5 fastest growing sports

In a world full of constant change and development, sport is no exception. Here are the 5 fastest growing world sports that you may not know about.

Pickelball.

Invented in 1965 in Washington USA, Pickelball was originally invented as a fun back garden type game rather than the social and competitive sport that is is today. Described as a crossover between tennis, table tennis, and badminton, Pickleball can be played in singles (1v1) or doubles (2v2). Played with a plastic ball and a larger table tennis- like paddle, it is suitable for people of all ages and all abilities. But make sure not to enter 'The Kitchen', the small square area in front of the net or you will give away a penalty! I highly recommend learning more about this fast growing sport, before the rest of the world.

paddle tennis

Next up, we have paddle tennis. This sport originated in Mexico in 1969 and is most commonly played in Spain. Paddle is a mixture of tennis, table tennis, and squash. It uses the same scoring system as tennis, but it has a twist. You can only serve underhand and the ball may bounce off the walls like in squash. This fun sport is growing a mass following with over 2 million players globally, so why not join in on the fun?!

Footgolf

With a fairly self-explanatory name, footgolf is a sport which is growing rapidly, especially in places like the UK where both football and golf are highly popular sports. However the location of its recent rise to fame may come as a surprise to those who know that this sport was actually first practiced in America, and the first Footgolf course was created in The Netherlands in 2008. Personally, I have played this sport many times and I highly recommend it if your looking for a fun activity to do with the family.

Fat-biking

Yes, you read that correctly, fat-biking. But before you go jumping to conclusions, this sport was given its unique name for the style of bicycle used rather than anything else. For those of you that enjoy mountain biking or down hill cycling, this may have an interest for you. The abnormally large tires (4-5 inches) are built for cycling in snowy or sandy conditions where an ordinary bike would simply be 'stuck in the mud' (snow). The low pressure of the tires allows for free and fluid movement along softer surfaces allowing for the cycling season to continue throughout dramatic conditions. This sport has been highly praised for the health benefits provided. Its estimated that Fat-biking can burn up to 1500 calories per hour!

E-Sports

Did you actually think I was about to forget about this modern-day gem? The rise of E-sports over the last decade is nothing short of astronomical. For those of you still living in the stone age, E-sports refers to console gaming. With a current annual growth rate of 26.7%, this sport is sure to take over our tv screens soon enough. With organized gaming tournaments displaying skin-shivering excitement with games like Fortnite and League of Legends, the sport has quickly earned its worth in revenue of roughly 1 billion dollars!!! Think of how many freddo bars you could get with that!

That's it for this weeks post, keep one eye on this website for more updates to come! Thanks for reading!