Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) are physical activities which were played for centuries by people around the world before the advent of modern sports. Many TSG's lost popularity or died off during the colonial era due to the imposition and spread of Western sports. [1] [2] [3] Further decline has occurred in the post-colonial era. [4] [5] [6]
UNESCO promotes TSG as a form of "Intangible Cultural Heritage", and has a dedicated TSG Advisory Committee. [7] [8] Four Collective Consultation Meetings have been held so far by UNESCO, with the fourth Collective Consultation in 2018 gathering more than 82 participants from 40 countries. [9] UNESCO played a pivotal role in founding the International Council of Traditional Sports and Games (ICTSG) in 2018. Khalil Ahmed Khan was appointed as the president, and Shammi Rana assumed the position of Secretary General, with the 14th of August being declared the International Day of Traditional Sports and Games. [10]
TSG has been linked to the way in which various peoples followed religious duties and promoted social cooperation along with a better understanding of their relationship to nature; [11] [12] [13] [14] TSG is also seen as a possible way to increase intercultural dialogue. [15] [16]
During the colonial era, resistance to and influence from Western sports resulted in the standardisation and introduction of organised competition for several traditional South Asian games such as kabaddi. [17] [18] [19]
From the 18th century onwards, researchers have taken a greater interest in the value of traditional games in elucidating cultural values and identities. The modern Olympic Games were influenced by this thinking, and were founded by Pierre de Coubertin on the basis of "All games, all nations", though this aspect of the Olympics was never fully realised and quickly faded away after a few years, with mainly only Western sports being played. In some European countries, the revival of traditional games has served as a way for regional identities to be expressed in a political or educational way. [20]
From the 1970's onwards, global attention and institutionalization has taken place to preserve TSG. [21]
TSG has been increasingly accepted into international multi-sport events such as the Asian Games and SEA Games. [22] [23]
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overlaps with extreme sport. The two share the same main attraction, "adrenaline rush" caused by an element of risk, and differ mostly in the degree of engagement and professionalism.
Fusion cuisine is a cuisine that combines elements of different culinary traditions that originate from different countries, regions, or cultures. Cuisines of this type are not categorized according to any one particular cuisine style and have played a part in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.
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Kho kho is a traditional South Asian sport that dates to ancient India. It is the second-most popular traditional tag game in the Indian subcontinent after kabaddi. Kho kho is played on a rectangular court with a central lane connecting two poles which are at either end of the court. During the game, nine players from the chasing team are on the field, with eight of them sitting (crouched) in the central lane, while three runners from the defending team run around the court and try to avoid being touched. Each sitting player on the chasing team faces the opposite half of the field that their adjacent teammates are facing.
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The interplay of exercise and music has long been discussed, crossing the disciplines of biomechanics, neurology, physiology, and sport psychology. Research and experimentation on the relation between music and exercise dates back to the early 1900s, when investigator Leonard Ayres found that cyclists pedaled faster in the presence of a band and music, as opposed to when it was silent. Since then, hundreds of studies have been conducted on both the physiological and psychological relationship between music and physical activity, with a number of clear cut relationships and trends emerging. Exercise and music involves the use of music before, during, and/or after performing a physical activity. Listening to music while exercising is done to improve aspects of exercise, such as strength output, exercise duration, and motivation. The use of music during exercise can provide physiological benefits as well as psychological benefits.
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Shammi Rana is a promoter of Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) from India. He was appointed Secretary-General of the International Council of Traditional Sports and Games at the 4th UNESCO Collective Consultation of Traditional Sports and Games. Shammi Rana was also appointed Rapporteur of Traditional Sports and Games by UNESCO in the 3rd Collective Consultation on the Safeguarding and Promotion of Traditional Sports and Games 2017.
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