Sports of Egypt
Africa
Originating in Egypt
Sports whose history and codification began here.
Cup and Ball
From Egypt
The oldest magic trick in the world — small balls vanish and reappear under three inverted cups as the magician's hands blur.
Magic Tricks
From Egypt
Performance art of illusion — sleight of hand, misdirection and stagecraft to make the impossible appear possible.
Mancala
From Egypt
Ancient African + Middle Eastern family of 'sowing' or 'counting' board games — players scoop seeds/stones from cups and 'sow' them one-by-one around the board, trying to capture opponent's pieces; oldest known board game family (~5000 years).
Senet
From Egypt
One of the oldest known board games — race pieces along a 30-square board, decided by throwing sticks.
Skipping Rope
From Egypt
Swing a rope under your feet and over your head; jump each time it passes. Group variants use two long ropes.
Tic-Tac-Toe
From Egypt
The children's introductory game — take turns marking Xs and Os on a 3×3 grid; three in a row wins.
Widely played in Egypt
Artistic Swimming
From Germany
Olympic aquatic sport blending swimming, dance, and gymnastics — athletes perform elaborate choreographed routines to music (solo, duet, team of 8-10) in pool with judged difficulty + artistic impression + execution. Renamed from Synchronized Swimming 2017. Historically women's-only; men added 2024.
Bodybuilding
From Germany
Aesthetic sport where athletes build extreme muscle size, definition, and symmetry through years of training + diet, then pose on stage to be judged on muscularity, conditioning, symmetry, and presentation.
Dota 2
From United States
Iconic multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) esport by Valve — 5 vs 5 team battle to destroy opponent's Ancient across three lanes; features 120+ unique heroes with complex ability + item interactions.
Handball
From Denmark
7-a-side indoor team sport where players pass, dribble and throw a small ball, trying to score goals into a 3-metre-wide goal — fast, physical and continuous.
Hopscotch
From Italy
Ancient children's game found across world cultures in which players toss a marker (stone/beanbag) into numbered squares chalked on the ground, then hop through the pattern without stepping on lines or the marker.
Karate
From Japan
Okinawan striking art of empty-handed punches, kicks, elbows and knees — contested as forms (kata) and sparring (kumite).
Kitesurfing
From France
Extreme water sport combining surfing + kite flying + wakeboarding — rider stands on small board (kiteboard or surfboard) while being pulled across water by large controllable power kite; jumps 10-30m high, back-rolls, kite-loops. Olympic sport since Paris 2024 (Formula Kite class).
Ludo
From India
Beloved family race game — 2-4 players race 4 tokens each around cross-shaped board from home to center goal. Derived from ancient Indian PACHISI (~6th c). British 'Ludo' patented 1896; global adaptations: Parcheesi (USA), Parchís (Spain), Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (Germany), Ludo King mobile app (2016) reignited global craze during COVID-19.
Modern Pentathlon
From Sweden
Multi-discipline Olympic sport combining 5 events over one day — pistol shooting, fencing, swimming (200m), equestrian show jumping, and cross-country running (3.2km) — designed for an idealized 19th-century military officer.
Rock Paper Scissors
From China
World's most-played hand game — 2+ players simultaneously make 1 of 3 hand shapes (Rock, Paper, or Scissors). Rock crushes Scissors; Scissors cuts Paper; Paper covers Rock. Origins in ancient China (~200 BC 'shoushiling'); modernized Japan Edo era (jan-ken); global dispute-resolution tool. World RPS Society championships since 2002; $10K+ prizes.
Sitting Volleyball
From Netherlands
PARALYMPIC volleyball for athletes with lower-limb disabilities. Players SIT on floor + must maintain hip contact with floor while playing ball. Court 10m × 6m (smaller than standing volleyball); net 1.15m (men) / 1.05m (women). Highly athletic + strategic. Originated 1956 Netherlands. Paralympic sport since 1980.
Snakes and Ladders
From India
Universal children's board game — 2-4 players race tokens from square 1 to 100 by rolling dice; ladders shortcut up, snakes drop you down. Originally ancient Indian MOKSHA PATAM (~2nd c BC) with SPIRITUAL/KARMA themes teaching virtue vs vice. British Victorian adaptation 1892; Milton Bradley 'Chutes and Ladders' 1943.
Squash
From United Kingdom
Racquet sport played on a four-walled indoor court where two players alternate hitting a small rubber ball against the front wall — fast, tactical, and endurance-demanding.
Wushu
From China
Modern Chinese martial art with two competition disciplines — Taolu (choreographed forms judged on technique + artistry) and Sanda (full-contact combat with punches, kicks, throws, and takedowns) — descended from thousands of years of traditional Kung Fu.