ARCHERY ATHLETICS AQUATICS BADMINTON BASKETBALL
BOXING BILLIARDS CYCLING CANOEING CHESS
CHINLONE EQUESTRIAN FOOTBALL FUTSAL GOLF
HOCKEY JUDO KARATEDO KEMPO MUAY
PENCAK SILAT PETANQUE ROWING SAILING SEPAK TAKRAW
SHOOTING TABLE TENNIS VOLLEYBALL TAEKWONDO TRADITIONAL BOAT RACE
VOVINAM WEIGHTLIFTING WRESTLING WUSHU
Aquatic (Swimming)
Competitive swimming became popular
in the nineteenth century. The goal of competitive swimming is to
constantly improve upon one's time(s), or to beat the competitors in any
given event. Swimming in competition should create the least resistance
in order to obtain maximum speed. However, some professional swimmers
who do not hold a national or world ranking are considered the best in
regard to their technical skills. Typically, an athlete goes through a
cycle of training in which the body is overloaded with work in the
beginning and middle segments of the cycle, and then the workload is
decreased in the final stage as the swimmer approaches the competition
in which he or she is to compete in. This final stage is often referred
to as "shave and taper"; the swimmer tapering downs his or her workload
to be able to perform at their optimal level. At the very end of this
stage, before competition, the swimmer shaves off all exposed hair for
the sake of reducing drag and having a sleeker and more hydrodynamic
feel in the water. This taper is optimized by putting an excessive
amount of work and effort into the workouts performed by the swimmer.
Swim Styles
In competitive swimming, four major styles have been
established. These have been relatively stable over the last 30–40 years
with minor improvements. The four main strokes in swimming are:
- Freestyle (free)
- Breaststroke (breast)
- Backstroke (back)
- Butterfly (fly)
Archery
Competitive archery involves shooting
arrows at a target for accuracy from a set distance or distances. This
is the most popular form of competitive archery worldwide and is
called target archery. A form particularly popular in Europe
and America is field archery, shot at targets generally set at various
distances in a wooded setting. Para-Archery is an adaptation of archery
for athletes with a disability. It is governed by the World Archery
Federation (WA), and is one of the sports in the Summer Paralympic
Games. There are also several other lesser-known and historical forms of
archery, as well as archery novelty games and flight archery, where the
aim is to shoot the greatest distance.
Athletics
Athletics is an exclusive collection
of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing,
and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track
and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking. The
simplicity of the competitions, and the lack of a need for expensive
equipment, makes athletics one of the most commonly competed sports in
the world. Athletics is mostly an individual sport, with the exception
of relay races and competitions, which combine athletes' performances
for a team score, such as cross country.
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played
by either two opposing players (singles) or two opposing pairs
(doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court
divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with
their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their
opponents' half of the court. Each side may only strike the shuttlecock
once before it passes over the net. A rally ends once the shuttlecock
has struck the floor, or if a fault has been called by either the umpire
or service judge or, in their absence, the offending player, at any
time during the rally.
The shuttlecock (or shuttle) is a
feathered (or, mainly in uncompetitive games, plastic) projectile whose
unique aerodynamic properties cause it to fly differently than the balls
used in most racquet sports; in particular, the feathers create much
higher drag, causing the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly than a
ball. Shuttlecocks have a much higher top speed, when compared to other
racquet sports. Because shuttlecock flight is affected by wind,
competitive badminton is played indoors. Badminton is also played
outdoors as a casual recreational activity, often as a garden or beach
game.
Basketball
Basketball is a sport played by two
teams of five players on a rectangular court. The objective is
to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter and 10 feet
(3.0 m) high mounted to a backboard at each end. Basketball is one of
the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.
A team can score a field goal by
shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal
scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or
closer to the basket than the three-point line, and three points (known
commonly as a 3 pointer or three) if the player is behind the
three-point line. The team with the most points at the end of the game
wins, but additional time (overtime) may be issued when the game ends
with a draw. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while
walking or running or throwing it to a teammate. It is a violation
to move without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball
with both hands then resume dribbling.
Billiards and Snooker
Billiards or cue sports are a wide
variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is
used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered
billiards table bounded by rubber cushions. Historically, the umbrella
term was billiards. While that familiar name is still employed by some
as a generic label for all such games, the word's usage has splintered
into more exclusive competing meanings in various parts of the world.
For example, in British and Australian English, "billiards" usually
refers exclusively to the game of English billiards, while in American
and Canadian English it is sometimes used to refer to a particular game
or class of games, or to all cue games in general, depending upon
dialect and context.
