Sports (or sports) has been around for a long time. Many people would readily think of typical competitive sports like ice hockey, American football, soccer, basketball, tennis, golf, Australian football, motorcar racing, rugby and horse racing, but this list only scratches the surface of the many different types of sports that exist. The list continues, with different kinds of sports ranging from beach volleyball to ice climbing. In modern society, popular sports are often identified by the association with a particular type of competition, be it boxing, mixed martial arts, wushu or luge.
Sports, however, goes way beyond the sporting arena. Traditionally, sports have been recreational activities enjoyed by people of a wide variety of ages and social statuses, from the highly trained athlete to the layman who wants to stay in shape. Over time, sports have developed into organized competitions with prize money, awards, sponsors and exhibition matches as the focal points of the competition. Sports, even without the competitive edge, provide an environment in which people can come together and enjoy a shared activity.
For example, the Winter Olympics is the most successful and popular sports event in the world. With a budget of more than $roph billion per year, it is the most expensive sports event in the world. The Olympic committee ensures that the athletes competing in the games meet the highest standards of dressage, diving, gymnastics, swimming, track and field and other physical contest disciplines. The Olympic committee also ensures that the athletes represent their countries with pride and distinction, exhibiting their respective nations’ colours and symbols proudly. Some of the most popular Winter Olympics games include skating, snowboarding, figure skating, skirowing, bobsled racing and brambles hockey.
The Olympic Games themselves determines the winner and loser of each of the games, with each discipline receiving three gold, two silver and one bronze medals. However, much of the popularity and prize money goes to the athletes from host countries with the biggest sports teams and most prestigious sporting achievements. Competitors can choose to compete for their country’s individual Olympic gold, silver or bronze medals, or they can choose to participate in the Olympic Games as a team. There are many sports that have gained popularity over the years as a result of the Olympics and some of these are football (professional and international), basketball, baseball, cricket, softball, swimming, tennis and sailing. Of course, some of these sporting disciplines are still well known around the world, but other sports have gained recognition, becoming a worldwide phenomenon.
Basketball and softball are both very popular sports which require players to wear specially designed clothing to protect their body from injuries caused by falls, bumps and collisions. In addition to protecting the body, the clothing must also be stylish, attracting the attention of onlookers and organizers alike. For this reason, both of these sports have grown in popularity over the past few decades and there are now numerous well-known spectator sports at international level, such as the NBA, NFL and ATP tennis tournaments. As well as enjoying the sporting competition, the winner of the match or competitions are usually awarded with prizes and various other awards.
Not all countries have made it to the top ten of any given sport category, however, with dedicated endeavour and commitment the status of certain sports can improve. In particular, swimming has always been considered a classical sport that is enjoyed by millions of people across the globe. As a result, swimming events at various beaches around the world have been given major coverage by television, radio and newspapers, with the result that more people become aware of this seemingly simple yet elite sport. Furthermore, with more athletes dedicating time and effort to improve their athletic ability through exercise and training regimes, the future of sports will look bright for everyone involved.