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Akoni

Your sports: a top 5

What sports do you like most? Here's my top5:

1: Freediving
1: Freestyle BMX (Freestyle Bicycle Motocross)
2: FMX (Freestyle Motocross)
3: Skateboarding
4: Freestyle Snowboarding

I'm a bit of an extreme sports nut :P Freediving and Freestyle BMX are tied for first place (I Freedive and BMX on a regular basis).

Freediving
"Freediving or breath-hold diving is a type of advanced snorkeling and water adventure that allows enthusiastic men, women and youth to experience the sights, sounds and challenges of the most natural of underwater experiences.

Human evolution and development has ingrained us with an underwater potential the same as our marine cousins, whales, seals and dolphins. Without the use of underwater breathing apparatus, freedivers on a single breath of air can explore the underwater realm for minutes at a time with relative comfort.

Freediving is about the comfort and exploration of the ocean realm for recreation, spearfishing, competition or personal discovery."

BMX
"BMX (Bicycle Moto-cross(X)) is a form of cycling on specially designed bicycles which usually have 20-inch wheels (sometimes referred to as iron horses or steel ponies). The sport includes races on sandy and hilly tracks—BMX racing—as well as the performances of tricks on flat ground, wooden ramps, trails (jumps made of dirt) or obstacles found on the streets—BMX freestyle."
greg in noord-frankrijk

natation — swimming
course — running
vélo — biking
patinage — skating
ski — skiing
Loic

I make a distinction between spectator sports and sports which I participate in. But since I don't really follow too many sports, I'd rate them according to the amount of pleasure which they give me in the capacity of either a partisan fan or an enthusiastic participant.

1. Football
2. Squash
3. Golf
4. Cricket
5. Tennis

I do not really consider running or swimming as sports but just necessary conditioning for me to keep fit.

PS: Does anyone play squash here?
Loic

Akoni: Were you a commando in the army? People with such pursuits here have a high chance of being drafted into the Commando battalion, provided they meet other criteria.

Greg: I noticed that all of your chosen sports are ones which pit you against....yourself. Doesn't it get a little stale after awhile? And since you are a swimmer, do you wear boardshorts or conventional swimming trunks to the pool?
Akoni

loic wrote:
Akoni: Were you a commando in the army? People with such pursuits here have a high chance of being drafted into the Commando battalion, provided they meet other criteria.


Unfortunately not, it would be the perfect job for me to be honest. I like to live on the "edge", but in daily life that isn't the case. When I'm doing an extreme sport I feel completely at home
Porthos

My favorite sports to watch or as follows:

Basketball
American Football
Baseball
Boxing
Sumo Wrestling

My favorite sports to play are:
Basketball
American football
Swimming
Water Polo
Baseball
Benjamin [inactive]

We have compulsory 'games' on a Wednesday afternoon at school — most people play something like rugby, football (soccer), hockey or basketball, but I just play table tennis informally. However, I don't think that that really counts as a 'sport', lol.

And I have to say that I don't watch any sport either.
Pauline

1. dance
2. swim
3. gymnastic
4. circuit training
5. sunbathe LOL
Deborah

1. figure skating
2. hockey (on the ice, and only when it's live)
3. gymnastics
4. skiing
5. diving

I'd like to see figure skating removed from the sports world -- it should be a performing art, like dance.
Porthos

Deborah wrote:
1. figure skating
2. hockey (on the ice, and only when it's live)
3. gymnastics
4. skiing
5. diving

I'd like to see figure skating removed from the sports world -- it should be a performing art, like dance.


IDK about that Deborah. Figure skating takes a LOT of athletic skill. It's hard enough to skate on ice as it is, let alone do all the amazing acrobatic feats they perform.
Deborah

Porthos wrote:
Deborah wrote:
1. figure skating
2. hockey (on the ice, and only when it's live)
3. gymnastics
4. skiing
5. diving

I'd like to see figure skating removed from the sports world -- it should be a performing art, like dance.


IDK about that Deborah. Figure skating takes a LOT of athletic skill. It's hard enough to skate on ice as it is, let alone do all the amazing acrobatic feats they perform.

