Sports are not only entertainment, as they are closely related to human history. Even before the invention of gyms, stadiums, or even written rules, early humans had been engaged in physical activities.
Such activities were not referred to as sports at that time but they had significance in everyday life. Human beings went to hunt, and wrestled to get their strength.
Gradually, these simple games evolved to be organized games. With the beginning of the development of civilizations, people started to make rules, conduct events, and rejoice in physical power and prowess.
What began as a means of survival, turned into a form of competition, entertainment and uniting the communities.
This leaves us with the question: Which is the oldest sport?
Which is the Oldest Sport in the World?
Most reports suggest that running is the most ancient sport in the world, as it does not involve any equipment and it is a natural human activity that dates back to prehistoric days. That is why it was probably one of the oldest sports based on the assumption that early humans used to compete in races to have fun or to survive.
However, when we talk about the oldest defined and recorded sport, then the answer is different. Wrestling is known to be the oldest sport.
Why is Wrestling Known As the Oldest Sport?
Wrestling is considered to be the oldest sport ever known. Cave drawings dating back to around 15,000 years have provided evidence of wrestling.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame mentions: “Wrestling, mankind’s oldest and most basic form of recreational combat, traces its origins back to the dawn of civilization. Carvings and drawings estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000 years old, found in caves in southern Europe, illustrate wrestlers in hold and leverage positions. Sumerians cast wrestlers in bold relief on stone slabs at least 5,000 years ago, antedating all other artifacts of ancient sport. A small bronze statuette of wrestlers, apparently used as a vase, was unearthed in the ruins of Khafaji, 200 miles from Baghdad. This artifact, dated 2600 B.C., now is housed in the Iraqi national museum.”
Wrestling was also practiced in ancient civilizations such as the Greeks, and Egyptian cultures. In fact one of the most famous Greek wrestlers was Plato according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The wrestling scenes were also discovered in Egyptian tombs around 2500 BCE. It was as early as 708 BCE that it was featured in the ancient Olympic Games.
The website mentions: “Wrestling also reached a high stage of development in Egypt, where paintings of wrestlers dating to approximately 2500 B.C. have been found in lavish tombs of kings and other high officials. No archaeological excavation or historical document has depicted wrestling so completely and so technically correct as have drawings in the temple-tombs of Beni Hasan in middle kingdom Egypt.”
This is due to this great historical background makes wrestling the oldest sport in the world according to many historians.
What are the Other Ancient Sports?
Although wrestling and running are the most likely competitors, there are other sports which are very old according to Oldest Org website:
| Sport | Approximate Year of Origin |
| Running/Sprinting | Upper Paleolithic era c.15,300 years ago |
| Wrestling | Upper Paleolithic era c.15,300 years ago |
| Archery | c.20,000 BCE |
| Swimming | c.6000 BCE |
| Boxing | c.3000 BCE |
| Tsu Chu or Cuju | c.2500 BCE |
| Mesoamerican Ballgame | c.2500 BCE |
| Gymnastics | c. 500 BCE |
To conclude, the history of sports reveals the fact that human beings have always been fond of competition, power and talent. What initially began as survival activities thousands of years back is now popular sports activities that are enjoyed by millions all over the world.
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