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Sports in Britain

Russian sports

Great attention in our country is paid to various kinds of sports because sport keeps our people fit, helps them to be more organized and healthy.

Physical training is one of the major disciplines in our schools, colleges and universities. Almost every city or town in our country has some stadiums, basketball and volleyball grounds, swimming pools.

Numerous sport clubs, societies and sections train both pro­fessionals and amateurs. Many of them take part in different sport competitions at home and overseas, winning various medals and di plomas.

Our best sportsmen successfully participate in the Olympic Games and the World Championships. They set new world records in figure skating and swimming, tennis and gymnastics, skiing, fencing, boxing, weightlifting and other sports.

Many our professional sportsmen are in demand now abroad. They play in many foreign countries in their national football or hockey teams, train the sportsmen of their clubs, etc.

The most popular sports in Russia are hockey, football, figure skating, volleyball, basketball, tennis, swimming, wrestling, shooting, boxing, weightlifting and horse racings.

It is well known that many kinds of sports were born in the UK. The Britons are great sport-lovers. When they are neither playing nor watching various sport games, they like talking about them. True fans are crazy about their favourite teams. They even travel from city to city and from country to country to see them play.

Sport in on the program in all public or private schools, colleges and universities. Cricket, tennis and squash, golf and snooker, horse and car racings are among the most popular sports on the British Islands.

The University boat racing is one the most famous sport competition between Cambridge and Oxford. It is almost 150 years old. But no matter, how popular boat and horse racings are, football beats them.

The British plays two knids of football: soccer and rugby. The first is considered professional. Rugby differs from soccer in the number of players (15) and in the rules (the players are allowed to use hands). Besides, the game is played with an oval ball.

3. Popular sports in the USA

Americans pay much attention to their physical fitness. Many higher schools, colleges and universities are famous for their sport clubs. They train their students in different sports: rowing, tennis, wrestling, track-and-field athletics, swimming, skating, bowling, skiing and some others.

There is a great choice of sports in the US because the Americans are crazy about competitions of any kind. Sport is an important part of their life. However, the major five American sports comprise: football, hockey, volleyball, baseball and basketball. They are especially popular and are always televised live.

Not long ago there appeared some new sports in the USA: skate­boarding, windsurfing and triathlon — a sport kind developed from the ancient Greek games. At the beginning they seemed unusual and even strange. But today these sports have gained international popularity.

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29