinomaos, established by Pelops, and a fertility cult involving any number of gods and goddesses who were worshipped at the site. The Olympic games began to be usurped by the prominent cult of Zeus, and eventually lost much of their religious character.
The Olympic Games and the Greek Calendar
The Greek calendar was based on the conception of the four-year Olympiad. When Greek historians referred to dates, they most often referred to a year (i.e., first, second, third, fourth) within the Olympiad that the event occurred. The winner of the stadium race in a given year had the Olympiad named in honor of him. The first Olympiad is therefore known as that of Koroibos of Elis, the winner of the stadium race in 776 BC.
The Sacred Truce
The sacred truce was instituted during the month of the Olympiad. Messengers known as "spondorophoroi" carried the word of the truce and announced the date of the games all over the Greek world. The truce called for a cessation of all hostilities for a period of one month (later three months) to allow for the safe travel of athletes to and from Olympia. Armies and armed individuals were barred from entering the sanctuary. In addition, no death penalties could be carried out during the period of the truce.
The Internationalization of the Olympic Games
From the beginning, the games at Olympia served as a bond between Greeks and strengthened the Greek sense of national unity. During the Hellenistic period, Greeks who came to live in foreign surroundings such as Syria, Asia, and Egypt, strove to hold on to their culture. One of the ways to achieve this was to build athletic facilities and continue their athletic traditions. They organized competitions, and sent competitors from their towns to compete in the Panhellenic games.
In the 2nd century A.D., Roman citizenship was extended to everyone within the Roman empire. From then on, the participation of many competitors from outside of Greece in the Olympic games, gave them to a degree, international nature.When the Greek government reinstated the games in 1896, this international character of the competitions was preserved by Baron de Coubertin. Now, 16 centuries later, the Olympic games attract competitors from countries all over the world.
Modern Olympic Games
The best amateur athletes in the world match skill and endurance in a series of contests called the Olympic Games. Almost every nation sends teams of selected athletes to take part. The purposes of the Olympic Games are to foster the ideal of a "sound mind in a sound body" and to promote friendship among nations.
The modern Olympic Games are named for athletic contests held in ancient Greece for almost 12 centuries. They were banned in AD 394 but were revived and made international in 1896. The Winter Games were added in 1924. World War I and World War II forced cancellation of the Olympics in 1916, 1940, and 1944, but they resumed in 1948 and are held every four years. After 1992 the Winter and Summer Games were no longer held within the same calendar year. Winter Games were scheduled for 1994, after only a two-year interval, and every four years thereafter. The Summer Games were scheduled for 1996, and every four years thereafter.
Summer sports include archery, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian events (horseback riding), fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, rowing, shooting, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling, and yachting. Winter events include skating, skiing, bobsledding, luge, tobogganing, ice hockey, and the biathlon (skiing-shooting).
The most exacting track and field event is the decathlon (from the Greek words deka, meaning "ten," and athlon, "contest"). Contestants compete in ten different running, jumping, and throwing events. The athlete scoring the greatest total number of points is the winner. The pentathlon, consisting of five such events, was discontinued after 1924. It was restored in the 1948 games as the modern pentathlon, based upon five military skills--fencing, riding, running, shooting, and swimming. The marathon race, covering 26 miles 385 yards, honors the ancient Greek runner Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek victory against the Persians.Women take part in separate summer and winter events. Ten new women's summer competitions added in 1984 included the marathon and a 49-mile cycling event. The pentathlon, introduced in 1964, was replaced by the heptathlon, which consists of 100-meter hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, and 200- and 800-meter races. Additional events for women in the 1992 Winter and Summer Games included the biathlon, 10-kilometer walk, baseball, and judo.
Highlights of the Modern Games
One of the most dramatic feats of the Olympics was the triumph of the United States track and field team in 1896. Competing as unofficial representatives, the ten-man squad reached Athens barely in time to participate. They won nine out of 12 events.
In 1912 Jim Thorpe, a Native American, became the only man to win both the decathlon and pentathlon in one year. Officials canceled his record and took back his medals when they learned that he had played professional baseball. His medals were restored posthumously in 1982. In track and field, Jesse Owens, a black American, won four gold medals including a team medal in 1936. The first woman to win three individual gold medals was Fanny Blankers-Koen of The Netherlands. The first athletes to win the decathlon twice were Bob Mathias of the United States, in 1948 and 1952, and Daley Thompson of Great Britain, in 1980 and 1984. The first perfect 10.0 in Olympic gymnastics was scored by Nadia Comaneci of Romania, who received seven perfect scores and three gold medals in 1976.
In the 1964 Winter Games the Soviet speed skater Lidya Skoblikova was the first athlete to win four individual gold medals. Her feat was duplicated in the 1968 Summer Games by the Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska.
In 1972 the United States swimmer Mark Spitz won a record seven gold medals at a single Olympics. Swimmers John Naber of the United States and Kornelia Ender of East Germany each won four gold medals in the Summer Games in 1976.
The all-time individual medal winner was the American track athlete Ray C. Ewry, who won eight events in the 1900, 1904, and 1908 Games.
The 1972 Summer Games in Munich, West Germany, became a tragedy when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 Olympic team members from Israel. In a protest against a New Zealand rugby tour of South Africa about 30 African nations boycotted the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal, Que. To protest the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan more than 60 countries, led by the United States, withdrew from the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow. The Soviet Union, which first participated in 1952, withdrew from the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
Scandals rocked the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul. Ten athletes were disqualified after drug tests revealed steroid abuse. Charges of bias and incompetence in the officiating at the boxing events led to two-year suspensions for five Korean boxers and officials and several other judges and referees.
In the 1896 Olympic Games there were fewer than 500 athletes representing 13 nations. In 1988 the Seoul games drew entries from a record total of 160 countries. While the number of athletes who competed in Los Angeles did not surpass the high of 10,000 set at Munich in 1972, the 1984 games set records for the largest total attendance--almost 5.8 million people--and the most gold medals for one country--83 for the United States.
The centennial Olympic Games opened in Atlanta, Ga., with more than 10,000 athletes from a record 197 nations in attendance. The opening ceremonies, which began 16 days of athletic competition, featured a tribute to the ancient Greek games and slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Former world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch, which completed a 84-day, 15,000-mile (24,000-kilometer) trek across the United States. The games featured 28 delegations that were participating for the first time, including athletes from the Czech Republic, FYROM, and Burundi, and Palestinians competing under the name Palestine. Tight security and Atlanta's hot and humid August weather were major concerns for Olympic organizers and those attending the games. In spite of security precautions, a homemade pipe bomb loaded with nails and screws exploded at a late-night concert in Centennial Olympic Park, killing one person and wounding more than 100 others. In addition, a Turkish television cameraman died of a heart attack while running to film the blast. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
International Olympic Committee
The development and governance of the modern games are vested in the International Olympic Committee (IOC), founded in Paris in 1894. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. The original committee had 14 members; today there are about 70. These individuals are considered ambassadors from the committee to their national sports organizations and are dedicated to promoting amateur athletics. Normally there is only one member from each country. Presidents of the IOC are elected for an eight-year term and eligible for succeeding four-year terms.
Each country sending teams to the games must have its own National Olympic Committee. By 1988 there were 167 such committees. One responsibility of a national committee is arranging for its team's participation in the games, providing equipment, and getting the team to the game site and into specially arranged housing.
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