Sports of Türkiye
Middle East
Originating in Türkiye
Sports whose history and codification began here.
Camel Wrestling
From Türkiye
Aegean Turkish traditional sport — two trained bull dromedaries push and lock necks; first to fall or flee loses.
Oil Wrestling
From Türkiye
National sport of Türkiye — wrestlers douse themselves in olive oil before a bare-chested grappling bout.
Widely played in Türkiye
Archery
From United Kingdom
Precision sport of shooting arrows at a target from a set distance — competitive events include recurve (Olympic), compound, barebow, and field archery.
Arm Wrestling
From Ancient / global
Combat sport where two opponents grip hands across a table and attempt to force each other's hand down to a touchpad — decided in seconds through explosive strength, technique (top-roll, hook, press), leverage, and grip endurance.
Backgammon
From Iraq
A 5,000-year-old race game — roll two dice and bear off all 15 checkers before your opponent, using the doubling cube to raise the stakes.
Freestyle Wrestling
From United States
Olympic wrestling style that allows attacks on both the upper and lower body — takedowns, throws, exposure and pins score points across two 3-minute periods.
Gilli Danda
From India
Ancient South Asian street sport. 2 sticks: DANDA (longer stick 60cm) + GILLI (smaller tapered stick 10cm). Player strikes GILLI's tapered end to launch it airborne, then hits it far. Precursor to cricket + baseball. Documented 2500+ years ago. Traditional rural Indian game; declining as urbanization limits open space.
Hang Gliding
From Germany
Air sport in which a pilot flies a rigid-framed delta-wing aircraft, launched by running down a slope, controlled by shifting body weight relative to the wing while suspended in a harness underneath.
Hot Air Ballooning
From France
Aviation sport using large fabric envelope filled with hot air (heated by propane burner) for lift. Modern hot air balloon first flown November 21, 1783 by Montgolfier brothers (France). Iconic sport in Albuquerque NM (Balloon Fiesta since 1972; world's largest annual balloon event; 500+ balloons). FAI Ballooning World Championships.
Karate
From Japan
Okinawan striking art of empty-handed punches, kicks, elbows and knees — contested as forms (kata) and sparring (kumite).
Kickboxing
From Japan
Stand-up combat sport combining boxing punches with karate/muay-thai-inspired kicks, contested in a ring with various rulesets (K-1, Full-Contact, American, Dutch).
League of Legends
From United States
Free-to-play 5v5 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) in which two teams of five champions each fight to destroy the opposing team's Nexus at the base of a three-lane map called Summoner's Rift.
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.
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).
NBA 2K
From United States
Definitive basketball simulation by Visual Concepts (2K Games) — annual release; 5-on-5 NBA basketball with realistic physics, all 30 NBA teams + international leagues. NBA 2K League (2K esports) partnered with real NBA — first sports league to own official esports league. MyTeam + MyCareer flagship modes.
Nine Men's Morris
From Italy
Ancient 2-player abstract strategy game — dates to Roman Empire (200 AD Egyptian rooftop carvings). Players place + move 9 pieces on 24-point grid; form 'mills' (3 in a row) to capture opponent pieces. Solved as draw (2003); still played worldwide. Featured in Shakespeare (Midsummer Night's Dream).
Paragliding
From France
Free-flight aviation sport in which a pilot launches on foot from a hill using a flexible fabric wing (paraglider) to soar and cross-country fly using thermals and ridge lift.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
From South Korea
The battle royale that started the genre — 100 players parachute onto shrinking island; scavenge weapons + gear; last player/squad standing wins. Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene created it 2017 based on Battle Royale novel/film. Spawned Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends. PUBG Global Championship + PUBG Mobile Global.
Roblox
From United States
Massively multiplayer online game creation and gameplay platform where users build, share, and play millions of user-generated 3D 'experiences' — from social hangouts to obstacle courses to full RPGs.
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.
Rummikub
From Israel
Tile-based rummy game for 2-4 players invented in 1930s Romania by Ephraim Hertzano; players race to be first to lay down all their tiles by forming sets (same number, different colours) and runs (consecutive numbers, same colour).
Rummy
From Mexico
Card-matching game where players draw and discard to form sets (three of a kind) and runs (three consecutive same-suit cards), aiming to shed all cards from hand.
Sudoku
From United States
Number-placement logic puzzle in which a 9×9 grid partly filled with digits 1-9 must be completed so every row, column, and 3×3 box contains all digits 1-9 exactly once.
Superbike Racing
From United Kingdom
Motorcycle road racing on production-based sportbikes (1000cc superbikes). WorldSBK series founded 1988 by FIM as alternative to prototype MotoGP. Iconic manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda. Top riders: Carl Fogarty (4×), Troy Bayliss (3×), Jonathan Rea (6× consecutive 2015-20), Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (2021, 2024).
Taekwondo
From South Korea
Korean striking art defined by fast, high, spinning kicks — Olympic sport since 2000 with electronic-scored sparring.
Valorant
From United States
5-vs-5 tactical first-person shooter esport by Riot Games — combines CS-style bomb defusal with hero-shooter abilities (23 unique 'Agents' with signature powers), on maps designed for precise gunplay + tactical utility use.
Volleyball
From United States
6-a-side team sport where players use hands and forearms to send a ball over a high net, aiming to ground it on the opposing side within three touches.
Weightlifting
From Greece
Olympic sport in which athletes lift a loaded barbell overhead in two competition lifts: the Snatch (single motion from floor to overhead) and Clean & Jerk (two-motion lift to shoulders then overhead).