Throughout history, sports have played a significant role in the construction of national identities. In the twentieth century, sports became a popular way to participate in international social movements. In South Africa, for example, the “Cape Coloureds” won the right to play sports.
Sports have always been a part of play, but there is no clear consensus as to when they began. Ancient civilizations depicted hunters pursuing prey with a sense of joy and abandon. During the medieval period, sports were considered an art form. The Renaissance introduced a new secular and elitist view of sports. The concept of a sports record was first developed in the 17th century.
Athletes had to train to reach their physical maximum. Ball games were played among the Aztecs and other ancient peoples. They were also a common practice in China. In the 2nd century CE, Greek physician Galen recommended ball games for health. In the 15th century, the elites in the Italian and French cities delighted in the geometric patterns of movement.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, sports were modified for entertainment purposes. These included the invention of sports such as basketball. In the Philippines, volleyball has become a popular sport in the early twenty-first century.
Today, modern sports have been marketed as signs of power and prestige. They are also part of a larger globalization process. As a result, they are now intertwined in complex networks of hegemonic social relations. The creation of national sports organizations has also contributed to the globalization of sports.