Three Major Benefits of Modern Sports




History of sports is an elongated one and is often dated as old as the history of humankind. All through the historical backdrop of human advancement, individuals needed to battle for survival. Amid hunting and war, a man needed to have great physical strength and dexterity to survive. Survival of the fittest had been the cardinal rule over civilizations.  With civilization, ritual competitions came in to celebrate the virtue of divine Gods. Since sources of entertainment lacked, sports emerged as a recreational activity that included the throwing of spears, stakes, and rocks, and of course lots of play-fighting.
The rapid development of urban culture in the late nineteenth century paved way for the spirit of modern sports. Ancient Greece let to the foundation of formal games, by inaugurating the first ever Olympic Games in 776 BC (1), that included games, for example, human and chariot races, wrestling, jumping, disk throwing, and more. The history of modern sports details an evolution, from games played primarily for entertainment and leisure to an industry rivalling any other in size and power. (2)

The three major benefits of modern sports for individuals across the globe are as follows:














 Figure 1. Sports contributing to the Physical Health (3)

Building Physical Health: The Report from the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace states that young people can benefit from physical activity as it contributes to developing healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function as well as improved motor skills and cognitive function. (4)


         










Figure 2. Sports helping individuals build associations (5)

  Developing Associativity: Modern games came into existence out of new types of associativity formed amid the European enlightenment. People felt an incessant urge to make social connections outside the family where they could associate more freely with others. The origins of the modern sport lie not in the needs of physical perfection, but in the new possibilities of leisure – to evade boredom and fulfil a passion.


Figure 3. Sports fostering cultural values among nations (6)

Fostering Peace: Given that sports act as a harbinger of peace in the world, they play a key role in fostering racial and social integration worldwide and serve as a social glue to unite different cultures and nations. More importantly, though, sport promotes universal values such as justice, fair play and teamwork that transcend language and culture.

   Life is short, Play Hard!

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