Sports is commonly defined as a physical contact sport, like basketball or netball. Many forms of competitive athletics and some outdoor games are also classed as sports. An individual who plays a game of basketball is generally regarded as a sports person. Some people also play sports simply for the fun aspect of it.
When people refer to sports as physical activity, they usually mean something more than just jumping around or throwing a ball. The word ‘sports’ has now developed more widely to mean any physical activity undertaken for competition, recreation or exercise. A person can be involved in a particular sport for different reasons. It could be that they are participating in a sporting event to feel more fit or perhaps it could be to compete against others to see who is better in the particular physical activity being undertaken.
Today, many people engage in a mixture of both sports and other activities for the sheer enjoyment of it. For example, footballers wear soccer shirts because they enjoy the contact and the challenge of the sport. A lot of people today take part in indoor games of paintball and other war-craft-type combat simulations. These are all examples of recreational sports, but there are occasions where people actively participate in contact sports, especially contact sports such as boxing and mixed martial arts.
One form of popular sports played by men and women in the world today is fencing. This sport is a competitive and extreme form of physical activity. Many people consider fencing to be a more masculine sport than football or rugby. Fencing is often considered to be a sport because it requires a lot of strength, skill and endurance. Competitions are held regularly around the world in order to recognise the skills of those who have excelled in this particular sport.
Another example of a very popular sport throughout the world is table tennis. This involves players using rackets to hit the ball back and forth across a court. Table tennis was created during the ancient times in Japan and Korea and has been adapted into many different forms of play. The rules of table tennis differ from country to country, with some countries requiring the use of paddles and others not. However, many countries require that players abide by the basic rules of the sport, such as having fun and playing within the rules.
Darts is another sport which has evolved over the centuries, from using balls to using hand held dartboards. The sport involves plenty of physical exertion and is fast paced. However, darts is not regarded as a risky sport, as it involves only a small amount of physical exertion.