Changing definition of sports

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics will include e-games. So will the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Sport has expanded (some would say stretched) is opposite directions, to the point that the question of its very definition is now the subject of intense debate. What is sport today? What makes one activity a sport and another, not?

About 30 to 40 years ago, activities were divided among sports, games and pastimes. Sports were considered the most physically demanding, and were further divided - albeit loosely - into athletics, swimming (now aquatics), ball games, contact sports, Commonwealth games, even hitting sports (baseball and so on) and others. Games were generally non-competitive, and what children played. Practice versions of sports were neither here nor there. Pastimes were - as the name implies - means to occupy one’s time, like board games and card games, and even hobbies. Cultural influence also comes into play. Is river jumping a sport outside of Europe? Is log-rolling competitive outside of the US? The fact of the matter is that there really has never been a single, firm definition of sport.

Let’s go back over all of those definitions. Athletics and swimming are roughly half of the Olympic Games, showpiece sports with multiple events. Decathletes are considered the greatest athletes for mastering ten disciplines. Swimming has produced its own share of greats: Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz. Ball games make sense, there’s basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball, although the latter has had its own problems in the Olympics. Bowling was first demonstrated in Seoul in 1988, but has not progressed since. What about handball and its offspring tchoukball, a derivative that evolved into its own sport? What about billiards, which has the burden of shaking its connection with betting in big markets? Those are legitimate ball games, too. The definition needs another update.

There are over a dozen sports vying for inclusion in the Olympics, which is considered the pinnacle of legitimacy. The main considerations are often broken down as follows. First, how influential the sport is, and how much money they have to lobby for inclusion. Taekwondo and other sports finally became medal sports after being staged as demo, then exhibition sports. Meanwhile, 3x3, a permutation of full-court basketball, leaped straight into medal standing. Why? Because 3x3 is considered a new event of an existing sport, even though it is vastly different from the original game. This may or may not make sense, but that’s the reasoning behind it.

Golf, like bowling, was once considered having too many variables in terms of equipment and playing conditions. But golf had already been in the Olympics in 1900 and 1904, and is bigger in Europe, the main voting bloc in the Olympics. Bowling, for its part, is thriving in North America. So the main consideration is who is voting for it. Countries (and cities) bidding to host (and influence sports to be included) have to kowtow to the mighty IOC members in Europe.

On the other hand, motor sports are considered professional sports, and have not been declared open sports like tennis and basketball. Perhaps the IOC considers the equipment doing as much work as the driver. Then again, this begs the question as to the fundamental difference between a motorcycle in circuit racing or motocross, and a horse in equestrian. This argument may be carried over to e-games, which, in addition, does not have the same amount of physical exertion as other sports. However, the IOC wishes to attract a younger market, and Japan has been a world leader in electronic game development.

In addition, AIBA has declared that pro boxers can compete in the Olympics. But the conditions are different, like making weight every day in the amateurs versus. In this case, it’s the athletes who are reluctant to make the transition. And there’s no money in it. Dancesport, for its part, has further complications. Many of the world’s best pairs are made up of partners from different countries. And as pros, they would not want to be judged by amateurs. This is the case for some other sports, as well.

There are many challenges facing sports seeking mass recognition, even without Olympic involvement. The most common are grassroots development and economic capacity. In the future, sports like cheerdance and a handful of others will reach a point wherein they can influence large-scale multi-sport events. Growth is part of sport, as evidenced by the size of this year’s SEA Games. These are exciting times. Everybody has a chance to catch public imagination and make it big. The only question is who will make it first.