Billiards include a range of games played to test the
skill in hitting billiard balls with a cue stick on a billiard table.
The sport of Billiards consist of 3 subdivisions:
- Carom billiards, referring to games played on tables without pockets, typically 10 feet in length, including among others balkline and straight rail, cushion caroms, three-cushion billiards, artistic billiards and four-ball;
- Pool, covering numerous pocket billiards games generally played on six-pocket tables of 7-, 8-, or 9-foot length, including among others eight-ball (the world's most widely played cue sport), nine-ball, ten-ball, straight pool, one-pocket and bank pool; and
- Snooker and English billiards, games played on a billiards table with six pockets called a snooker table (which has dimensions just under 12 ft by 6 ft), that are classified entirely separately from pool based on a separate historical development, as well as a separate culture and terminology that characterize their play.
BodyBuilding
In competitive bodybuilding,
bodybuilders aspire to develop and maintain an aesthetically pleasing
body and balanced physique. In prejudging, competitors do a series of
mandatory poses – the front lat spread, the rear lat spread, the front
double biceps, the back double biceps, the side chest, the side,
the Most Muscular (men only), and the thigh-abdominal pose. Each
competitor also performs a routine to display the physique. A pose
down is usually held at the end of a posing round, while judges are
finishing their scoring. Bodybuilders spend time practicing their
posing, since they are judged on it.
In contrast
to strongman or powerlifting competitions where physical strength is
important, or to Olympic weightlifting, where the main point is equally
split between strength and technique, bodybuilding competitions
typically emphasize condition, size and symmetry. Different
organizations emphasize particular aspects of competition, and sometimes
have different categories in which to compete.
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport in which two
people engage in a contest of strength, speed, reflexes, endurance, and
will by throwing punches with gloved hands against each other.
Amateur boxing is an Olympic and
Commonwealth sport and is a common fixture in most of the major
international games—it also has its own World Championships. Boxing is
supervised by a referee over a series of one- to three-minute intervals
called rounds. The result is decided when an opponent is deemed
incapable to continue by a referee, is disqualified for breaking a rule,
resigns by throwing in a towel, or is pronounced the winner or loser
based on the judges' scorecards at the end of the contest.
Canoeing
Canoeing is a paddle sport in which
you kneel or sit facing forward in an open-decked canoe, and propel
yourself with a single-bladed paddle, under your own power. Kayaking is a
similar activity in a kayak, which usually has a closed deck and is
propelled with a double bladed paddle. In a kayak the paddler typically
sits with legs extended forward.
In some situations canoeing refers to
both canoeing and kayaking. Other than by the minimum competition
specifications (typically length and width (beam)) and seating
arrangement, it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes
from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is
that competition kayaks are always seated and paddled with a
double-bladed paddle, and competition canoes are generally kneeled and
paddled with a single-bladed paddle. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon
(in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high
kneeling position). The most traditional and early canoes did not have
seats; the paddlers merely knelt on the bottom of the boat. Recreational
canoes and kayaks employ seats and whitewater rodeo and surf variants
increasingly employ the use of 'saddles' to give greater boat control
under extreme conditions.
Chinlone
Reference : www.chinlone.com
Chinlone (Translation: Cane-ball) is a
Myanmar traditional sport played for the past 1500 years. Chinlone is a
combination of sport and dance; a team sport with no opposing team. The
focus is not on winning or losing, but how beautifully one plays the
game. Form is important in chinlone; there is a correct way to position
the hands, arms, torso, and head during the moves. A move is considered
to have been done well only if the form is good. A team of six players
passes the ball back and forth with their feet and knees as they walk
around a circle. One player goes into the center to solo, creating a
dance of various moves strung together. The soloist is supported by the
other players who try to pass the ball back with one kick. When the ball
drops to the ground, it is considered dead, and the play starts over
again. Players use six points of contact with the ball: the top of the
toes, the inner and outer sides of the foot, the sole, the heel, and the
knee.
Both men and women play chinlone, and
often on the same team. There is also a solo performance style called
“tapandaing”. Women only perform this solo style. The game is played
barefoot or in chinlone shoes that allow the players to feel the ball
and the ground as directly as possible. The typical playing circle is
6.7 meters (22 feet) in diameter. The ideal playing surface is dry, hard
packed dirt, but almost any flat surface will do.
