GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME

Sports Time! Discover Ten National Sports From Around The World!

Image: Jannes Glas

Who doesn’t love sports? Well, many don’t, if indoor kids in gym classes are to be believed. And while demanding coaches might turn them into an anxiety-filled activity, sports can be a truly wonderful and rewarding experience that anyone can enjoy. They are a great way to exercise, make friends, and, on some occasions, a great source of national pride.

Cheering for your nation’s team is one of the few things that almost every citizen can agree on. However, there’s another way in which sports can make you feel proud of your country: through their very own unique national sports. We have gathered ten official and unofficial sports from all around the world that bring both joy and a sense of national identity to their respective countries. Enjoy!

Image: Rafael Hoyos Weht

Argentina is known as one of the leading countries in the sport of polo. In case you are not familiar with it, polo is a sport not dissimilar to hockey, with the main difference being that is it played on horseback. However, even though they have made their name in the world of polo, Argentina’s official national sport is another entirely different horseback game called "pato".

Pato is a versatile sport that combines elements of basketball and polo, on which two teams on horseback compete to grab a ball and throw it through the opposing team’s goal, a hoop located on top of a poll. The sport is named after the Spanish word for "duck" since early versions of pato used a live duck instead of a ball. In 1953, this game first developed by gauchos (Argentinean cowboys)was recognized as Argentina’s national sport.

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Capoeira is truly hard to define: it is both an art form, a martial art, a game, and a cultural product that fills Brazilians with pride for their country. Capoeira is, after all, Brazil’s national sport, and this might be the best way to encapsulate this physical activity that seamlessly combines elements of dancing, music, acrobatics, and even spirituality.

For something as popular as Capoeira is, it is curious that its origins are still unknown. However, the first recorded mention comes from 1789. While originally conceived as a form of self-defense, Capoeira has branched into many areas: Its traditional instruments and dance moves have influenced many prominent Brazilian musicians throughout the decades, while several Capoeira combat moves are now commonly used in MMA and other fighting sports.

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While "Daniel-san" and his crane kick might have made every '80s American kid want to learn karate, there are plenty of other self-defense arts that are worth our attention, and taekwondo is definitively one of them. Not only for its engaging training and health benefits but also because it might help us feel closer to South Korean culture since taekwondo is this nation’s official national martial art.

The word "taekwondo" loosely translates to "the way of kicking and punching", and it was developed between the 40s and 50s by Korean martial artists proficient in other disciplines like karate and kung fu. Practitioners of taekwondo adhere to what is known as "the Five Tenets of Taekwondo", which are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-control, and Indomitable spirit.

Image: Adrian Payne

This entry is the first to refer to a series of sports rather than only an individual one, and that is because Ireland has created a remarkable and truly unique number of national pastimes. These various sports are collectively known under the name "Gaelic games", and have long surpassed the borders of the "Emerald Isle" and are now enjoyed all around the world.

Among the most popular Gaelic games, we can find Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball, and rounders. Gaelic football and hurling share similar elements: they both involve pushing a ball onto the opposing team’s goal, whether it is carrying by hand, kicking, or bouncing. Gaelic handball involves two players bouncing a small rubber ball against a wall, while rounders could be described as a combination of cricket and baseball. Curiously, before becoming "rounders", this game was first known as "base-ball".

Image: Taylor Friehl

You might be surprised to learn that our "Big Neighbor to the North" has not only one but two official national sports. One of them is fairly obvious: ice hockey has been synonymous with Canada for decades now. However, ice hockey is only Canada’s winter national sport, and it shares the title with its summer counterpart, the sport of lacrosse.

The debate of which sport should be Canada’s national representative was discussed for almost three decades. For years, Canadians believed that lacrosse was the country’s official national sport until in 1964, some members of the Canadian parliament revealed that no law proclaiming this had ever been enacted. It wasn’t until 1994 that a resolution from the House of Commons declared lacrosse to be Canada’s summer national sport, and ice hockey its winter national sport.

Image: Paulo Henrique Macedo Dias

Did you know that volleyball was created in Massachusetts by a YMCA teacher? William G. Morgan combined elements of baseball, handball, and tennis and, in 1895, he created a new indoor sport called Mintonette. Luckily, the name didn’t stick, and it eventually evolved into the volleyball we know and love.

