Like many other things in the world today, international sports competitions are changing. As political alliances form in different parts of the world, so too are sports events following similar courses. With the notable exception of football – which, of course, has its own global championship in the form of the World Cup – many of the world’s biggest sports are divided these days.
So what is happening? And how is it affecting the competition? Let’s take a closer look.
How It Started
The very first Olympics took place in Ancient Greece. It was a competition that took place every four years. The Greeks created the sporting festival for the gods. People competed against each other in running, jumping, discus, and javelin throwing. They also did wrestling, pentathlon, and boxing.
The original Olympics took place thousands of years ago. The first competition was in 776 BC. It disappeared along with the fading of ancient Greek civilization, but was brought back in the modern era as the world was looking for a way to celebrate sports among nations. The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896, and it has continued to take place – with a couple of exceptions during the World Wars – ever since then.
Other Competitions Rise
However, there have been other competitions that have also been springing up over the years to rival the Olympics in importance. As a gesture of friendship between communist and non-communist countries, the Goodwill Games was launched in 1986. The Games featured alternating competitions in the US and the Soviet Union every four years, timed exactly in the middle of the Olympic quadrennium.
The Goodwill Games featured many of the same sports as the Olympics and proved to be a popular competition for top-level athletes. With the breakup of the Soviet Union, though, the competition lost its overriding purpose and was discontinued.
The Olympics itself changed formats over the years, adding new sports each time in recent competitions. The summer and winter games have been scheduled during different years, so each type of sport can get its appropriate time in the limelight.
And of course there is the paralympics for disabled athletes, which takes place just after the standard Olympics. It has also been gaining popularity and additional sports in recent years.
BRICS Games
The political situation in the world these days has caused nations to split into new alliances. And the world of sports seems to be following suit. This summer the first BRICS games was held in Russia. Competitors from Russia, China, India, and also other countries took part.
As more and more countries join the BRICS alliance, this competition will get bigger and bigger. There are already 40 countries who have applied for membership in this group.
Enhanced Games
Perhaps the most unusual multi-sport contest on the rise is the Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games is exactly what it sounds like A multi-sport competition in which athletes will actually be permitted to use performance-enhancing drugs. It is the brainchild of Australian businessman Aron D’Souza, and it is set to have its inaugural competition next year. The purpose of the event is to see what limits the human body can actually reach, regardless of the means involved. While some people might question the ethics of this approach, it is an interesting concept. And one that athletes seem to be eager to try.
Play Your Hand At Guessing
If you want to test your luck (or skill!) and put a wager on your favorite athlete, team, or horse, you should check out an online betting app. You never know; you may just end up getting lucky and winning yourself a big pot of money.
There are now multiple forums available where you can educate yourself on different sports, teams’ and individuals’ odds, and what is happening on the inside.
The Future Will Bring More
There will surely be even more multi-sporting events in the future. At the moment, we can only speculate about what they might entail. New sports, new rules, new geographic groupings… pretty much anything is possible. It all depends on where global trends start to head. But there is no question that athletes and organizers alike will continue to innovate and push the limits of human capacity.