Chess
Chess is a two-player strategy board
game played on a chessboard, a checkered game board with 64 squares
arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most
popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs,
online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.
Each player begins the game with
16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and
eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves differently. Pieces are
used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, with the objective to
'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable
threat of capture. In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by the
voluntary resignation of the opponent, which typically occurs when too
much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable. A game may
also result in a draw in several ways, where neither player wins. The
course of the game is divided into three phases: opening, middlegame,
and endgame.
Cycling
Cycling competitions developed
independently in many parts of the world. As the bicycle evolved its
various forms, different racing formats developed. Road races may
involve both team and individual competition, and are contested in
various ways. They range from the one-day road race, criterium, and time
trial to multi-stage events like the Tour de France and its sister
events which make up cycling's Grand Tours. Track bicycles are used
for track cycling in Velodromes, while cyclo-cross races are held on
outdoor terrain, including pavement, grass, and mud. Cyclo-cross races
feature man-made features such as small barriers which riders
either bunny hop over or dismount and walk over. Time trial races,
another form of road racing require a rider to ride against the clock.
Time trials can be performed as a team or as a single rider. Bikes are
changed for time trial races, using aero bars. In the past decade,
mountain has also reached international popularity and is even an
Olympic sport.
Equestrian
Equestrian more often known
as riding, horseback riding (American English) or horse riding (British
English) refers to the skill of riding, driving, steeple chasing, or
vaulting with horses. Racing is the most popular form of animal-related
sport, particularly horseracing.
The style of racing, the distances
and the type of events vary significantly by the country in which the
race is occurring, and many countries offer different types of horse
races. There are three major types of racing: flat racing, steeple
chasing (racing over jumps), and harness racing, where horses trot or
pace while pulling a driver in a sulky. A major part of horse racing's
economic importance lies in the gambling associated with it, an activity
that in 2008 generated a world-wide market worth around US$115 billion.
Futsal
Futsal is a format of five-a-side
football that is played extensively throughout the world. The term
‘Futsal’ is an abbreviation of the Portuguese ‘futebol de salão’ or the
Spanish ‘futbol sala’, both of which translated literally mean ‘indoor
football’. It is played on a pitch approximately the size of a
basketball or netball court with a ball, which is smaller and heavier
than the outdoor football and has a reduced bounce.
Futsal is played between two teams of
five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. Unlimited
substitutions are permitted. Unlike some other forms of indoor football,
the game is played on a hard court surface delimited by lines; walls or
boards are not used. The ball forces a player to use their skill rather
than the ball’s bounce to propel it. As a small sided game, players are
constantly placed in situations where they must receive or play whilst
under pressure or in confined spaces.
Football (Soccer)
Commonly known as football or soccer,
is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical
ball. Football is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries,
making it the world's most popular sport. The game is played on a
rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to
score by using any part of the body besides the arms and hands to get
the football into the opposing goal.
The goalkeepers are the only players
allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play
and then only in their penalty area. Outfield players mostly use their
feet to strike or pass the ball, but may use their head or torso to
strike the ball instead. The team that scores the most goals by the end
of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either
a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty
shootout depending on the format of the competition. The Laws of the
Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in
1863. Association football is governed internationally by
the International Federation of Association
Football (FIFA; French: Fédération Internationale de Football
Association), which organizes a World Cup every four years.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and
ball sport in which competing players (or golfers) use many types
of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course using the
fewest number of strokes. Golf is defined, in the rules of golf, as
"playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a
stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules”.
It is one of the few ball games that
does not require a standardized playing area. Instead, the game is
played on a golf course, generally consisting of an arranged progression
of either 9 or 18 "holes." Each hole on the course must contain a "tee
box" to start from, and a "putting green" containing the actual hole.
There are various other standardized forms of terrain in between, such
as the fairway, rough, and hazards, but each hole on a course, and
indeed among virtually all courses, is unique in its specific layout and
arrangement.
Golf competition is generally played
for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known simply
as stroke play, or the lowest score on the most individual holes during a
complete round by an individual or team, known as match play. Stroke
play is the most commonly seen format at virtually all levels of play,
although variations of match play, such as "skins" games, are also seen
in televised events. Other forms of scoring also exist.
Field hockey
Field hockey, referred to in most
countries simply as hockey, is a team sport of the hockey family, which
is played between two teams of eleven players with hockey sticks and a
hard, solid plastic ball. At the turn of the 21st century, the game is
played globally, with particular popularity throughout Europe, Asia,
Oceania, and South America – in addition to being the national sport of
both India and Pakistan. The term "field hockey" is used primarily in
Canada, the United States, and other regions of the world where the
sport of ice hockey is more popular.
