Sport: the athletic pursuits. That thing you could do if you really wanted to, it just looks lame and hey, e-athletes make good money anyway, shut up. Football, rugby, that American football, tennis, that Australian football, we seem obsessed with the infinite intricacies of sport: the minutiae, the grandeur that can turn 22 people playing with a ball into a cash giant with higher revenues than some nations' GDP.
That being said, we do seem to limit our view to a very small sample of the truly amazing and mad things mankind has devised for recreation.
Our very definition of sport may vary its all a matter of perspective one man's epic struggle between two forces in a battle of stoic calm in the face of overwhelming pressure, is another man's darts. And just because certain events don't follow a fixed schedule or take place in an arena of may very well have no set of recognizable rules doesn't mean it's not truly a sport.
Sepak Takraw
Sepak Takraw originates from Malaysia sometime in the 15th century, although several countries do actually claim to be the originator. The game is played on a court similar to a badminton court and is fairly similar to badminton with a few key differences, namely that there are three players on each team, the shuttlecock is a ball that looks like a compacted wicker chair, you can't use your arms and the rackets don't exist. Aside from that it's virtually identical.
Sepak Takraw is massive in South East Asia and watching it you do get a kind of gentle vibe from the game that the opponents are not there to be defeated, but to assist in what can look more like a well choreographed dance, with a net.
Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest
Anyone who claims this is not a sport needs to keep a few points in mind. Point 1: The Coney Island classic Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest has been held annually since 1916 (although there were no contests in 1941 and 1971 due to protests). So this hotdog eating contest has been running for over 100 years, the FIFA World Cup has only been running for 87. Let that sink in.
Point 2: The winner gets a cash prize and a title belt. And we're not talking some dog-and-pony show cardboard belt, we're talking like leather strap, gold plated, 'Uncle Sam eating a hotdog like he devours commies' belt: USA! USA! Validity of the sport aside it does take a certain amount of gastronomic fortitude to vanquish 60+ hotdogs in ten minutes, and if you happen to be around Coney Island on the 4th of July it might be worth a watch.
Bo Taoshi
Oh, this bit looks painful. Which bit? Every bit. When a sport has a specific position known as 'ninja' (the fellow at the top of the pole kicking his buddies), you know there may be a bit of violence involved.
The game is played in Japanese schools on sports days but the most well known of these events is played specifically by cadets of the National Defence Academy of Japan, where 150 (one hundred and fifty, this is not a typo) army cadets have a go at trying to keep a pole up or take it down depending on what team they happen to be on that day.
The game, if one can call it that, resembles some kind of horror king-of-the-hill/capture the flag/battle royal where every sort of defensive and offensive technique is not only permitted, but encouraged. The amazing thing is after a round of head stomping everyone just carries on - no hurt feelings, just hurt scalps. It's worth a watch but probably not if you're a bit squeamish at people being full-on booted in the face
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