SPORTS AND GAMES
SPORTS IN GENERAL
Sport is a very important part of our life and it is becoming more and more popular. Doing
sports keeps us healthy, relaxed, as well as maintains our figure and strengthens our patience and
endurance. All doctors recommend exercising, as prevention and convalescence of various ailments.
One of the best workouts for your body is swimming, as all your muscles are exercised.
There are two kinds of athletes - amateurs and professionals. The amateur approach to sport
is when you exercise, jog, swim or go to the gym once in a while. Often sports are performed together
as a team, instead of just as individuals.
The new fitness centres with their bodybuilding programmes and tanning booths are
becoming very trendy. Some people's ambition is to look like a model, and they often go to the fitness
centre.
Professional sports
Some people are so interested in sports that they want to make it their main livelihood.
Sometimes they only get paid for their travels and equipment, but if they keep improving their results,
there is a fair chance they could go to the world competitions, which improves their chances of earning
more money. The highest achievement for sportsmen is usually to participate in the Olympic Games
and win a gold medal.
The Olympic Games are performed every four years, but not all the different kinds of sports
which exist are represented there; however new disciplines are added every time the games are held.
The Olympic Games are named after the city in Greece where it took place for the first time in the year
776 B.C. and it was held there every four years for a long period of time. The intentions of the games
were to allow the best sportsmen in the country to compete, and their ideal was to promote perfect
men both in body and soul (as the games at that time were only for men). Another idea of the games
was to keep peace during the competitions, as there were often minor wars going on at the time.
The contemporary tradition of the games started in 1896, in Athens. The initiator was Pierre
de Coubertin. Since then, the event has taken place every four years, excepting during the world
wars. Since 1924, a special winter Olympics has been held. The International Olympic Committee is
now managing the games from its seat in Lausanne, Switzerland. The well-known symbol of the
games is the five intertwined different coloured circles on a white background. They symbolise the five
continents.
Here is a list of some of the different categories of sports:
Winter sports: cross country skiing, downhill skiing, ski jump, snowboarding, ice hockey,
figure skating, speed skating, and sledging.
Water sports: swimming (free style, backstroke, crawl), windsurfing, surfing, diving, deep-sea
diving, water-skiing, rowing, canoeing, water polo, sailing, yachting.
Martial sports: boxing, fencing, judo, karate, wrestling, Aikido, jiu-jitsu.
Nature sports: fishing, rock climbing, hiking, cycling, horse riding, roller blading, crosscountry
running.
Light Athletics: sprinting events, long-distance running, hurdle racing, relay racing, speed
walking, jumping (high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault), throwing the discus, the hammer,
the javelin, putting the shot.
Team sports: football, volleyball, basketball, handball, tennis, rugby, baseball, cricket.
Most sports are performed at specialised facilities, such as: sports halls, tennis and golf
courts, an open air stadium, a winter stadium, an open air pool, a swimming pool, a gym, a bowling
alley, ski slopes, trails and playgrounds.
Various equipments are used in each of the disciplines. It could be a tennis racket, a ball, a
net, a goal, a golf ball, a baseball, a hockey stick, skates, protective clothing, basketball, volleyball,
skis and the various gymnastic 'obstacles'.
