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Sports as national treasures
Some countries are represented by certain types of sports. Some sports have never crossed the borders of that country, while others have been introduced from other countries and have become so popular that more than the people of that country are interested in that sport.
The most prominent case would be Japan. Because when one thinks of Japan, the two fat, half-naked wrestlers in the ring are the first things that come to mind. Yes, the sport of sumo.The object of the match is to roll the opponent so that he touches the ground with any part of his body except his feet, or simply push him out of the ring. Before the match, various rituals are performed, such as throwing salt and making eye contact with the opponent. Also characteristic is the “jersey” of the opponent, which is actually nothing more than a “mawashi,” a belly band tied around the back.
The second is in England. The British are very fond of horses, and it is no surprise that sports involving horses are very popular with them. This is true whether it is horse racing, dressage, or perhaps the most important national sport, polo. Polo is a game in which four players (two forwards, a defender, and a goalkeeper) attempt to hit the ball into the opponent\’s goal with a bat.
A distinctive sport that has taken hold in Sweden is cycling. This does not mean cycling, but bicycles are used as a means of transportation, and the extensive network of good cycle paths helps greatly.
Tennis is a traditional Australian sport. Not only is the sport very popular with the public, with the Australian Open, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, held annually. Tourists also enjoy the popular sport of surfing on the wild ocean waves that wash over Australia.
American football is typically American football (in name only). It was originally adapted from English rugby with some modifications to the rules. The goal is to score more points than the opposing team. There are three ways to do this: touchdown (a player must run down the field with the ball and cross the opposing team\’s last line of scrimmage), field goal (kick the ball directly into the goalie\’s goal), or tackle an opposing player in a specific zone (called a safety). Here, it has been taken very seriously since childhood training: five players skate on an ice rink and a sixth enters the goal and tries to score a goal against the opposing team with a stick. Instead of a ball, a puck (a flat black disk made of vulcanized rubber) is used.