Even though traditional games like dandi biyo and kabbadi were considered Nepal’s unofficial national games, volleyball became the country's national sport. Female volleyball is extremely popular in Nepal, and it is played in all 77 districts of this country.

Image: Lisa Keffer

Many consider table tennis as little more than a recreational activity, an indoor game to play on a rainy afternoon. And while definitively fun, table tennis is a full-fledged, adrenaline-fueled sport, as anyone who has seen a professional game can attest. And if there’s one country synonymous with this sport and with promoting remarkable table tennis players, it is China.

Although it was an already incredibly popular sport in the 1950s, table tennis became a staple of Chinese culture in the '60s and '70s. Since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988, China has produced a multitude of international superstars, amassing a massive number of gold medals in the process.

Image: Alessio Roversi

Just like Capoeira, Sumo is not just a martial art: Japanese people view it as an art form that combines tradition, history, and spirituality. The first recorded mention of sumo comes from the year 712, and it describes the fight between two gods to claim ownership over the Japanese islands. It is heavily ingrained into Japanese culture, and it showcases this nation’s proud history and identity.

To this day, sumo wrestlers adhere not only to a strict training regime but also to an entire lifestyle heavily influenced by tradition and rituals. Most wrestlers live in training stables known as heya, on which aspects of their daily lives like their meals or their clothes are rigorously dictated. Accordingly, top-tier sumo wrestlers, known as yokozuna, are extremely popular athletes and revered as the very best of this beloved sport.

Image: Ryan caven

While the exact and ancient origins of golf are still debated, we can all thank Scotland for creating the modern-day version of this iconic sport. After all, it seems only natural that a country filled with such gorgeous hills and breathtaking landscapes should be the birthplace of a sport that involves walking around lush greenery.

The first recorded mention of golf comes from a ban on the game enacted by English King James II in 1457 since he felt that it distracted his subjects from learning more useful sports like archery. His grandson, King James IV, took a liking to the sport and lifted the ban in 1502.

Image: Eduardo Balderas

While the United States doesn’t have any official national sports, most Americans believe that baseball is the de facto national representative. It is one of the oldest sports played in the country, and its history is intrinsically connected to the history of America.

While the first mention of baseball in American history comes from 1752, it wasn’t until the 19th century that this sport would start gaining popularity. In 1858, the first all-star games were played in New York City, in what many believe to be the very first professional exhibitions of the sport still known to this day as "America’s favorite pastime."

FROM SCREEN TO SLANG

Did You Know These 12 Phrases Came from TV Shows?

Image: Unsplash

Pop culture can reach us through every single type of media imaginable. And, in that regard, both the big screen and the small one are powerful generators of content that inform our daily lives.

From memorable catchphrases to poignant one-liners, some idioms have transcended their on-screen origins, embedding themselves in our everyday conversations and shaping the way we express ourselves. Whether it's a piece of advice from a beloved character or a quick retort that becomes part of the cultural lexicon, these expressions have left an indelible mark on our lives.

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While the term "spam" didn't originate in the realm of movies or television, its current meaning as unwanted mail did.

In a classic Monty Python sketch, a group of Vikings incessantly repeats the word "spam" as they sing a menu that includes processed meat, drowning out all other conversation. The repetitive and overwhelming nature of this skit amusingly mirrored the flood of unsolicited emails in early online communication. Over time, the term evolved, transcending its comedic roots and becoming synonymous with digital clutter.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

Aside from being the name of a gigantic tech company, "Google" has become a widely popular verb that describes the action of making a query on the search engine of the same name.

The first recorded use of the phrase on TV happened on "Buffy, The Vampire Slayer," where her friend Willow uttered the words "Have you Googled her yet?" referencing the search engine. A humble origin for a ubiquitous term.

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The term "Groundhog Day" was coined from the title of the 1993 comedy-drama starring Bill Murray. The movie follows a cynical weatherman trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again.

The phrase has since transcended its cinematic origins to become a metaphor for the repetitive nature of daily life or tasks that seem endlessly redundant. The film's enduring popularity has ingrained "Groundhog Day" into the lexicon as a symbol of monotony, prompting people to humorously reference the concept whenever they find themselves caught in a seemingly endless cycle of routine.