Ballet also takes a lot of athletic skill, but I don't consider it a sport. If they want to judge figure skating as a sport, then they should judge only on the technical feats. Let the men spend their whole time trying to do quadruple jumps, since that's what seems to matter most, and not bother trying to be "artistic". It bothers me to see that constant switching back and forth between dancing on the ice and doing athletic feats that are set off by a few seconds' worth of skating backward, looking over your shoulder, in preparation for your big jump.
Loic

Let's meander a bit and tell me what you think are the top 5 sports of your peers. For something tells me that many of the sporting interests of our distinguished members here can be a little too esoteric for the mainstream community. Figure skating, for one. Freediving, for another. Surely they do not have a lot of cachet with the man on the street?

For my mates, football is indisputably the king of all sports, be it for participation or viewing. Of course, it is healthy to have a little wager or two with the bookmaker when you're watching a soccer match. The English Premier League invites close scrutiny here and the simmering tension between Shevchenko and Jose Mourinho in Chelsea is an endless source of discussion in the sporting pages. Of course, since Andriy Shevchenko scored two goals yesterday and created an assist for Frank Lampard, things might be different now.

Tennis is very popular among the middle classes and some of my friends are really crazy over it. For me, I am not too passionnate about the watching part; I am more interested in the playing bit. Unless it's the Wimbledon or the French Open, I don't really watch too much tennis. Unless of course, it's girls' varsity tennis in the local school league. Can never get enough of their cute skirts, you know.

Cycling as a sport is a niche thing here. Cycling as a mode of transportation is quite common among old men wearing boaters and a singlet. Usually, the only cyclists who bother to dress up in spandex coupled with helmut and guards are those crazy Europeans who simply love to hog the first lane on major roads.

Squash is declining in popularity here and it's lamentable. Nonetheless, most of my mates play it - a lot of my friendship is based on the sport we play. There is something primitively exciting about hitting a small black ball against a wall, don't you reckon?

Badminton is quite popular only in the primary school as well as the baby boomers' generation. It is supposedly one of our national sports since we had -emphasis on past tense here- an illumintating history of excellence in it. But sadly, our top shuttler crashed out to world number 4 Peter Gade Christensen in straight sets last week. Doesn't say much if an Asian can lose to a European in badminton!

In our family, table-tennis holds a vice-like grip over our imagination. I used to be really caught up in this ping-pong passion. I am a bit embarrassed to say that I was a school player for two years. A bit stereotypical for a Chinese to play ping-pong, I know. But whenenver I play ping-pong against a non Chinese, I feel obliged not only to prevail, but to comprehensively trounce him. I don't know why - it just feels like an ethnic obligation.

Not to sound prejudiced here, but do people of African descent actually play table-tennis seriously? They always seem to get a vicious hiding in the world opens.

A survey results once showed that golf is the most popular sport for men over 30. I find it strange that despite such a high golf participation rate, we have not produced a world class golfer. I suppose it stems from the fact that most players here only picked it up in their late teens (like I did) or after they've retired and collected their pension. To reach the acme of sporting success, it is necessary to start early and not many are doing it here.

Of course, other sports here would necessarily be fringe sports. Hockey -not ice hockey- is very popular at school level and it's something we used to play often in PE. Cricket is also another sport that lacks support at the grassroots level but otherwise manages to survive and thrive at the school level. Rugby is a sport that surprisingly has a lot of clout and influence here, especially in schools which were modelled after the English public school system. Croquet, on the other hand, is played by old fogies and I can never in the world understand the appeal of this sport with its intricate arcane rules.

Possibly the only indigeneous sport here which is played somewhat at the grassroots level is sepak takraw. It is basically volleyball with legs: the rules are broadly similar, but you use your leg to hit the ball over the net. Just in case anyone goes away thinking that it is a crude imitation of volleyball, sepak takraw is indigeneous to mainland South-east Asia and is also played in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

I do not consider swimming, athletics and other endurance events such as the marathon to be a sport. To me, they are nothing more than professional conditioning exercises.

