CHAPTER 2 - SPORTS
Honored (Zeus) King of the Gods, Son of
Lesson 1 – Background of Sports
'Sport' means all forms of physical activity
which, through casual or organised
participation, aim at expressing or improving
physical fitness and mental wellbeing, forming
social relationships or obtaining results in
competition at all levels.
The documented history of sports goes back at
least 3,000 years. In the beginning, sports
often involved the preparation for war or
training as a hunter, which explains why so
many early games involved the throwing of
spears, stakes, and rocks, and sparring one-on-
one with opponents.
Although the ancient Games (Panhellenic
Games) were staged in Olympia, Greece,
from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503
years for the Olympics to return. The first
modern Olympics were held in Athens,
Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for
its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron
Pierre, who presented the idea in 1894.
The ancient Olympic Games were
primarily a part of a religious festival in
honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods
and goddesses. The festival and the games
were held in Olympia.
The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of
Zeus at Olympia shared the same religious
beliefs and spoke the same language. The
athletes were all male citizens of the city-
states from every corner of the Greek
world, coming from as far away as Iberia
(Spain) in the west and the Black Sea
(Turkey) in the east.
The ancient Olympic Games began in the
year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from
the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion
race, a foot race 600 feet long.
Panhellenic Games – composed of four
separate sports festivals held in Ancient
Greece.
Olympic Games – Deity/God
Cronus and Rhea, Brother of Hades, and
Poseidon.
Pythian Games – God Honored
(Apollo) God of the Sun and Light, God of
poetry, healing, music, plagues,
knowledge, order, prophecy, agriculture,
and archery.
Nemean Games – Deity Honored
(Zeus, Hercules) God of Strength and
Heroes.
Isthmian Games – Deity Honored
(Poseidon) God of the Sea, Storms, and
Earthquakes
With the first Olympic Games in 776 BC—
which included events such as foot and chariot
races, wrestling, jumping, and discus and
javelin throwing—the Ancient Greeks
introduced formal sports to the world. The
following by no means exhaustive list takes a
look at the beginnings and evolution of some
of today's most popular sporting pastimes.
Types of Sports
1. Individual and Dual Sports
In individual sports, no partner is
required to compete or play the game, while
dual sports are sports that require two players
on each side. (Ex.) Badminton, Table Tennis,
Lawn Tennis, Sepaktakraw, Teqball, Teqvoly,
Athletics, etc.
2. Team Sports
A team sport is an activity in. which a
group of individuals, on the same team, work
together to. accomplish an ultimate goal which
is usually to win. This can be done. in a
number of ways such as outscoring the
opposing team. (Ex.) Basketball, Volleyball,
Baseball, Softball, Soccer, etc.
3. Combative Sports
A combat sport, or fighting sport, is
a contact sport that usually involves one-on
one combat. In many combat sports, a
contestant wins by scoring more points than
the opponent, submitting the opponent with a Organized sports participation may aid
hold, disabling the opponent (knockout, KO), in the development of physical skills, such as
or attacking the opponent in a specific or hand-eye coordination; functional movement
designated technique, or skill demonstration. skills and strength; and academic, self-
Combat sports share a long history with regulatory, and general life skills. It also may
the martial arts. (Ex.) Arnis, Taekwondo, have positive social benefits, leading to both
Karate-do, Fencing, Wushu, etc. improved social identity and social adjustment.
Lesson 2 – Athletics Types of Athletics
Athletics is an exclusive collection of 1. Track Events in Athletics
sporting events that involve competitive
1.1. Sprint
running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The
most common types of athletics competitions 1.2. Middle Distance
are track and field, road running, cross country 1.3. Long Distance
running, and race walking. The simplicity of
the competitions, and the lack of a need for 1.4. Relay Races
expensive equipment, makes athletics on of 1.5. Hurdling (including Water Jump)
the most competed sports in the world.
Athletics is mostly individual sport, except for 2. Jump Events in Athletics
relay races and competitions that combine 2.1. Long Jump
athletes’ performances for a team score, such
as cross-country. 2.2. Triple Jump
Organized athletics are traced back to 2.3. High Jump
the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and 2.4. Pole Vault
the member clubs of the International
Association of Athletics Federations conducts 3. Throw Events in Athletics
most modern events. The athletics meeting 3.1. Shot Put
forms the backbone of the modern Summer
Olympics, and other leading international 3.2. Discus Throw
meetings include the IAAF World 3.3. Javelin Throw
Championships and World Indoor
Championships, and athletes with a physical 3.4. Hammer Throw
disability compete at the Summer Paralympics 4. Combined Events in Athletics
and IPC Athletics World Championships.
4.1. Road Running Events
4.2. Cross Country Running

Athletics is a wide collection of sporting events that are comprised of different physical activities
like walking, jumping, running, and throwing. There are various types of events in Athletics-
Sprints, long jump, triple jump, Relay races, and throwing events are the major ones. Each athletic
event differs from one another in many ways. Track and field events are one of the most common
sports played all around the world due to their lack of need for expensive equipment. Athletics
generally accounts for individual player performances or team performances calculated by adding
different individual performances. It is a part of the Olympics sports since its inception in 1896.
International Athletic Events are overseen by the International Association of Athletics Federations.