Image: Omid Roshan

Possibly one of the most famous onomatopoeias to ever emerge from the TV, "d'oh!" has become an iconic catchphrase synonymous with exasperation, and its origin can be traced back to the animated television series "The Simpsons."

Coined by the show's creator, Matt Groening, "d'oh!" serves as the frustrated utterance of the bumbling yet endearing character Homer Simpson. Introduced in the early seasons of the show, the exclamation quickly gained popularity for its versatility in expressing anything from mild annoyance to major blunders.

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While its current meaning denotes a foolish or inept person, the origin of the word "nimrod" can be traced back to biblical sources. In the Bible, Nimrod is a figure described as a mighty hunter and a great king, but the evolution of the term took an unexpected turn.

In the mid-20th century, the term started being used sarcastically by the Looney Tunes character Bugs Bunny. The rabbit used the term ironically to mock his adversaries. Over time, the sarcasm stuck, and "nimrod" morphed into a colloquial expression for someone perceived as clueless or ineffectual.

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The roots of the term "gaslight" can be traced back to the 1938 play "Gas Light", which was later adapted into two films—one in the UK in 1940 and another in the US in 1944.

The plot revolves around a husband who manipulates his wife into believing she's going insane by dimming the gaslights in their home. This psychological thriller popularized the notion of subtle manipulation and psychological abuse, giving rise to the term "gaslighting."

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"Friend zone" has become a ubiquitous part of modern dating discourse, and its roots can be traced back to the realm of popular culture, specifically the television sitcom "Friends".

While the phrase itself may not have originated on the show, its popularization can be attributed to the character Ross Geller, portrayed by David Schwimmer. Ross often found himself being romantically interested in female friends who saw him strictly as a friend. The notion of being relegated to the "friend zone" gained cultural traction, signifying unrequited romantic feelings within a friendship.

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The iconic sign-off "And that's the way it is" was popularized by one of the most respected figures in television news, Walter Cronkite. As the longtime anchor of the CBS Evening News, Cronkite would conclude his broadcasts with this definitive statement, emphasizing the factual nature of the news presented.

While the phrase itself did not originate in any form of scripted entertainment, its impact on language and cultural memory shows how a well-delivered line from a news anchor can become ingrained in the public consciousness.

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The phrase "Who are you wearing?" emerged as a hallmark of red carpet interviews, and its origin is closely tied to the indomitable Joan Rivers. Coined by the comedian and television host, the question became a signature element of her coverage during award shows, marking her irreverent yet insightful approach to fashion critique.

Rivers used the question to extract not only information about the designers behind celebrities' outfits but also to inject humor and critique into the conversation. First popularized on her show "Live from the Red Carpet," the phrase quickly became a cultural touchstone, shaping the way the public engages with celebrity fashion.

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The phrase "Everybody lies" comes from the medical drama "House," where the brilliant but unconventional Dr. Gregory House, played by Hugh Laurie, uttered this cynical mantra.

The phrase expresses the central theme of the show: that truth is often elusive. Dr. House, a character known for his skepticism, popularized this observation, asserting that even the most seemingly transparent individuals conceal truths. Beyond the show, "Everybody lies" has permeated popular culture, becoming a provocative reflection on human nature and the inherent complexities of honesty.

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The phrase "You're toast" gained prominence as a line from "Ghostbusters". This ominous declaration is uttered by the character Peter Venkman, played by Bill Murray, during a confrontational scene with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

Since its cinematic debut, "You're toast" has transcended its ghostly origins to become a colloquial idiom, often used in a lighthearted manner to convey a sense of impending defeat or inevitable trouble.

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"Hakuna Matata," a Swahili phrase meaning "no worries," was popularized by the animated movie "The Lion King". Coined in the 1994 film, Pumbaa and Timon introduced this infectious philosophy to a global audience.

The phrase defines a worry-free, laid-back attitude toward life, resonating with audiences of all ages. The cultural impact of "Hakuna Matata" extends beyond the screen, as it has become a widely recognized catchphrase, symbolizing a desire for a stress-free existence.