On the other hand, Formula 1 is definitely a sport. Anyone here supports the Renault construction team?
Akoni

Quote:
Let's meander a bit and tell me what you think are the top 5 sports of your peers. For something tells me that many of the sporting interests of our distinguished members here can be a little too esoteric for the mainstream community. Figure skating, for one. Freediving, for another. Surely they do not have a lot of cachet with the man on the street?


Freediving is not a known sport. There are about 150 people in the Netherlands who do it (around 300 in the UK). Most people don't like the idea of going as long/as far/as deep as possible on one breath of air. Most people call me nuts, but I think it's a beautiful sport.

In the Netherlands Soccer, also known as Football, Voetbal in Dutch is the most popular sport. The Dutch, British and German Premier Leagues are regularly on TV and a lot of people watch it. I myself find Soccer boring and only watch the World and Euro cups.

Tennis, well it's like this for me: lol but it's quite popular with the Dutch population.

Cycling is nice, but only on dirt with a mountainbike! Or on a BMX doing Trickjumps and other adrenaline causing activities on a bicycle. Racing is popular with the Dutch, especially the "Tour de France".

Squash is something my girlfriend does and she likes it a lot, I've never done it, nor watched it.

Badminton same opinion as tennis for me, popular with a lot of old people.

Table-tennis is fun when you can whack the **** out of the little ball to annoy the one you're playing against Not very popular with the Dutch.

Golf has the image of being for rich people, not many people play, or watch it. You have to pay major fees to be able to golf. Midgetgolf however is popular with the Dutch kids.

"Sepak takraw" as Loic calls it, is called Voetvolley (Footvolley) here and is a popular activity to do on the beach. Fun as well.

Endurance sports are sports in my book, takes a lot of concentration and of course endurance to be successful at it.

Formula 1 is popular here as well, but I don't really like it.
Loic

Seriously? Sepak takraw is not an unknown entity in the Netherlands?

I wonder if they were imported by Indonesian immigrants.
Akoni

loic wrote:
Seriously? Sepak takraw is not an unknown entity in the Netherlands?

I wonder if they were imported by Indonesian immigrants.


Not at all unknown, we have a competition in it and every time you go to the beach you see people play it. The name however is unknown to me because we call it "Voetvolley"
Loic

Ahh....ik begrijp het. Still, it is quite a bit of revelation to me that a supposedly obscure sport that is sepak takraw is actually followed afar.

Quote:
Squash is something my girlfriend does and she likes it a lot, I've never done it, nor watched it.


Your girlfriend can recognise a good thing when she sees one. You should follow her to the courts - you never know how potentially addictive it is until you've tried.

Quote:
Endurance sports are sports in my book, takes a lot of concentration and of course endurance to be successful at it.


I do not mean to disparage such sports. I recognise that skill and stamina are also very important. It is just an absence of eye-hand co-ordination that is otherwise omniprescent in most conventional games.
Akoni

Quote:
Your girlfriend can recognise a good thing when she sees one. You should follow her to the courts - you never know how potentially addictive it is until you've tried.


I've been wanting to follow here there, but time is scarce for me at the moment, but I will go for a game of Squash when I can.


Quote:
I do not mean to disparage such sports. I recognise that skill and stamina are also very important. It is just an absence of eye-hand co-ordination that is otherwise omniprescent in most conventional games.


True, the eye-hand co-ordination is missing in Endurance sports. But I think it's a matter of opinion if you find it sports or not. If you ask a marathon runner he will definatly say running is a sport. Most people (like me) call it a sport when you get tired of what you do or feel the muscles.
Benjamin [inactive]

Since loic asked, I will describe to what extent certain sports seem to be popular in England, and more specifically near to where I live. I'll start with actual games:

Football (soccer) — by far the most popular sport here both to watch and play; the only one which I'd say that most of the population seems to be at least somewhat interested in, and the only one which seems to transcend socio-economic divisions.

Rugby — associated with tall and well-built men and teenage boys; both middle/upper class men who went to private schools, and working class 'northern' men. Most people don't seem to watch rugby, except for those who are very interested in sport generally. My school actually has four rugby pitches.

