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Sport

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Sport is a way to play, move, and compete.

Youth-soccer-indiana
Youth-soccer-indiana

It can be a game for a whole team. It can also be for just one person. Many people play to improve their physical skills. Others play to have fun or stay healthy.

Pickleball Players
Pickleball Players

Sport can also be a big show for people to watch. Fans go to stadiums or watch on TV. This can be a huge part of the global industry. In 2013, this industry was worth up to $620 billion.

Third umpire lights at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Third umpire lights at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Rules help make sure every game is fair.

These rules ensure that everyone has an equal chance to win. Some sports use scores, like counting goals in a game. Other sports use judges to decide a winner.

Showjumping white horse
Showjumping white horse

In gymnastics, judges look at how well an athlete moves. They might look at technical skill or artistic style. In boxing, three judges score each round. They look for things like clean punching and good defense. Some games can even end in a tie or a draw.

People have practiced sports for thousands of years.

Panathenaic amphora Kleophrades Louvre F277
Panathenaic amphora Kleophrades Louvre F277

Ancient Egyptians played wrestling, high jump, and javelin throwing. In China, people practiced gymnastics as far back as 2000 BC.

Ancient Persians played polo and jousting. In India, games like Kabbadi have been played for a long time. The Greeks made sport a huge part of their culture. They even started the Olympic Games in a village called Olympia.

1906 Athens stadium
1906 Athens stadium

There are many different ways to define a sport.

ChessStartingPosition
ChessStartingPosition

Most sports are physical, like running or rugby. Some are played with motors, like Formula 1 racing.

Bruno Senna 2006 Australian Grand Prix
Bruno Senna 2006 Australian Grand Prix

Others use your mind to win. The International Olympic Committee calls chess and bridge sports. SportAccord also recognizes games like Go and draughts.

Volleyball-5 (9786053885)
Volleyball-5 (9786053885)

Some people even call video games "esports." While many people play them, mainstream groups do not always call them sports yet.

Being a good athlete involves more than just winning.

David Bizet - Marathon de Paris 2014
David Bizet - Marathon de Paris 2014

This is called sportsmanship. It means being kind to teammates and opponents. It also means playing with honesty and integrity. It is about enjoying the game for its own sake.

London Marathon 2005 at Blackfriars
London Marathon 2005 at Blackfriars

Some people try to cheat to win more easily. Others might use banned medicines to perform better. To keep things fair, many sports have testing programs. This helps make sure the competition stays honest for everyone.

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🖼️ Images & Media (17)
File:Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg
Definition of Free Cultural Works logo notext.svg
File:Global thinking.svg
Global thinking.svg
File:Volleyball-5 (9786053885).jpg
Volleyball-5 (9786053885).jpg
File:David Bizet - Marathon de Paris 2014.jpg
David Bizet - Marathon de Paris 2014.jpg
File:Pickleball Players.jpg
Pickleball Players.jpg
File:ChessStartingPosition.jpg
ChessStartingPosition.jpg
File:Participants with the Water Warrior class perform squats prior to entering the pool at Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan, July 6, 2011 110706-M-VD776-004 (cropped).jpg
Participants with the Water Warrior class...
File:Third umpire lights at Melbourne Cricket Ground.JPG
Third umpire lights at Melbourne Cricket...
File:Youth-soccer-indiana.jpg
Youth-soccer-indiana.jpg
File:Panathenaic amphora Kleophrades Louvre F277.jpg
Panathenaic amphora Kleophrades Louvre F277.jpg
File:Roman bronze copy of Myron’s Discobolos, 2nd century CE (Glyptothek Munich).jpg
Roman bronze copy of Myron’s Discobolos,...
File:London Marathon 2005 at Blackfriars.jpg
London Marathon 2005 at Blackfriars.jpg

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