⚞ SPORTS AND ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES ⚞

❖ Introduction :- According to the dictionary, ‘SPORTS’ is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team compete against each other or against another for entertainment. ‘Sport’ is not just only a physical activity but also a game, competition etc. that people do to maintain health or for their enjoyment. ‘Sports’ are part of every culture whether past and present, but each culture has its own definition of ‘Sports’. There are plenty of reasons why ‘Sports’ should be a must in someone’s life. ‘Sports’ gain the physical as well as mental strength of an individual. Every school, colleges or institutions should validate a curriculum including ‘Sports’. It is not only ‘Sports’ that build a man strong, it is also about ‘Adventures’ that a man should do in his life to be stronger. ‘Adventures’ are also a part of ‘Sports’ but not in daily life. The difference between ‘Sports’ and ‘Adventures’ are clear. ‘Sports’ is all about physical activities that we do in our day to day life whereas ‘Adventures’ are those physical activities which are done occasionally for any purpose.

❖ What is ‘Sports and Adventure Activities’ all about ?

The definition is very simple. What we need to know is the real meaning of ‘SPORTS’ and also the details about ‘ADVENTURE’. There are different types of Sports in the whole world equal of both the genders. Around the whole world Sports has taken a special place in the activities of a healthy and fit person’s life.

Let's discuss about the types of Sports generally seen in action all over the world :-

a) Air Sports :- Air Sports include a huge portion of the aerial activities done as sporting events.

b) Athletics :- Athletics collectively are those sports events that test the endurance, speed and strength of an individual participating in that particular event.

c) Ball Sports :- Ball Sports, by the name one can say that ball is the main equipment for this particular sport. Ball-over-net, Bat-and-ball, Ball-and-stick etc. games are the inclusive part of this event.

d) Board Sports :- The primary equipment for this sport is specific boards. For example - Skateboarding and .

e) Combat Sports :- These are the fighting sports from the list. It includes the one-on-one combat between competitors. It specifies all the martial arts, ancient fighting events etc. using several weapons or forces.

f) Cycle Sports :- As the name says, this sport includes the competitive physical events using bicycles or motorbikes.

g) :- Gymnastics is one of the tough sports from the list. It requires a lot of flexibility, coordination, strength and balance. Often rings or bars are used in this sport.

h) Ice Sports :- The sports that are done on ice fields are called Ice Sports. Basically this sport is held during the winters. i) Indoor Sports :- These games are held indoor, no field work is required. They can be done in at home or any indoor places. Some of the outdoor sports are specialised to play indoors. Some of them are indoor-cricket or indoor-soccer. j) Mind Sports :- As its name suggests, this particular sport is played with the mental ability and intelligence. No such physical strength is required. k) Multisport race :- This sport is basically the mixtures of different types of sports. Examples of are , tetrathlon, and so on. l) Motorsports :- This refers to various motorized-sports. is the simple word for this Sport. m) Racket Sports :- The primary equipment of this particular sport is racket. Hitting the balls with rackets is the main aim. This sport helps to improve the agility and speed of an individual. n) Strength Sports :- Weightlifting, and are the main examples of this type of sport. The participants compete against each other by his muscle power and force. o) Target Sports :- This sport is related with throwing or shooting to hit a specific target. Throw-ball, Archery, Shot Put etc. are the examples of this sport. p) Water Sports :- Water sports are those sports done in water. , Rafting etc. are some of them.

Now as we have known all the types of sports held all over the world, let’s discuss the exact name of sports held throughout the year in different places :-

Archery, Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bicycle racing, Billiards / Pool, Bodybuilding, , , Car racing, Cheerleading, Chess, Cricket, Dance sports, Darts, Diving, Dodgeball, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Hand , Hockey, Horse riding, Ice Hockey, Ice Skating, Judo, , Kendo, , Lawn tennis, Martial arts, , Powerlifting, Rafting, Rock climbing, Rugby, Scuba diving, Shooting, Skateboarding, wrestling, Surfing, Swimming, Table tennis, Trampoline, Triathlon (Tetrathlon), , Volleyball, Water polo, Weightlifting, Wrestling etc.

These are the minimum well-known sports played all over the world. Now the factor to discuss is about the tournaments that are held world wide. From the above list we should discuss the tournaments of a few sports as there is a wide variety of sports played as well as a wide variety of tournaments held. It will be a mess if we start discussing all the tournaments held. The main tournaments should be discussed and their types. Let's discuss the type of tournaments first. There are basically four types of tournaments :- Knockout / Elimination Tournament, League / Round Robin Tournament, Combination Tournament, Challenge Tournament.

Following is a list of the National and International Tournaments :-

1) For Cricket :- a) ICC Cricket World Cup. b) ICC Champions Trophy. c) T20 World Cup. d) Indian Premier League. e) Natwest Series. f) Asia Cup. g) Commonwealth Bank Series. h) Border-Gavaskar Trophy. i) Ashes Series. j) Champions League Twenty20.

2) For Football :- a) FIFA World Cup. b) UEFA Champions League. c) Copa America. d) Copa Libertadores. e) UEFA Europa League. f) Africa Cup of Nations. g) FA Cup. h) Confederations Cup. i) UEFA European Championship. j) Copa del Rey.

The biggest tournament held till date is ‘THE ’. For every 4 years the said tournament is held. The games were first held in 1896 in Athens, Greece and will be held in 2020 Tokyo. The summer olympics will start from Friday, 23rd July 2021 and will end on Sunday, 8th August 2021. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) organises the games and oversees the host city preparation. Every possible game and sport are included in this tournament. Both the genders can participate in all the games in the said tournament. In each olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place and bronze medals are awarded for the third place, this tradition began in 1904. The winter olympics were created out of the success of the summer olympics.

We stay in a country where at a young age we are told that ‘Field Hockey’ is the national sport or game of India. However the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports mentioned that it had not declared any sport or game as India’s National Sport or Game. Many people outside of India assume that Cricket is our National Sport due to it’s fame in India. Football has also become a fun-loving . Cricket and Football are the most played sports in India. One can find these games played in every locality possible.

The modern era or constitution has an impact on the progress of Women in Sports. Previously women were not allowed to go out of the house, playing any games or sports were almost a crime to them. Slowly after Women Sports were introduced people started getting out of their primitive mindsets and started letting women play sports. Till date women are touching the sky with glory in the field of sports. Women are no more less in strength whether it be physical or mental than men. Every year thousands of Women participate in hundreds of events and lead the world to a beautiful land. She is a mother, sister, wife, daughter in their households yet she takes care of both the household and the field. Incredible isn't it? Sports always brings out the best in you.

❖ Inference :- The term ‘Sports’ isn't just about fitness but also about peace. Contestants learn to play as a team, thus start working as a team. Every competitor starts to become mates. According to me, every school, college or institution should start giving physical training and hold sports events at least once in a year. Sports is something which makes people grow. Every child should involve himself in any kind of sports to live a healthy and fit life for a better future. Sports improve mental health, help to build a good immune system, a strong heart, strong muscles, improves lung functions, reduces stress, destroys depression, controls anxiety, and most importantly builds a leadership quality. These qualities will always help an individual to live a beautiful life ahead.

Name - PROMITA BARUA. Reg. no. - WB/20/SWA/156701 RGSN College 48 Bengal Bn NCC, Barrackpore Kalyani Group West Bengal & Sikkim Directorate