Cricket — roughly the same popularity as rugby; often seen as more 'sophisticated' than either rugby or football by the social élite.

Tennis — a rather élite game professionally, but popular amongst amateurs from a range of backgrounds.

Basketball and hockey — very common in schools, but very unusual to watch professionally.

Squash and badminton — common at leisure centres amongst people who like to do something like that after school/work in the evening.

Golf — not actually as popular in this country as may commonly be imagined by outsiders. Similar to what Akoni said, it's often associated with wealthy older people here.

Bowls — common amongst older people, but it would be very unusual to see younger people playing this.
fab

1- Skiing
2- Swimming
3- Randonnée (walking in the mountains)
4- diving
5- biking
Loic

Benjamin: With respect to cricket in England, I was told that is mainly a middle class sport save for the north, especially Yorkshire. In Yorkshire, cricket is also as working class as rugby league and football.
Akoni

fab wrote:

3- Randonnée (walking in the mountains)


I love that as well, unfortunatly there are no mountains in the Netherlands.
Deborah

Akoni wrote:
Quote:
I do not mean to disparage such sports. I recognise that skill and stamina are also very important. It is just an absence of eye-hand co-ordination that is otherwise omniprescent in most conventional games.


True, the eye-hand co-ordination is missing in Endurance sports. But I think it's a matter of opinion if you find it sports or not. If you ask a marathon runner he will definatly say running is a sport. Most people (like me) call it a sport when you get tired of what you do or feel the muscles.

I'm with Akoni on this one, where fatigued muscles are concerned. To me, golf isn't really a sport; I'd class it with archery and pool (billiards).
Loic

Playing an 18 hole can be tiring, Deborah! That is if you do not take a buggy, of course.

Besides, there is also a danger in golf that is absent in all other sports. Golfers fall victim to the lighting bolt in far greater incidence than other sportsmen.
Irrintzi

1-Rugby
2-Rowing
3-Basque pelote (eskuz, joko garbi, pala)
4-hockey
5-football
André in Zuid-Afrika

1. Rugby
2. Athletics
3. Hockey (field)
4. Netball
5. Cricket
Deborah

What does "athletics" consist of, André? As far as I know, we in the U.S. don't use that word to describe a specific sport.
André in Zuid-Afrika

"Athletics" here refer to what you in the US call "track and field". The word "athlete" is also used here only for somone who takes part in "athletics", while I believe you guys use it in a broader sense for anyone who takes part in sport.
Deborah

Thanks for reminding me. I now recall having had this exchange awhile back, possibly in another forum, even.
Loic

I once climed a mountain before. Of course, it is only a little mountain that stands at 1,276 m tall. There was a discernible trail leading me to the top so I did not have to be as surefooted as a proverbial mountain goat.

I didn't much enjoy it, to tell you the truth. Yes, the view at the summit was pretty but not spectacular. The air was clean, pure and fresh, but I could have got this in a valley as well. They say that being in the mountains brings a person closer to God, but I never saw any form of divine apparitions nor did I have a dream in the night that was divinely inspired. The only thing I got away from this experience was an opportunity to tell a ribald joke, 'I've mounted Ophir!' Ophir is the name of the mountain, incidentally - Mount Ophir.

It doesn't make sense to go mountaineering. Think about it, you have a net displacement of 0. You return to square 1. You may perish along the way. You may succumb to malaria and a host of other tropical diseases. You might be in urgent need of a toilet but are too modest to hide behind a pathetic clump of bushes. Seriously, the conveniences outweigh any potential gains made from mountaineering.

But in golf, there's always something to look forward to - the nineteenth hole where you could probably get decent Cornish pastries as well as a lukewarm pint of beer. Also, you can get away with wearing something outrageous such as a pink Lacoste shirt, a white belt and grey trousers in order to look hip on the golf course. Of course, you also get to show off your new Calloway clubs. This is something which you can't accomplish in mountaineering.

So folks, play golf! I think Joanne is already a player.
André in Zuid-Afrika

Ah, that gives me an excuse to mention this...

