15 Most Unusual Sports Played Around the World

Sepak Takraw

1

 Originating in Southeast Asia, this sport involves players using their feet, knees, chest, and head to volley a rattan ball over a net, combining soccer and volleyball skills.

Underwater Hockey 

2

Played on the bottom of a pool, this sport requires players to use small sticks to push a weighted puck into the opposing team's goal.

PrimitiBuzkashi -ve Baseball Gloves 

3

 Popular in Central Asia, particularly Afghanistan, this sport involves players on horseback trying to grab and carry a headless goat carcass to a scoring area.

Cheese Rolling 

4

Held in Gloucestershire, England, participants race downhill after a large wheel of cheese. The goal is to catch the cheese or be the first to the bottom.

Wife Carrying 

5

Originating in Finland, this competition involves male participants carrying their wives through an obstacle course, with the winner being the fastest team.

Toe Wrestling 

6

 Practiced mainly in the UK, this sport involves opponents locking toes and trying to pin each other's foot down, similar to arm wrestling.

Air Guitar

7

An international competition where participants simulate playing a guitar to music, judged on performance and style, celebrating the art of "playing" without an actual instrument.

Extreme Ironing 

8

Combining the mundane task of ironing with extreme sports, participants iron clothes in unusual and often dangerous locations, such as on mountaintops or underwater.

Korfball 

9

Developed in the Netherlands, this sport is similar to basketball but features mixed-gender teams and a unique style of play involving a ball and two goalposts.

Pillow Fighting

10

Competitions in this sport involve participants using pillows to knock opponents off a platform or out of a designated area, often seen in themed events and competitions.

Slippery Pole

11

 A traditional Japanese sport where participants climb a greased pole to retrieve a flag or prize at the top, demonstrating strength and agility.

Bog Snorkeling 

12

 In Wales, competitors race through a water-filled trench in a bog while wearing snorkels and flippers, aiming to complete the course as quickly as possible.

Gurning

13

In this English tradition, competitors make the most grotesque facial expressions possible while their heads are framed by a horse collar, judged on the extremity of their expressions.

Quidditch 

14

Inspired by the Harry Potter series, this sport combines elements of rugby, dodgeball, and tag, with players using broomsticks and competing in a mixed-gender format.

Haggis Hurling 

15

 A Scottish tradition where participants throw a haggis, a traditional Scottish dish, as far as possible, often in celebration of Scottish culture and humor.