Are you a sports fan? You likely already know a sport you enjoy playing and watching. However, there are a string of lesser known sports around the world as well
Maybe you spend a few bucks on it each week as you back your favorite team. And have been looking up the best UK bookmakers signup offersso you can enjoy some competitive odds and make a lot more money out of your research and hunches. But how about veering from the norm and trying something else?
That’s right – there are so many other sports that exist. And some of them might interest you enough to push you to try them during your next social hangout!
Lesser Known Sports Around The World List
1. Lawnmower Racing
If you love mowing the lawn, you will appreciate the genius of this game. It’s a race where people sit on their lawnmowers and take the action to the streets. Of course, they remove the blades for safety and speed reasons. But when those machines start moving up and down the roads, you realize that they can achieve much more than you expected. Oh, and these races have annual tournaments if you ever want to showcase how great you are at handling a lawnmower.
2. Carrying Your Wife
See how you sweep your wife off her feet when you get home? How about turning that into a sport? You read that right! This Finnish sport has an interesting historical twist to it. Back in the 19th century, a robber and his mates traveled to villages, robbing them of food and women. And no, they did not use sports cars to get away from the scene of the crime. Instead, they left on foot, carrying the women on their backs. So, it was that this sport evolved and now has an annual world championship. Other countries have emulated the Finnish and have been carrying their wives on their backs, eager to clinch the trophy.
3. Chess Boxing
Chess is a highly specialized game that requires you to be about your wits as you make it across the board. Boxing is more physical and involves tact to dodge the blows and land that coveted uppercut. So, you would imagine that the participants in each game would have varied skills. However, this chess boxing variation comprises both sports. It started as a comical twist back in the 19th century. But what was meant to cheer people up ended up being a reality when an artist decided to put up the performance in 2003. The players face each other in alternate rounds of chess and boxing. So, will it be a checkmate or a knockout? That’s the question that keeps the audience engaged throughout all the rounds. It also makes for a good wager session – the odds on this are highly competitive.
4. Chasing Rolling Cheese
Chasing cheese might sound like a made-up sport, but it does exist. Come spring, the residents of Gloucestershire gather atop a hill on which the race moderators launch a ball of buttery cheese. The players then start racing down the hill a second after the launch. You can imagine how dangerous it is to run on the ground where buttery cheese has rolled. But the players do not let this deter them, and they speed after the ball, eager to cross the line 200 yards away. Of course, injuries do occur. But rather than push people away, the excitement of the race has only attracted more people. Over the years, crowds have been racing down the hill, with thousands of others cheering them on from the sides. Would you be willing to take part in such a race?
5. Toe Wrestling
Sports have different stories as to how they came about, and this one is quite entertaining. It all started in a UK pub where friends talked about how their country had yet to have a world sports champion. They then realized that if they created a sport that nobody else had heard about, they would have the chance to clinch the win. So, they started toe wrestling, a sport where opponents would lock feet and try to defeat each other with their toes. Of course, the first world champion was from this group of buddies. And the sport has existed ever since.
Sports are about having fun, moving the body, and disengaging from the realities of life. Science has proven that being sporty can:
- Help you reduce your stress levels,
- Make it easier to achieve your fitness goals, and
- Teach you how to work better with teams.
See? It’s all good stuff. So, which of these sports would you try out and why?
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