Quote:
Goosen rides eagle to win
28/01/2007 18:20 - (SA)

Doha - South African Retief Goosen curled in a spectacular eagle on the last hole to win the $2.2m Qatar Masters by a stroke over Australian Nick O'Hern on Sunday.

In a thrilling finish to the 10th edition of the event, Goosen, who suffered a winless 2006, held his nerve to calmly stroke the ball home from the rough 30 feet away to dash O'Hern's dream of winning his first title on the European Tour.

O'Hern was a stroke ahead on the final hole at 14 under with Goosen requiring a birdie to force a playoff, but broke into a wry smile when the South African went one better with an eagle.

Goosen became the third South African to win the event after Darren Fichardt and Ernie Els and was visibly relieved having regained a great deal of his confidence after hiring a coach for the first time in nine years.

"It's a great honour to win here," said Goosen after shooting a 69 for a 15 under par 273. "It has taken a long time coming."

Els finished third after his final hole 67 gave him an aggregate of 276.

Goosen, who finished tied fifth in Abu Dhabi, led or had share of the lead over all the three rounds and hardly lost his composure despite the stiff challenge from O'Hern and Australia's Richard Green, with whom he was tied on 12 under par 204 at the end of the third round.

'All boiled down to that eagle'


He played superbly on the four par fives, of which he birdied two and eagled the last to claim the first prize of $366 660.

"The par fives saved me," Goosen said. "Nick played very well and it all boiled down to that eagle. I don't remember having won a tournament with a last hole eagle, probably I never did."

O'Hern, who saw the title agonisingly slip away from his grip, was left ruing his luck.

"Two up with two holes to play, I thought I was in good shape. I didn't hit the ball well at all today, but my short game kept the round going, which is what it's all about.

"I was not expecting him to make an eagle, but as they say, expect the unexpected."

Els, the 2005 winner, mounted a determined bid for his second title, shooting a 67. In the final analysis, hi two bogeys, on the second and sixth holes, proved his undoing.

The "Big Easy" however was not complaining.

"It was really enjoyable," he said. "The front nine was a little scrappy again, but two birdies on the seventh and eighth really helped me out."

Stuart Appleby, Green and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland tied for fourth place with 12 under par 276. No player has so far won the Qatar Masters twice.
Loic

Ernie Els is going through a rather dry season at the moment. He has not won any major opens recently.
Fredrik

Favourite sports:
- Rowing
- Cross-country skiing
- Biking
- Hiking
- Croquet (well, if golf qualifies, so.... )

Favourite spectator sports: None
Joanne

loic wrote:
So folks, play golf! I think Joanne is already a player.


Errr....I'm a golfer? Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones are spinning in their graves, Loic. I'm terrible!
Loic

Everyone starts off somewhere, Joanne. Even the great Bobby Jones had a terrible temper which prevented him from realising his potential until he learnt to conquer the inner demons within him.

Of course, if the slicing disease has got the better of you, I'd advise you to get rid of it immediately. There is no greater social curse than slicing your balls. People'd start avoiding you like a plague. You'd be refused entry to the posh gentlemen's clubs. Your social circle would dwindle to zero. And all because of a stupid slice.
Joanne

Well, golf courses around here are closed for the winter, so for now, the hubby and I go to this lovely place so we don't get too rusty. Luckily, it's less than ten minutes from home.

loic wrote:
Of course, if the slicing disease has got the better of you, I'd advise you to get rid of it immediately. There is no greater social curse than slicing your balls. People'd start avoiding you like a plague. You'd be refused entry to the posh gentlemen's clubs. Your social circle would dwindle to zero. And all because of a stupid slice.
If you really wanted me to lose precious hours of sleep, you would've typed "professional" instead of "social." Thank goodness you're a gentleman, Loic, who knows a lady's beauty sleep is very important to her!

loic wrote:
You'd be refused entry to the posh gentlemen's clubs.
Loic

The rates are a little dearer than what I am accustomed to at the driving range you frequent. 10 bucks for 105 balls! Over here, I only pay 5 Singapore dollars for 70 balls.
Porthos

Well, I for one, am perfectly content with two....
Loic

Riiiight, Porthos.

