Military Power

I want this topic to be about sports which may have branched off of military-games, sports or training techniques designed to prepare soldiers for battle. You are probably going to have to do a bit of research on them.

I'll start off with a couple of sports which I think could have evolved over military-related practices through ancient cultures, but we'll see what the research digs up.

Sports:

Lacrosse
Soccer

Oh, and if it is sport by definition now...then it can be applied.

In 1854, Major-General Sherar was fascinated by a game of Chaugans being played by some Munipoori tribesmen on the North West Frontier. Five years later he took a team of tribesmen to Calcutta where the game was received with some considerable interest, and within a decade this sport, now named Polo, had become highly popular throughout India.

In 1869, the 10th Hussars introduced the game into England. The first game being demonstrated at Aldershot. Two years later the first competative game was played between the 10th Hussars and the 9th Lancers. The Hussars won by three goals to two.

By 1878, the game had become so popular within the British Army, that it was possible to institute an Inter-Regimental Tournament. The first tournament winners being the 5th Lancers. During the 1880s the 7th Hussars won the competition for a number of years, and a famous officer who was a leading member of their team was a certain Captain Douglas Haig. Later, in 1903, Haig, now a Lieutenant-Colonel led the 17th Lancers to victory at Hurlingham.

In India too, an Inter-Regimental competition had been set up. The 9th Lancers being the first winners in 1877. The 7th Hussars with Captain Haig playing, won the cup in 1891, and in 1896, 1897 and 1898 the competition was won by the 2nd Durham Light Infantry (An Infantry Battalion). 2DLI also won another competition for Infantry Battalions only for four sucessive years.

In 1898 the Meerut final was won by the 4th Hussars in whose team rode a young Subaltern-Lt Winston Churchill, who was later to write these words "Do not grudge these young soldiers gathered from so many Regiments their joy and sport. Few of that merry throng were destined to see old age..."

There was a primitive version of chess, Ludum Latrunculorum, (LOO-doom latrooncooLOroom) that was played in Ancient Rome and I guess it had to be inspired from the exercitus (army)

This is a good topic by the way, I never thought of sports which may have branched of the military. Good job AP

SizarieldoR wrote:There was a primitive version of chess, Ludum Latrunculorum, (LOO-doom latrooncooLOroom) that was played in Ancient Rome and I guess it had to be inspired from the exercitus (army)

You know SizarieldoR, you are absolutely right. It didn't occur to me until now that chess could have been created off of some form of the military. Good thought