You have all heard about sports such as football, tennis, basketball, baseball, rugby, and cricket. They are very popular. Bets on all these sports can be made on Bet20.
However, there are a huge number of unusual sports disciplines in the world that few people have heard of. Some of them appeared quite recently, and some – almost 7 centuries ago. We will tell you about these 7 most unusual sports today.
Oil Fight
Oil wrestling competitions are held all over the world, but the oldest competition in this sport – Kirkpinar – is held annually in June in Edirne, Turkey as part of a festival that originated back in 1357, when the locals decided to celebrate the victory of the Ottoman Empire in this way. During the Kirkpinar, athletes covered with olive oil, who are called pelicans here, try to overcome each other and win in the same way.
Maslenitsa wrestling competitions are also held in the north of Greece – in Eastern Macedonia and Western Thrace, and in recent years this style of wrestling has become especially popular in the Netherlands and Japan.
A Game of Trivia
The game of trivia was first described by A. A. Milne in the book about Winnie the Pooh “The House on the Downy Edge”. This is a simple sport that can be played on any bridge over a river or stream. The essence of the game is to throw sticks from the bridge into the river and watch which one will come out first from the other side. Since 1983, the Trivia Championships have been held every year in Oxfordshire on the Thames.
Racing on Beds
Racing on beds was invented by residents of the English city of Narborough. The very first race was held in 1965, and only the army, Navy, and American infantry took part in it.
However, today the rules have changed, and everyone can take part in the races on the beds today. A group of 6 athletes (5 pushing the bed, and one sitting on it) must provide their bed, decorated in the theme chosen by the organizers. In addition to the fact that the bed should go on four wheels, it should also stay well on the water.
It is worth noting that, although racing on beds originated in England, today similar competitions are held all over the world.
Extreme Ironing
Extreme ironing is a very unusual sport. People who want to do it go to a remote place, for example, to nature, and iron clothes there! They get a thrill from taking an ironing board, an iron, and some mint to very unusual places and photographing themselves during this process. Some of the most unusual places where people managed to do extreme ironing are the high-altitude terrain, the bottom of the reservoir, hanging rocks, and vehicles.
According to the official website of this sports discipline, extreme ironing is “the last dangerous sport that combines the thrill of outdoor activities and the pleasure that you get when you end up with a well-ironed shirt.”
Wife-Carrying Competition
Carrying wives is a sport in which male participants try to overcome the 253.5 m obstacle course the fastest while carrying their wives. The competition is held annually in Finland in early July.
The winner receives a prize – a mobile phone, and more importantly, as much beer as his wife weighs.
The World Cup in the Face – Wringing
This is a competition where the person who made the scariest face wins. Similar competitions take place during the Apple and Crab Fair in the British town of Egremont, which has been held in this place since 1297.
Chess Box
Chess boxing is a hybrid sport that combines chess with boxing in alternating rounds. It was invented by the French artist and film director Enki Bilal in 1992. The first chess boxing competition was organized by Dutch artist Iepe Rubin in 2003.
All competitions consist of 11 rounds, 6 of which are held in chess and 5 in boxing. The chess round lasts 4 minutes, the boxing round lasts 2 minutes. Between two rounds, athletes are entitled to a minute’s pause to remove or put on boxing gloves.
The winner in the chess box is the one who checkmated the opponent in chess or got the victory because the opponent exceeded the time to think about moves. Another way to win is in boxing matches. It should be a boxing knockout or a fight stoppage by the referee.