Frederik, you must be the only croquet player under the age of 25 in the whole wide world.

PS: Does pool count as a sport? If so, I'd like to squeeze it into the top 5. Maybe have pool tie with tennis in the 5th spot.
Loic

To Benjamin and Shouga, are you both able to name the starting IX for the cricket and football teams as well as the starting XV for the rugby squad of your country?

When names such as Wayne Rooney or Andrew Flintoff or Johnny Wilkinson are bandied about, do they even ring a bell or they might as well be complete strangers to you?

I am just curious, that's all.
Benjamin [inactive]

loic wrote:
To Benjamin and Shouga, are you both able to name the starting IX for the cricket and football teams as well as the starting XV for the rugby squad of your country?

No, not a clue. I don't even know what you're asking me.

loic wrote:
When names such as Wayne Rooney or Andrew Flintoff or Johnny Wilkinson are bandied about, do they even ring a bell or they might as well be complete strangers to you?

I know who Wayne Rooney is. I recognise the names Andrew Flintoff and Johnny Wilkinson, but I wouldn't be able to associate anything with them, except possibly 'sport' in a very general sense.

Shouga is much more into sport than me though (at least for actually playing/doing it).
Shouga

loic wrote:
To Benjamin and Shouga, are you both able to name the starting IX for the cricket and football teams as well as the starting XV for the rugby squad of your country?


Rooney, Beckham, Gerrard and Owen?

I know Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen are two of the opening players in the national England cricket team...I wouldn't be able to name ALL of the 15 forward players on the rugby squad, there are too many names to remember them all.

I've never seen it written as 'starting IX' and 'starting XV' before, and only understood once I realised you meant the 4 opening footballers/cricketers and the 15 forward rugby players.

Quote:
When names such as Wayne Rooney or Andrew Flintoff or Johnny Wilkinson are bandied about, do they even ring a bell or they might as well be complete strangers to you?


Yeah, I know who all of those are.
Loic

Great!! You know Alastair Cook. Quite a talented opening batsman if he can become better against balls which are bowled around the wicket.

But Beckham has fallen out of favour with McClaren so I doubt he'd ever make a return to the national squad. Moving to LA would not rejeuvenate his career; it'd only cement his status as a celebrity rather than a footballer.
David

Favorites:

Basketball
Football
Competitive eating
Shouga

loic wrote:
Great!! You know Alastair Cook. Quite a talented opening batsman if he can become better against balls which are bowled around the wicket.

But Beckham has fallen out of favour with McClaren so I doubt he'd ever make a return to the national squad. Moving to LA would not rejeuvenate his career; it'd only cement his status as a celebrity rather than a footballer.


Yes; Beckham seems incredibly overrated to me. Here, we seem to hear more about his location and life and family than we do about his actual footballing skills.
I think we need some new blood on the England squad!
Loic

Competitive eating, David? If that were a sport, I think fast cars and women should also be a sport.

Well Shouga, there are quite a number of promising English talents rising through the ranks. Of course, we cannot talk about promising young talent without mentioning Theo Walcott in the same breath. I think he's only the same age as both you and Benjamin and he has already earned his international cap. Imagine that!

Aaron Lennon is another young hound who has been blooded by the old manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and who continues to enjoy the confidence of both Martin Jol at Spurs and Steve MacClaren. His speed at the wings would be an invaluable asset and despite Tottenham's poor spells recently, he is still a menace to the full-backs.

I am going to stop myself before I go overboard and start acting as if I know better than a real football manager. I must remember that playing Championship Manager does not make me an actual manager.
Fredrik

loic wrote:

Frederik, you must be the only croquet player under the age of 25 in the whole wide world.


lol, in Norway croquet is a family game played in the garden on lazy summer afternoons.
Akoni

Fredrik wrote:
loic wrote:

Frederik, you must be the only croquet player under the age of 25 in the whole wide world.


lol, in Norway croquet is a family game played in the garden on lazy summer afternoons.


And in Dutch a croquet or kroket is a meat snack, lol. :D


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