Weird and unusual sports from around the world showcase the incredible diversity of human creativity and imagination. From traditional games with a twist to completely new and bizarre activities, these sports push the boundaries of what we think of as "sport." In this article, we explore some of the most unusual sports from around the world that you may have never heard of before.
- Cheese Rolling - Gloucestershire, England: Participants chase a wheel of cheese down a hill.
- Ferret Legging - Yorkshire, England: Players put live ferrets down their pants and endure bites and scratches.
- Bossaball - Spain: A combination of volleyball, soccer, and trampolining, played on a inflatable court with music and acrobatics.
- Sepak Takraw - Southeast Asia: A hybrid sport of volleyball and soccer where players use their feet, chest, head and knees to hit a rattan ball over a net.
- Quidditch - United States: Based on the game from Harry Potter, players run around with brooms between their legs, trying to throw balls through hoops.
- Kabaddi - India: A contact sport where players try to tag opponents while holding their breath and chanting "Kabaddi".
- Shin Kicking - Gloucestershire, England: Participants kick each other's shins until one falls down, originated in the 17th century.
- Bog Snorkeling - Wales, United Kingdom: Participants swim through a muddy trench cut into a peat bog.
- Camel Wrestling - Turkey: Two male camels fight each other by biting and tackling until one flees or is pinned.
- Wife Carrying - Finland: Male competitors carry their female partners through an obstacle course in the fastest time possible.
- Underwater Hockey - Australia: Players use a small stick to hit a puck along the bottom of a swimming pool.
- Chess Boxing - Russia: A hybrid sport of chess and boxing where players alternate between rounds of chess and rounds of boxing.
- Hornussen - Switzerland: Players hit a small rubber puck with a long flexible stick and score points based on how far it travels.
- Extreme Ironing - Worldwide: Participants iron clothes in extreme locations such as while rock climbing, skiing, or skydiving.
- Ostrich Racing - South Africa: Jockeys ride on the backs of ostriches and race them around a track.
- Elephant Polo - Thailand: Similar to traditional polo, but players ride on elephants instead of horses.
- Yukigassen - Japan: A snowball fighting competition where two teams try to capture each other's flag while pelting each other with snowballs.
- Competitive Tag - United States: Similar to the childhood game, but with professional athletes running and dodging around obstacles.
- Haggis Hurling - Scotland: Participants throw a haggis (a Scottish sausage made of sheep organs and spices) as far as they can.
- Eukonkanto - Finland: Participants carry a weighted bag over their shoulders and race around an obstacle course.
- Buzkashi - Afghanistan: A game where players on horseback try to grab a goat carcass and score points by tossing it into a goal.
- Caber Toss - Scotland: A test of strength where competitors toss a large wooden pole called a caber and try to flip it end over end.
- Extreme Ironing - Worldwide: Participants iron clothes in extreme locations such as while rock climbing, skiing, or skydiving.
- Eukonkanto - Finland: Participants carry a weighted bag over their shoulders and race around an obstacle course.
- Fireball Soccer - Indonesia: A traditional Indonesian game where players kick a ball that's been set on fire.
- Hornussen - Switzerland: Players hit a small rubber puck with a long flexible stick and score points based on how far it travels.
- Joggling - Worldwide: A combination of jogging and juggling, where runners juggle balls or clubs as they race.
- Segway Polo - Worldwide: Players ride Segways and hit a ball with long mallets, similar to traditional polo.
- Tejo - Colombia: A game where players toss metal discs at gunpowder-filled targets, trying to create explosions.
- Zorbing - Worldwide: Participants roll down a hill inside a large transparent ball.
We hope you enjoyed learning about these sports and invite you to revisit our blog for more exciting content.
Written by: Jitendra Raulo
Jitendra Raulo is the Founding Director at Aarav Infotech India Pvt. Ltd., a leading Web Design and Digital Marketing Company with 11+ years of experience and having headquarter in Mumbai, India, and Support Centre at Bhubaneswar, India, he is actively working with Start-ups, SMEs and Corporations utilizing technology to provide business transformation solution.
