10 Weirdest Sports In The World You Didn’t Know

Top-10 Weirdest Sports In The World Right Now
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What are the weirdest sports around the world today? Wait. Have you ever assumed that any sport could be weird in the first place? Well, read on, and you’d be shocked.

Over the centuries, sports have become one of the most crucial activities invented for entertainment in human culture. Mainstream games such as Football, Hockey, Tennis, and many others, which are old and traditional, are played worldwide by millions of people. 

However, there are some weird modern-day games that don’t get much attention or admiration like the popular sports mentioned above. Wondering what they look like? Sit back, relax, and read on as we discuss some of the weirdest sports in the world that will intrigue you.

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The Most Unusual & Weirdest Sports in the World

10. Wife-Carrying (Finland)

Wife Carrying
Wikimedia

This annual competition held in Sonkjärvi, Finland, is a sport that involves male competitors or husbands running obstacle courses while female competitors are carried on their backs. Piggyback riding and the fireman’s carry amongst others are types of carrying styles used in the sport, and the winner receives the weight of the female he carried in beers. This is a sport that has spread across other parts of the world; the USA and Australia inclusive.

9. Sepak Takraw (Malaysia)

Sepak Takraw
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Sepak Takraw is one of the weirdest sports that is popularly played mainly in Thailand and Malaysia. It has become a regular sporting event in the Asian and Southeast Asian games way back in the 1400s. Sepak Takraw in a literal term means “kick ball” (Malay for ‘kick’ and Thai for ‘ball’), but it has no relation to football.

Instead, it is compared to volleyball because the court is divided by a net with both teams having three players each. Each team tries to keep the ball aloft else the opposite team wins points. But unlike volleyball played with hands, the Sepak Takraw is played with your feet, chin, or knees.

8. Hornussen (Switzerland)

Hornussen
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Hornussen is an indigenous sport of the swiss people. This sport was developed in the 17th century and is now gathering some level of recognition outside of Switzerland.

It was typically played by Swiss farmers to settle village disputes and also to prove one’s strength. The game is split into 4 quarters and consists of 18 participants. It is played by the striker tossing a puck, the hornet (also known as a hornuss) into the air while using a whip to launch it. Players on the opposite team are to knock the puck out with schindels that are tossed into the air.

This game is best compared to golf and baseball combined because of the batting. The international foundation for this game was founded in 2012 with over 20 clubs in the USA registering.

7. Kabaddi (Bangladesh)

Kabaddi
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Kabbadi is a contact sport that mixes wrestling and capture the flag and is popular in many countries like Pakistan amongst others. But Bangladesh and Nepal embrace it as a national sport.

It has a resemblance to the traditional school ground game of tag. The game originated from ancient India and a World Cup is hosted annually in South Asia, with India winning every year so far since it started.

This sport is played by a raider who must run across the centerline to tag players on the opposition team and does not take another breath until they return to their side of the court. The raider then chants “kabaddi” to prove that they haven’t breathed. Failure to tag a player on the opposite side retracts scores. This game recently founded a governing body ever since it reached the UK and who knows? It can as well become a globally popular sport.

6. Zorbing (New Zealand)

Zorbing
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The origin of Zorbing; though a newly developed sport that has become relatively popular over the recent years  dates back to New Zealand.

Zorbing involves participants tumbling down a hillside until an eventual stop in a large inflatable orb made of transparent plastic. The orbs are well padded, serving as a shock absorber to hinder injury from happening. A level surface can also be used to enable greater control for the user. It is a comical game of brilliance and it’s fun to watch indeed!

5. Chess Boxing (Germany)

Chess Boxing
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This 11-round alternating game started in Berlin in 2003 and became popular ever since. It is now played yearly in Great Britain, Germany, and Russia, with major sponsors.

The game consists of six chess matches and five boxing matches that last three minutes, one after the other, whilst the standard game of chess drops understandably as the fight continues.

It was invented by Lepe Rubingh who is a Dutch Performance Artist who knew that the two games are opposite ended in a spectrum but thought of it as a brilliant idea to merge the two; creating a hybrid type of sport.

Participants win by either a knockout, checkmate, technical knockout or an opponent resigning, being disqualified, or exceeding time limits during chess rounds.

4. Extreme Ironing (United Kingdom)

Extreme Ironing
Photo credit: Scorum

As the name suggests, it is a game that involves people ironing clothing items in extreme and remote locations on ironing boards they carry with them. This can be done on mountainsides, while canoeing or snowboarding; or even parachuting amongst other locations and situations.

The game started in 2002 and the first World Championship took place with ten nations in competition. It is an extreme sport and performance art that gained popularity worldwide by a documentary. It is now played and is known to be the latest danger sport combining thrills of extreme outdoor activity.

3. Bossaball (Belgium)

Bossaball
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This Belgian sport was conceptualized by Filip Eyckmans and played first in Spain. Elements of volleyball, gymnastics, soccer and the capoeira are incorporated into the game whilst at the same time; played on beaches worldwide.

With two trampolines on either side of the net on the inflatable court, only the attacker occupies one trampoline. A ball is served from the opposing side and returned to the other side over the net with not less than five touches, and until the ball lands at the scoring zone.

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2. Cheese Rolling (England)

Cheese Rolling
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Cheese rolling is one of the weirdest sport I have ever seen. The race takes place in Gloucester every year with a nine-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese rolled down the hill. Contestants then chase after it and the participant who crosses the finish line at the bottom goes home with cheese, just like you guessed!

Gloucester hill is very steep and uneven, ensuring contestants rolling down at quite a given speed, and as a result, many injuries are incurred.

This sport still occurs with no management, thereby giving birth to more unofficial events in the UK and overseas.

1. Capoeira (Brazil)

Capoeira
Wikimedia

This sport today has inspired quite a lot of fighting scenes in popular films and television series. History has it that its evolution began in Brazil by African slaves in the 1800s although it is still debated because of its massive influence on what we know today as break dancing.

It is also known as the War Dance; a Brazilian martial art blending music, dance, and acrobatics into a thriller match. Sweeps and low moves are incorporated for self-defense and acrobatics and full cartwheels for performances.

Other Strange Sports Across the Globe

  • Octopush (England)
  • Shin Kicking (England)
  • Fireball Soccer (Indonesia)
  • Fierljeppen (Netherlands)
  • Toe Wrestling(England)

I guess you’re intrigued by some of these weird sports. Let us know how you feel about them and the one you are thinking of being part of in the future using the comment box.

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