During play, goal keepers are the
only players who are allowed to touch the ball with any part of their
body (the player's hand is not considered 'part of the stick'), with
this only applying within the shooting circle (also known as the D,
or shooting arc, or just the circle), while field players play the ball
with the flat side of their stick. The team that scores the
most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end
of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time
and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the competition's format.
Judo
Judo (Japanese Translation: Gentle
Way) is a modern martial art, combat and Olympic sport created
in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its
competitive element, where the objective is to
either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or
otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit
with a joint lock or a choke. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as
well as weapons defenses are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged
forms and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice. A judo
practitioner is called a judoka.
Karate
Reference : http://www.tulane.edu/~karate/karate.htm
Karate is a Japanese martial art
whose physical aspects seek the development of defensive and
counterattacking body movements. Karate is a striking art
using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open hand
techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes. In
some styles, grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital point
strikes are also taught. The themes of traditional karate training are
fighting and self-defense, though its mental and moral aspects target
the overall improvement of the individual. This is facilitated by the
discipline and persistent effort required in training. Today karate is
practiced for self-perfection, for cultural reasons, for self-defense
and as a sport.
Traditional karate places emphasis on
self-development (budō). Modern Japanese style training emphasizes the
psychological elements incorporated into a proper kokoro (attitude) such
as perseverance, fearlessness, virtue, and leadership skills. Sport
karate places emphasis on exercise and competition. Weapons are
important training activity in some styles of karate.
Kenpō
Kenpō has also been appropriated as a
modern term: a name for multiple martial arts that developed
in Hawaii due to cross-cultural exchange between practitioners of
Ryukyuan martial arts, Chinese martial arts, Japanese martial arts and
multiple additional influences. In the United States, Kenpō is often
referred to as Kenpō Karate. The most widespread styles have their
origin in the teachings of James Mitose and William Kwai Sun Chow. The
American East Coast features a branch of Kenpō created by George Pesare a
student of Karazenpo co-founder Sonny Gascon. This branch was later
built upon and redefined by Fredrick J. Villari. The Villari system
integrated the strengths of American Kenpō with the larger scope of
movement and grappling available in Shaolin Kung Fu and Chin Na to
create a unique American Kenpō offshoot system.
The form of martial art developed and
taught by Mitose and Chow also includes Kajukenbo, an art that does not
use the Kenpō name itself, but which possesses recognized offshoots
that do. These arts have spread around the world through multiple
lineages, not all of which agree on a common historical narrative. The
system of Kenpō taught by founder James Mitose employed hard linear
strikes and kicks, pressure point manipulation, circular movement
patterns, and joint locking and breaking.
Muay
Muay is a combat sport from the Muay
martial arts of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various
clinching techniques. This physical and mental discipline which includes
combat on foot is known as "the art of eight limbs" because it is
characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, shins and
feet, being associated with a good physical preparation that makes
a full-contact fight very efficient. Muay Thai became widespread
internationally in the twentieth century, when practitioners defeated
notable practitioners of other martial arts. A professional league is
governed by the World Muay Thai Council.
As well as being a practical fighting
technique for use in actual warfare, Muay became a sport in which the
opponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for
entertainment. These Muay contests gradually became an integral part of
local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples.
Eventually, the previously bare-fisted fighters started wearing lengths
of hemp rope around their hands and forearms. This type of match was
called Muay Khat Chueak.
Pencak Silat
Reference : www.ocasia.org
Pencak Silatis is a non-aggressive
martial arts from the of the Indonesian/Malay islands. Today there are
hundreds of different forms of Pencak Silat. Silat employs natural body
movements and develops balance and economy of movement in each
individual. It can be practiced purely for sport and fitness, for the
aesthetic beauty of the art or for the chance to learn one of the
world's few remaining complete traditional martial arts systems. Silat
enhances and strengthens self-awareness, self-discipline, integrity,
responsibility, loyalty and cooperation amongst its
practitioners. Pencak Silat was incorporated into the Asian Beach Games
in 2008 and the Asian Indoor Games in 2009.
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where
the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on
the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small
wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack. It is also
sometimes called a bouchon (literally "little ball", from
the Occitan bochon) or le petit ("the small one"). Players take turns
and the team that ends up nearest to the target ball when all balls are
played, wins. The game is normally played on hard dirt or gravel, but
can also be played on grass, sand or other surfaces. Similar games
are bocce and bowls.
