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An Asiad for the ages

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-26 09:29

Five odd sports

Dance Sports

Asian Games debut: 2010 Guangzhou

Dance Sports are generally defined as partner dancing, with the man and woman using the required technique together with floor-craft and artistic interpretation to produce a highly disciplined dance performance.

Kabaddi

Asian Games debut: 1990 Beijing

Kabaddi was probably invented to ward off group attacks in ancient times. It is basically a combative sport, with seven players on each side and played in two 20-minute halves. The core idea is to score points by raiding into the opponent's court and touching as many of its players as possible without getting caught on a single attempt.

Dragon Boat

Asian Games debut: 2010 Guangzhou

The history of Dragon Boat racing goes back more than 2,200 years and has its roots in the legend of Qu Yuan and the sacrifice he made for his country in the third century BC, when he drowned himself in the Milo River, in Southern China, in protest against the corrupt regimes of that period.

Sepaktakraw

Asian Games debut: 1990 Beijing

It is generally believed that sepaktakraw was played as early as the 9th century. It is played on a court with a hand-woven ball (takraw) by teams made up of two or three people. Points are scored by hitting the ball above the net and into the court as the opposing players attempt to block. Players can use their feet, legs, shoulders and head but not their hands.

Roller Sports

Asian Games debut: 2010 Guangzhou

Roller Sports developed from ice skating. In 1863, New Yorker James Plimpton solved the problem of controlling skates when he used a rubber cushion to anchor the axles. From then on, Roller Sports have spread all over the world.

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