Check Out These 3 Sports Coming To Birmingham Next Week With The World Games
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| The World Games Opening Ceremony in 2017. Photo from The World Games. |
The World Games will soon descend upon Birmingham, and, with it, a new world of sport not often seen on Saturday football fields.
These are the three sports you should check out at the World Games!
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| Way more competitive than your average roller rink. Photo from The World Games. |
Olympic Speed Skating minus the ice.
I am reminded of my childhood at my local roller rink in Montgomery, Alabama. My main goal during birthday parties and school trips to the roller rink was to stay upright and not embarrass myself during races.
Speed Skating in the World Games aspect is much faster, tense, and enjoyable to watch than awkward teens moving in an oval. Speed Skating will take place on track and road, each with its required skills. You can see these at the Powell Steam Plant from Friday, July 8—Monday, July 11.
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| Sumo Wrestling is coming to Birmingham. Photo from The World Games. |
Sumo has me the most excited of any event at the World Games. Since I was a young boy, I have wanted to practice Sumo.
Being from Alabama, there weren't many opportunities to watch, much less train to become a Rikishi1. So while that dream may have died on the vine, I finally had a chance to see a world-class Sumo competition live in person.
Russia2, Ukraine, and Mongolia have been successful in the most recent World Games competitions. I am most excited to see the open weight competition for both men and women. While weight and power matter considerably in Sumo, a simple dodge from a smaller opponent can change everything. You can see Sumo at the Boutwell Auditorium from Saturday, July 9—Sunday, July 10.
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| See the Mix Class game of Tug of War this year. Photo from The World Games. |
The last sport I am eager to see is Tug of War. Often seen in my youth as a sport to do when the teacher didn't feel like teaching too much, Tug of War is so much more than that.
The raw strength, camaraderie, and strategy of Tug of War are genuinely captivating. Eight teammates, each relying on each other's natural physical ability and coordination to defeat an equally qualified team, is enthralling. Tug of War is one of the purest forms of strength-based sports and games, alongside weightlifting and the caber toss.
Typically in Tug of War, teams are divided by weight class, and women and men compete separately; however, this year's World Games will introduce a Mix Class to the competition. In the Mix Class, teams consist of four men and four women. You can see Tug of War at the UAB Track and Field Complex from Thursday, July 14—Saturday, July 16.
Check out the World Games website to get your tickets or day passes today and see what other sports are coming to Birmingham next week!
A quick reminder that the Avondale Regional Branch Library will be closed from Friday, July 8—Friday, July 15, for the World Games and the Archery competitions happening next door at Avondale Park.
1Rikishi is the term for wrestlers in Sumo.↩
2Russia and Belarus have been disinvited/banned from the World Games.↩
By Weston Flippo | Librarian Ⅰ, Central Library
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