Discover Five Unique and Lesser-Known Sports From Around the Globe

Humans also love to engage in sports as spectators. Overall, it has been estimated that by 2027, the global sports market is expected to be over 623 billion U.S. dollars (source: Statista). 

When we think about sports, we initially think about football, basketball, and perhaps even track and field. Yet, sports are highly linked to the culture of the given country. After all, there’s a reason why Americans call their football just football (instead of saying American football), and the other one, that is globally recognized as football, as soccer.

In this article, we introduce you to five unique sports around the world. 

Basque Pelota - A fast-paced ball game 

Watch out! In this fast-paced ball game, you don’t want to end up in the middle of the field if you ain’t playing it. As the name suggests, Pelota is mainly played in the Basque area, referring to the Northern Spain and South-Western parts of France. Besides its home base, the game is also played in many Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and more. 

Usually, the game is played on a three-walled court which is called fronton. The main idea is simple; hit the ball in a way that the opposing team has no chance of returning it. Usually, one team is the serving team and another is the returning one.

The signature item of the game is, however, the Pala or Paleta which is the racket. While shapes vary, the most recognizable one is the basket-shaped racket, often found in uniforms and logos of Basque Pelota teams.

SlamBall - Resurging Trampoline Basketball Game

Imagine if you combined trampolines and basketball. Turns out that it has already been invented in 1999 by Mason Gordon. This fusion type of sport combines elements of classic ball games, such as basketball and football, with a surprising element, trampolines. In this game, each team has four players and three positions: handler, gunner, and stopper. 

The game was at its highest popularity in the early 2000s, after which its popularity declined and the TV shows were stopped in the US. After US success and decline, SlamBall found new popularity in China, but it was short-lived. As of 2023, the inventor of the game Mason Gordon has discussed reviving the game once again. 

So, while we admit that you cannot try SlamBall in its original form, you can do something similar by getting an outdoor trampoline from a manufacturer that also sells basketball hoops. This way, you can get the feeling of what SlamBall would’ve been like!

Skijoring - An Unexpected Winter Sport

As the name suggests, Skijoring is a sport related to snow. It’s a winter sport where a person is pulled either by an animal, like a horse or dog, or by a motor vehicle. The fun part in it is that the person who’s being pulled is on skis, making the sport especially challenging. While its origins are in finding optimal ways to travel in winter, it is nowadays a sport (which probably is a good thing!)

There are two core areas where Skijoring is practiced: In Northern European countries, such as Norway, Sweden, and Finland (especially in regions where Sami people live), and in St. Mortiz, Switzerland, where the most popular modern-day Skijoring competitions are held.

The yearly games in St. Moritz are known to bring over 35000 spectators a day, so the Skijoring scene is still surprisingly active!

Pesäpallo - Baseball with a Finnish Twist

Some games come out of necessity. This is at least if you believe in the story of how Finnish baseball, Pesäpallo, was invented by Lauri "Tahko" Pihkala in the 1920s. Pihkala was inspired by baseball during his visits to the US and brought the game to Finland with his twist. 

It has been said that the game was ideal for preparing for war since you practice speed and develop strategic skills while playing it. Thus, the game was played on military bases. Nowadays, it’s a common sport played at school PE classes.

While the idea of pesäpallo is very similar to that of baseball, there are some differences. In pesäpallo, the ball is pitched vertically, allowing better control of the ball and the hit for the one who’s hitting it.

Another key difference is the first bounce of the ball. In baseball, if you hit high and long, it’s equal to a home run, while in Pesäpallo that would be called ‘laiton’ (illegal), aka foul ball. Therefore, the hitter has to be more strategic about the hit and the power of it. 

The rules of Pesäpallo are quite complex. If you want to learn more about Pesäpallo, we highly recommend you check videos and information online about the game in English!

Bando - A Less-Heard Form of Martial Arts

Everyone has heard of martial arts such as judo, karate, and taekwondo. Indeed, many East and Southeast Asian martial arts are extremely popular in Western countries. Yet, there are many surprising ones that we still have not heard of. One of them is Bando, which is an unarmed defensive sport that comes from Myanmar. Being a defensive martial arts sport, it focuses on various techniques that are required in defending rather than attacking.

The movements are linked to animals and thus it is uncommon to practice movements inspired by Boars, Eagles, Monkeys, and more in Bando practices. 

In the West, Bando is still a very niche sport. It is played mainly in the US and in some European countries. It’ll be interesting to see whether this sport will eventually become the next thing globally or stay as a local curiosity. 

Which one would you like to try?

It's time to discover the unique and culturally rich games that often remain hidden in a world dominated by familiar sports! Whether it is the speed of Basque Pelota or the quirkiness of SlamBall, these and thousands of other sports truly act as a window to different cultures and worlds.

So, if you want to explore beyond the sports that are common to you, challenge yourself by learning more about any of the sports introduced in this article. Which one is your favorite?