What Was the World's First Sport?
What Was the World's First Sport?
In unraveling the mystery of the world's inaugural athletic pursuit, it proves beneficial to initially elucidate the precise definition of a sport. SportAccord, the global overarching entity for all international sports federations, delineates the criteria for a sport as follows:
- A sport necessitates a competitive element.
- Engaging in a sport should not inflict harm upon any living entity.
- It must not hinge on equipment supplied by a singular source.
- Reliance on an aspect of 'luck' should be absent.
- The nature of the activity can be predominantly physical or mental.
Was the Prowess of Hunting the Genesis of Sports?
The practice of hunting, vital to the existence of early humans, has often been celebrated as the premier sporting endeavor in antiquity. Contemporary classifications still categorize hunting within the realm of sports (the term 'country sports' encapsulating diverse activities), yet adhering to the SportAccord definition introduces complications in labeling hunting as a sport.
Competitive elements are absent (as the hunted creature may elude capture, avoiding any true triumph over the hunter), and inherently, it inflicts harm upon other living entities. Therefore, discerning hunting primarily as a vital pursuit for early human survival appears more fitting than characterizing it as a sport.
Aspirants to the Title of the First Sport
Determining the definitive answer to the world's inaugural sport proves elusive, yet two contenders emerge with equal assertions to the title of the inaugural sport. Both foot racing and wrestling can lay legitimate claim due to the existence of Palaeolithic cave paintings in the Lascaux caves of south-western France, dating back over 17,000 years, depicting instances of both wrestling and sprinting.
These visual representations are supplemented by Neolithic cave paintings in Mongolia from around 7000 BC, distinctly portraying a wrestling match witnessed by onlookers. Additional early sports depicted in archaeological finds include archery and swimming in caves near Gilf Kebir in Neolithic Libya and an embryonic form of sumo wrestling illustrated in prehistoric cave art in Japan.
Wrestling Takes the Coveted Title of the Premier Sport
While foot racing contends strongly for the honor of the world's first sport, a preponderance of evidence tilts in favor of wrestling as a sport practiced since the early epochs of human history, persisting through to the contemporary era. References to wrestling permeate early historical accounts globally, from the ancient Indian Vedas, the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, to the Epic of Gilgamesh, and Homer's magnum opus, The Iliad.
Wrestling's prominence endured through ancient Greek civilization, transcending into Roman times and beyond. Early European settlers in North America attested to witnessing Native Americans engaging in wrestling, providing ample assurance that wrestling enjoyed popularity for myriad years in that region.
