Asian Games 2014: Little-Known Sports That Will Steal the Spotlight in Incheon
The 2014 Asian Games are currently underway in Incheon, South Korea, bringing fans two weeks of top-quality competition from the Far East.
Event organisers incorporate several lesser-known sports in every edition of the Asian Games, including some of the fastest and most spectacular sports on the planet. Most fans have probably never heard of sepak takraw or wushu, both hugely popular sports in Southeast Asia.
Here are three sports with a limited following outside of Asia that every fan should know about.
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Sepak Takraw
Let's start with one of the most spectacular of them all—sepak takraw, a game that combines elements of volleyball and football. You may have seen it on television: A bunch of guys displaying phenomenal ball control and launching a tiny ball at each other at incredible speeds:
The game is played in two teams of three, and as far as tactics go, it's very similar to volleyball. One player serves the ball, one is traditionally the designated "blocker" and the third plays defence close to the back line.
A key difference is that every player is allowed to touch the ball more than once in succession, and obviously, the use of hands is prohibited.
Malaysia and Thailand are traditionally the top nations in sepak takraw, although the sport is quickly gaining in popularity. China has sent the biggest team to the 2014 Asian Games, and the United States are starting to fall for the beautiful game as well.
The New York Times' Cristopher Clarey was mesmerised by the spectacular kicks he witnessed when he first got to know the sport:
"A first look can indeed be jaw-dropping. Consider how much excitement a bicycle kick generates in a soccer game. Now consider that this happens constantly in sepaktakraw as the competitors leap and, with an overhead kick, spike the small ball over a net that is set at a height of 1.55 meters (about 5 feet) for men and 1.45 meters for women.
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Sepak Takraw is not yet being discussed as a potential Olympic sport, but given the large crowds it is expected to pull in Incheon, that could soon change.
Rugby Sevens
One sport that will be making its debut at the 2016 Olympics in Rio is rugby sevens, a scaled-down variant of rugby union, arguably the most popular sport south of the equator.
Rugby sevens was one of the highlights of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and the quick pace and fast scoring is expected to sit well with fans in Brazil. Matches consist of two halves of just seven minutes long, with a one-minute break in between.
Instead of the normal 15 players, rugby sevens is played in teams of (you guessed it) seven, and with the wide open pitch, there's a lot of opportunities for each team to score.
Like football, the sport is very easy to play—all you need is a ball and a grassy area. Play and scoring are similar to ordinary rugby: Players aren't allowed to pass the ball forward, and points are scored by touching the ball down in the opponents' area or kicking it through the uprights.
New Zealand have dominated rugby sevens since its inception, while Japan will be the strong favourites at the 2014 Asian Games.
Wushu
Wushu is a traditional form of Chinese martial arts, where athletes compete both in sparring (Sanda) and in exhibition form (Taolu). The latter was popularised by famous martial artists such as Jet Li, arguably the most famous practitioner of wushu.
Sanda is comparable to kickboxing or Muay Thai, but it involves more grappling and is a solid base for athletes looking to get into mixed martial arts.
Taolu is the more popular version, however, where competitors are required to perform a set of moves and are judged on their form. Routines can be both compulsory, where athletes are judged solely on their execution, or completely individual.
The latter can involve weapons and often features spectacular jumps and kicks, where it's not uncommon for performers to execute 900-degree moves while suspended in mid-air.
Wushu was on the shortlist to be included in the 2020 Summer Olympics but missed out on inclusion. For now, fans will have to enjoy the incredible display when the practitioners take to the mat at the 2014 Asian Games.
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