5. Sports and games

Sports are very good for our physical and mental health. There are many types of sports and games. We can practice outdoor or indoor sports, sports in water or anywhere we want.

Outdoor sports are e.g. golf, skiing, fishing, climbing, tourism, horse rising, jogging etc.
Indoor sports are e.g. table tennis, gymnastics, chess, ball games, athletics (sprint, high jump, long jump, ball throw...), tennis, skating…
There are also aquatic sports, it means water skiing, swimming, and yachting, canoeing, and rowing and so on.

All over the world ball games are very popular. Ball games include volleyball, basketball, football, also tennis and handball. In winter many people go to the hills or the mountains, where they like skiing. American football, rugby and especially baseball are very popular in America during the autumn. Million of people like to attend matches or watch them on TV. Many sports have their origins in Britain. They are two types of rugby, modern game of hockey, cricket, tennis and boxing. Golf has its origin in Scotland.
There are many sports events in Britain e.g. Wimbledon (The Grand Tennis Tournament), The Grand National – it is the best known horse-race steeplechase.

I would like to say a few words about other very important sports events. The most famous events are The Olympic Games. They are held every four years. They have their summer and winter parts.
Some other important sports events are the World and European Championships and Cups in various sports.

On the Olympics
Organizing the Olympic Games is a matter of prestige. The host country becomes the centre of attention of the general public, not only of sport lovers. Two thousands million people watched the opening ceremony on TV. No wonder that the host country does its best to present itself in the best light possible. The opening ceremony is usually a wonderful spectacle presenting the nation’s culture, traditions and folklore.
Staging the Olympics costs a lot of money but it pays dividends in the end as all the sports facilities (stadiums, swimming pools, sports halls etc.) can be used by local sportsmen after the Games. Moreover the Olympics have been commercialized and they are profitable.

At our school we have our physical training lessons once a week. When the weather is good we can go out to the stadium. We can play baseball or we can practice athletics. Sometimes we go skating or swimming. During the winter we usually go to our gym, we practice volleyball, gymnastics and so on.

A good sportsman must be healthy and he must train very hard. Many people like sports, because sports are good for their active relaxation. I like many kinds of sports.