Wacky Sports You Never Knew Existed… Until Today
Believe it or not there are many countries in the world whose population would look at you in disbelief if you tried to explain to them what cricket was, and they certainly wouldn’t have a clue about Kabaddi.
However, India is far from being the only country with unique and, what for the uninitiated can sometimes appear to be, bizarre sports. Here are some of the best we managed to dig up from round the world. Which ones have you heard of before?
Canadian Football
Not to be confused with its sister sport, American Football, Canadian Football has its own unique form of rough and tumble. Although the players of both sports are kitted out identically, that’s where the similarities end, with a Canadian Football pitch being substantially bigger and teams consisting of 12 players rather than 11.
There are also less downs in Canadian Football with only 3 downs available during which the team in possession can cover the territory required. This makes for an often more exciting game, although whisper that carefully to diehard NFL fans. The Canadian version of the NFL is the CFL, with matchday odds available throughout the season.
CFL players regularly have to deal with the harshest of weather conditions
Sepak takraw
Imagine a game of volleyball during which you can only use your feet and you’ll have some idea of what a game of Speak Takraw looks like. Add to that some acrobatic kicks that Bruce Lee would be proud of and it really is worth catching a few minutes of this incredible sport from South East Asia.
If you thought overhead kicks in football were impressive, this will make you think again.
Chess Boxing
Chess Boxing does exactly what its name suggests, combining two noble sports to create a spectacle quite unlike anything else on the planet.
A match/fight lasts up to 11 rounds and consists of six rounds of chess and five of boxing. The victor is the man left standing or who managed to checkmate his opponent.
Would you fancy playing chess straight after eating an uppercut?
Bo-Taoshi
Bo-Taoshi is a mammoth game involving a whopping 300 players with 150 on either side. The aim of the game is to topple the opposing team’s pole.
To make the game even more precarious and hectic a player on each team known as the ninja sits on top of his own team’s giant pole. We’re not certain why but it certainly makes for a stunning spectacle.