Chess Boxing And Other Bizarre Sports
Marc Armstrong ENTired of watching millionaires run up and down the football sports pitch, faking injuries every chance they get, and getting in one another’s faces when the ball does something unexpected? Perhaps thinking that you need to branch out, and sample sports that are slightly lesser known, but still offering all the sporting excitement and entertainment? Then you’ve come to the right place. It’s time to take a look at some obscure sports you may not known about, to break up the monotony of the same old sports, featuring the same old teams, with the same old rules.
No, when you stop to think about it, the world really does seems to be obsessed with the same few sports, dominating the limelight. Lesser-known sports are often pushed aside and forgotten. But not because these sports aren’t good, but simply because they can’t gather enough support. Look at Chess Boxing. A perfectly good sport, combining the face-smashing wrath of boxing with the slow, thoughtful pace of chess. Why shouldn’t Chess Boxing be popular?
Chess Boxing – It’s Real
What, you thought I was joking about Chess Boxing? No, Chess Boxing is a real attempt at a sport, that although not successful, had people looking on in confused awe for it’s short lifespan. The sport seems to have all but died out in 2015, which is a little sad, and I’m not being funny about that. I was rather hoping it would take off, and be adopted by the Olympics.
Maybe I’m sounding sarcastic again, but I’m absolutely serious. I would have loved to see Chess Boxing become more popular, and start drawing more attention. The simple idea that physical activity, and mental astuteness, be mashed together is really very interesting. A competitor may not be great at boxing, but could make up for it with a good chess wit, or vice versa. And how fascinating it would be to watch a large, hulking man be brought down by chess, when it seems obvious he is the superior athlete. Or, better yet, imagine having all expectations shattered to see a brute of a man be a chess genius.
Either way, no real betting ever got underway in regards to Chess Boxing, but I imagine there would have been some pretty interesting betting options revolving around the two aspects of the sports. I can only imagine that the chess portion got more jumbled as heads were more knocked about. As in, can the boxers still comprehend a chessboard after five round of boxing?
Underwater Hockey
Above water hockey is for sissies. The real action can be found at the bottom of a swimming pool, and let anyone who tells you otherwise bite their tongue. Yes, Under Water Hockey, or Octopush, and how that name makes sense I’m not sure, is another real sport that most probably don’t know exist. And another sport that I think deserves more attention than it gets.
Now, the one problem I foresee is that it can’t be much of a spectator sport, unless the audience is watching a very blurry, jumbled image from outside the swimming pool. But, I think the introduction of swimming tanks, as opposed to pools, could easily solve that little issue.
In terms of rules, Octopush works much the same as above water hockey, with players aiming to navigate a puck into a goal. Players are not allowed breathing tanks, if that’s what you were thinking, and must rely on good old lungpower. That alone adds a very interesting aspect, and I think bets could be placed on how long players could stay under water alone.
Octopush is played in a few areas around the world, but mostly in the United Kingdom. And yes, bets can be placed on the outcomes of matches. Check out your favourite betting website to get in on the Octopush action.
Bunny Jumping
In Sweden it is well known that horses are for sissies, much how in Great Britain rubber ducks are the obvious choice for racing. In Sweden there is a sport based around trained rabbits, which jump obstacle courses. And if you thought the idea was to gather around and swoon at the adorable little fluffy hoppers, you’d be mistaken. It’s actually taken very seriously, and people apparently put a great deal of time into training their rabbits to not only jump obstacles, but also not scurry off the moment they are released from their cages.
Rabbits are judged based on their ability to not knock over hurdles, and to take the course in it’s intended correct sequence. I’m not sure exactly if there are cash prizes or medals handed out, but I do think that placing bets on this would be fascinating. Again, not being sarcastic. Rabbits are extremely unpredictable, and that would make the notion of betting on outcomes very tense.
Imagine seeing a world champion bunny suddenly break form and make a run for it? Bets could be placed on if he escaped or not. Riveting.