Rowing
Rowing is a sport in which the
athletes race against each other in shells, on rivers, lakes or the
ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are
propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades, as they are pushed
against the water. The sport can be both recreational, focusing on
learning the techniques required, and competitive where physical size
and overall fitness plays a large role. It is also one of the
oldest Olympic sports.
While rowing, the athlete sits in the
boat facing toward the stern, and uses the oars which are held in place
by the oarlocks to propel the boat forward (towards the bow). This may
be done on a canal, river, lake, sea, or other large bodies of water.
The sport requires strong core balance, physical strength and
cardiovascular endurance.
Whilst the action of rowing and
equipment used remains fairly consistent throughout the world, there are
many different types of competition. These include endurance
races, time trials, stake racing, bumps racing, and the side-by-side
format used in the Olympic Games. The many different formats are a
result of the long history of the sport, its development in different
regions of the world, and specific local requirements and restrictions.
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a
vehicle and the control of its movement with large (usually fabric)
foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes
the keel or centerboard, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the
sails in order to move the vessel relative to its surrounding medium
(typically water, but also land and ice) and change its direction and
speed. Mastery of the skill requires experience in varying wind and sea
conditions, as well as knowledge concerning sailboats themselves and an
understanding of one's surroundings.
In most countries sailing is enjoyed as are creational activity or as a sport.
There is a broad variety of kinds of
races and sailboats used for racing from large yacht to dinghy racing.
Much racing is done around buoys or similar marks in protected waters,
while some longer offshore races cross open water. All kinds of boats
are used for racing, including small dinghies, catamarans, boats
designed primarily for cruising, and purpose-built raceboats. The Racing
Rules of Sailing govern the conduct of yacht racing, windsurfing,
kitesurfing, model boat racing, dinghy racing and virtually any other
form of racing around a course with more than one vessel while powered
by the wind.
Sepak Takraw
Reference : www.sepaktakraw.org
The name is a marriage of the Malay
word “Sepak” (literally meaning “kick” or “smash”) and the Thai word
“Takraw” (the original rattan ball used in the sport). Sepak Takraw has
long remained one of Asia’s best-kept secrets. Often described as a
spectacular blend of volleyball, football, martial arts and gymnastics,
Sepak Takraw is, in reality, a sport unlike any other. Astonishingly
visceral and explosive, it is, at the elite level, one of the toughest
games in the world. Demanding lightning reflexes, precise control and
fearless, gravity-defying leaps, Sepak Takraw delivers some of the most
intense sporting action.
Played on a rectangular court which
is of similar size to a badminton court and with a net suspended in the
middle, the fundamental rules are simple, with the objective being to
deliver the ball over the net into your opponents’ court, and try to
make it un-returnable. Players may use any part of their legs, head and
torso to handle the ball, but not their arms or hands.
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of
firing firearms or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows.
Even the firing of artillery, rockets, and missiles can be called
shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman. Shooting
can take place in a shooting range or in the field in hunting,
in shooting sports, or in combat. Marksmanship has inspired competition,
and in several countries rifle clubs started to form in the 19th
century. Soon international shooting events evolved, including shooting
at the Summer Olympics (from 1896) and World Championships (from 1897).
The International Shooting Sport Federation still administers Olympic
and non-Olympic rifle, pistol, shotgun, and running target-shooting
competitions, although there is also a large number of national and
international shooting sports controlled by unrelated organizations.
Table Tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping
pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball
back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a
hard table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve, players must
allow a ball played toward them only one bounce on their side of the
table and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side. Points
are scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules.
Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its
trajectory and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great
advantage. When doing so the hitter has a good chance of scoring if the
spin is successful.
Taekwondo
Reference : www.wtf.org
Taekwondo is one of the most
systematic and scientific Korean traditional martial arts, that teaches
more than physical fighting skills. It is a discipline that shows ways
of enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind.
Today, it has become a global sport that has gained an international
reputation, and stands among the official games in the Olympics.
Taekwondo is known for its emphasis
on high kicking and fast hand techniques, which distinguishes it from
other popular martial arts and combat sports such as karate. However,
the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) believes that because the leg is
the longest and strongest limb a martial artist has, kicks thus have the
greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful
retaliation.
