Sports have been a significant part of culture since mankind has existed. Most of these activities have evolved into fun games to pass the time, like 20p roulette, while others maintain competitive elements. Games like tennis, football, hockey, rugby, and baseball are some of the most popular ones played around the world. Some games take strange routes, and they are often a blend of conventional games or create new ways to have fun. Here are the most bizarre sports from around the world:
Sepak Takraw
Sepak Takraw, which translates to "kickball", is a popular sport that emerged in the fifteenth century in Asia. The game is still massively popular in the region, but it may appear strange to the rest of the world. The game is a close relative of volleyball since it is played on a court divided by a net in the middle. Opposing teams stay on each side and have to ensure that the ball does not touch the ground. The point is that no hands can be used, and players are only allowed to keep it in the air with their feet, chin, and knees. This may sound like an impossible feat considering how high the net is placed, but the players that excel in it have high skill and athleticism levels. The game is played professionally in Malaysia and Thailand, and it is even included in the Asian Games.
Kabaddi
Kabaddi takes its roots in India and can be compared to the Western schoolyard game of tag. However, the game allows players to tackle their opponents to the ground. The procedure of play is usually as follows:
- One team must choose a raider;
- The raider has to run across the line at the center of the court and tag as many players as possible before retreating to their half;
- The tag run has to be done while holding one's breath when on the opponent's turf;
- Once they return to their half, the raider has to chant "kabaddi, kabaddi" to confirm that they did not inhale on the opponent's side
Extreme Ironing
Extreme Ironing originated from Yorkshire Dales National Park in England where it was first played in 1980. The competitive game is precisely what it sounds like – a performance and adventure cult for people seeking crazy ways to iron their clothes. This unique fad began when an eccentric man inspired his brother to start ironing in strange locations like telephone booths, airports, and on hikes. The stunts went viral with people around the world trying to top the madness of the person before them. The activity is now listed as an extreme sport and is marked as an annual event. Since its invention, people have pressed their shirts while snowboarding, canoeing, parachuting, and on mountainsides.
Bossaball
Bossaball is among the world's strangest sports that look like a tremendous amount of fun to explore. The game was invented by the Belgian Filip Eyckmans in 2004 but was first played in Spain. The sport incorporates elements of numerous popular sports such as:
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Volleyball
- Capoeira
Cheese Rolling
Cheese Rolling is estimated to have come about in fifteenth-century England. In the game, every player is a single competitor that is pitted against tens of others, and sometimes even hundreds. The players chase a seven to a nine-pound round of cheese that can go as fast as seventy miles per hour down a hill. The first person to catch it takes it home as a prize.
Bog Snorkeling
Snorkeling is often left for tropical waters and exploring colorful marine life, but bog snorkeling eliminates everything magical about the experience aside from the equipment. The sporting event requires competitors to perform a 120-yard swim, which is done in a trench that cuts through muddy marshland or a peat bog. However, players can only use flippers to propel them without the help of swimming strokes. The sport has been played as an annual event since 1985 but was invented during a bar conversation in 1976.
Competitive Sleeping
Competitive sleeping is a low impact sport where players win for snoozing. The sport is said to have originated in California in 1998 after the popularity of the California Sleeping Club. The first professional sporting event, however, was not played until 210 in Spain. In 2018, the Competitive Sleeping League was created by Marpac, and championships were held the same year.
Face Slapping
Face slapping is hardly a new practice, but doing it in a competitive nature is. This sport emerged in 2018 in Russia as a combat-style game with single competitors on two opposing teams. In the game, two men of any size take turns slapping their opponent as hard as they can until one of them hits the floor or taps out. Despite being a relatively new game, it has already been dubbed the world's greatest sport.
Egg Throwing
Egg throwing is the oldest sport in this list and can be traced back to 1322 England. The game requires players to throw an egg as far as they can without breaking it. In 2004, the World Egg Throwing Federation was created to support the sport.
Bottom Line
With enough imagination and creativity, anything can become a sport today. All of the games found on this list are available to play in physical locations. Nonetheless, numerous strange sports can be played online, as well.
