Diya Upreti, Jadetimes Staff
Diya Upreti is a Jadetimes news reporter covering sports News
The Legacy of Ancient Sports on Modern Games
Good portion of the heritage of ancient sports continues in today's modern games. Ancient sports not only affected the form of playing and competing, but also engraved certain cultural values related to muscled power, teamwork, or honor. From Olympic Games in ancient Greece up to early Asian martial arts, the traditions, strategies, and principles of these games are well imbedded in modern athletics.
The Olympic Games would trace their origin back to 776 BCE in ancient Greece and are arguably one of the most historically important sporting events ever held. Track and field could be broken down into the following early events: running, wrestling, discus throwing, and chariot racing-the latter an event that emphasized skills in warfare, strength, and general physical prowess. Some of the modern track and field events, like the marathon or the discus throw, trace their origins from such early competitions. In fact, the values of excellence and competition are the very substance that the ancient Olympics basked in, and still stand in a primary position in the Olympic spirit today: even the Olympic motto-Citius, Altius, Fortius-or "Faster, Higher, Stronger.".
The development of today's sports and self-defense training also significantly has been influenced by martial arts disciplines from Asia. Disciplines in judo, karate, and taekwondo, though with contrasting emphasis on discipline, mental toughness, and technique, have become broadly accepted in the training of sports around the world. "Mixed martial arts" competitions are taken directly from these traditional practices, from their very recognizable origin evolution of moves and strategies.
Ancient games often possessed elements of both physical and spiritual nature. For example, there was Mesoamerican Ōllamaliztli, that game involving a rubber ball as well as ritual courts. Losing teams were sometimes sacrificed to the gods, mirroring a blend of physical competition and deep cultural significance. Although modern sports do not carry such devastating consequences, the idea of sport as a ritual or symbolic act still manifests itself today, even in the highly competitive events such as the World Cup or Super Bowl.
In this regard, ancient sports provided the foundation for modern athletic competition and instilled values and structures that define sports culture today. Exploring how these ancient games influenced the continuity of competition and physical skill as vital aspects of human culture across time and civilizations will give insight into these answers.