Traditional Boat Race
Reference : www.myanmar.cm
Because Myanmar is geographically
endowed with many rivers and streams, boats have been used for thousands
of years. During the reign of the ancient Myanmar kings, royal armies
used fleets of ships and boats either in warfare or in official
ceremonies. The monarchs also sponsored boat races, which were usually
held around September because of the favorable weather and river
conditions, and that tradition has been handed down through the ages.
In boat-racing, there are usually two
contending boats with a set number of rowers in each boat. Each rower
uses a single oar to propel the boat along the river or lake until the
finish line is reached. One of the rowers sits at the bow and tries to
reach out to grab the bouquet on the finish line to become the winner.
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which
two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to
score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under
organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the
Summer Olympic Games since 1964.
The complete rules are extensive. But
simply, play proceeds as follows: a player on one of the teams begins a
'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting
it with a hand or arm), from behind the back boundary line of the court,
over the net, and into the receiving team's court. The receiving team
must not let the ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch
the ball up to 3 times but individual players may not touch the ball
twice consecutively. Typically, the first two touches are used to set up
for an attack, an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a
way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded
in their court.
The ball is usually played with the
hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short contact)
the ball with any part of the body. A number of consistent techniques
have evolved in volleyball, including spiking and blocking (because
these plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical jump is an
athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well as passing, setting, and
specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures.
Vovinam
Vovinam (Vietnamese: Việt Võ Đạo,
Martial Arts of Vietnam) is a Vietnamese martial art. Vovinam is
practiced with and without weapons. It is based on the principle of
between hard and soft. It includes training of the body as well as the
mind. It uses force and reaction of the opponent. Vovinam also includes
hand, elbow, kicks, escape- and levering techniques. Both attack and
defense techniques are trained, as well as forms, combat and traditional
wrestling. The wide range of techniques include punching, kicking etc.
as well as forms, wrestling, sword, staff, axe, folding fan and others.
Self-defense techniques cover defense
against weaponless attacks like choking from behind and defense against
attacks with knife or sword. Advanced students learn to combine the
techniques and learn to defend themselves against armed opponents.
Instructors train traditional weapons like the long stick, short stick,
knife, sword and sabre. Thereby the weapons serve as training devices
for reaching optimal control of body and mind.
Weightlifting
Reference : www.dsr.wa.gov.au
Olympic weightlifting, also called
Olympic-style weightlifting, or weightlifting, is an athletic discipline
in the modern Olympic programme in which participants attempt a
maximum-weight single lift of a barbell loaded with weight plates.
Weightlifting requires a combination
of power, speed, technique, concentration and timing. It is a sport in
which competitors attempt to lift heavy weights mounted on steel bars
called barbells. In comparison with other strength sports, which test
limit strength (with or without lifting aids), Olympic weightlifting
tests aspects of human ballistic limits (explosive strength) and are
therefore executed faster—and with more mobility and a greater range of
motion during their execution - than other lifts.
While there are relatively few
competitive Olympic weightlifters (or more simply lifters), the lifts
and their components are commonly used by elite athletes in other sports
to train for both explosive and functional strength.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of combat sport
involving grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and
takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout
is a physical competition, between two (occasionally more) competitors
or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior
position. There is a wide range of styles with varying rules with both
traditional historic and modern styles. Wrestling techniques have been
incorporated into other martial arts as well as military hand-to-hand
combat systems.
Wushu
Wushu (Chinese Translation: Martial
Arts) is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport. It was developed
in China after 1949, in an effort to standardize the practice of
traditional Chinese martial arts. In contemporary times, Wushu has
become an international sport through the International Wushu Federation
(IWUF), which holds the World Wushu Championships every two years.
Competitive Wushu is composed of two
disciplines: taolu (forms) and sanda (sparring). Taolu involve martial
art patterns and maneuvers for which competitors are judged and given
points according to specific rules. The forms comprise basic movements
(stances, kicks, punches, balances, jumps, sweeps and throws) based on
aggregate categories of traditional Chinese martial art styles and can
be changed for competitions to highlight one's strengths. Competitive
forms have time limits that can range from 1 minute, 20 seconds for some
external styles to over five minutes for internal styles.
Sanda (sometimes called sanshou or
Lei tai) is a modern fighting method and sport influenced by traditional
Chinese boxing, Chinese wrestling methods called Shuai jiao and other
Chinese grappling techniques such as Chin Na. It has all the combat
aspects of Wushu. Sanda appears much like Kickboxing or Muay Thai, but
includes many more grappling techniques. Sanda fighting competitions are
often held alongside taolu or form competitions.
