Sports (English sport, reduction from initial English disport — "game", "entertainment") — the activity of people consisting in their comparison physical and mental abilities organized by certain rules

Development and change of sports throughout a human history can tell much as about social changes in a society in general, and about essence of sports in particular.

Many examples of cave art opened for today, contain images of ritual ceremonial scenes. In spite of the fact that the actions embodied on these images, it is impossible to carry exclusively to modern concept about sports, nevertheless it is possible to draw a conclusion that already then there were employment and the rituals reminding sports activity. These images which are in France, Africa and Australia, have been made 30 000 years ago.

There are subjects and the structures, saying that in territory of China there was an activity approaching under modern definition of sports, for 4 000 years B.C. Most likely, the gymnastics was a popular sport in ancient China. Images and subjects in tombs of Pharaohs also say that different kinds of sports activity have been developed already several millenia ago, among them it is possible to note swimming and fishing. In territory of Ancient Persia such sports as a polo and competitions of horse knights on spears have originated.

In the Ancient Greece already there was a big variety of sports. The greatest development was received by various kinds of struggle, run, a throwing of disks and competition on chariots. Judging by this list, the military culture and military art had a direct bearing on sports in the Ancient Greece (and not only there). In the same place each four years were spent the Olympic games — in small village in Peloponnese under the name Olympia.

Since the Ancient Greece and till today the sports history is easily traced. In due course sports became more and more organized and regulated. All new kinds and sports subspecies appeared and formed, rules were specified, sports got traditions and supporters.

Industrial revolution and mass production have led to that at the increasing number of people the free time began to appear that has led to mass character of sports — more people wanted and could make sports by a part of the life, going in for sports directly or devoting the leisure to supervision over sports meets. These tendencies have received still большее development with the advent of mass-media and global communications. Sports became professional that has even more increased its popularity.

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