Sports and games are the best form of exercise, for the body, as well as the mind.
They are a great source of entertainment, for those who participate and those who simply like to watch.
There are various kinds of sports in the world, which people indulge in.
While some are meant to be played indoors, others are supposed to be enjoyed out in the open. Some are relaxing, while others are challenging.
There is always a level of danger involved in majority of the physical sports, but in some, the danger level can bring the athlete close enough to death.
1. BASE Jumping.
Jumping off a building isn’t for the faint of heart, neither is jumping out of a plane or off a mountain .
BASE jumping is essentially parachuting. The BASE part is actually an acronym for Building, Antenna, Span and Earth, meaning cliff. These are the fixed structures from which individuals hurl themselves. Exciting as it sounds, speeding through the air with the wind running through the hair, it is lethal. Apart from the obvious risk of jumping from hundreds of feet above, there’s a chance of being thrashed by the wind. It is illegal in many countries, including in the US, except at organized events.
Most of these deaths occur when parachutes fail to deploy.
2. Car Racing.
With cars hurtling across the asphalt, whether is NASCAR, Formula1 or sand (Dakar Rally) at over 150mph, accidents are almost guaranteed.
With car technology improving every year, one would think races ‘should be safer,’ but in reality, they are not. With factors like the weather and driver error, auto racing is still a very dangerous sport.
Hurling yourself around a course at an average speed of 175mph, in a carbon fiber box, while trying not to crash is for the very brave or very stupid.
Drivers are protected by fire-retardant suits and helmets, but those don’t help in all accidents.
Common injuries include smashed bones, excessive blood loss, trauma to the head, etc.
In more recent times, there have been over 40 driver deaths at major racing circuits.
3. Water rafting.
Water rafting is a perilous outdoor activity in which an inflatable raft is used as a vehicle to navigate white water or other water bodies of rough water.
The environment is varied and brings new challenges to the participants.
The wild waters pose the threats of tossing the participants, smashing them into rocks.
The foot entrapment can entangle a participant if he falls off, making it difficult for him to dislodge himself easily.
Common injuries include broken bones or twisted knees.
It is hard to rank sports on the basis of danger, especially since no sport committee wishes to highlight on the perils of the sport, even though agencies like Forbes often make such lists based on casualties and possible dangers.
However, a large number of people are drawn to these dangerous sports, just for the adrenaline rush and the kick they get from it. These sports are not for the faint-hearted. If someone loves to live on the edge, these are the sports are just meant for them.
4. Ice/Mountain Climbing.
It is not too hard to comprehend that mountain climbing essentially involves the risky activity of climbing up and down the highest of natural rocks, i.e. mountains. Every element of this activity is risky. The climber can receive different physical injuries like twisted ankles, sprained muscles, torn ligaments, broken bones, back injury, concussion, or frostbite, during the heavy physical activities or from falls. Weather changes can be lethal, one can lose path easily, and deaths are quite common when they fall off.
5. Street Luge.
Street luge is a lot like skateboarding, except the rider is in a supine position on the luge board or sled, as he dashes down a paved road or course at extremely high speed. The legality of this extreme gravity-powered activity is a shady issue. Participants are required to put on protective leathers and helmets, or the chances of getting smashed by vehicles that will most likely not notice the riders will go higher. The chances of collision on road are high, short of which, only the feet work as brakes.
6. Bull Riding.
Bull riding is a sport, in which the rider mounts a large bull and tries to stay atop the bull, while it attempts to buck off the rider. This sport is considered a great favorite with the extremely macho men who like to boast about their high testosterone level and are ready to take on any pain for the sake of it. While the fall can cause severe injuries and concussions, the bull, which can weigh up to 1800 pounds, may trample the fallen rider. But, for some, beyond the pain and fear lies an art.
7. Motorcycle Racing.
Sending your body down hurtling down a track at over 100 mph is insane in a car; imagine doing it on a crotch rocket. With only a few layers of Kevlar and a helmet for protection. Broken bones and third-degree abrasions are the most minor of accidents in motorcycle racing. Yet, in what is considered the oldest race in motorcycle history, thousands descend on the Isle of Man for six days, every year. The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is the most dangerous race on earth. For one, there is no dedicated course. The race snakes through the town on a narrow 37-mile journey, with 250 corners. Riders average 120 mph on public roads with hedges, stone walls, and homes, mere feet away. In its 107 years of existence, 240 riders have died taking part, 48 of them since 2001.
Cave diving is an unusual sport which involves underwater diving in caves with at least partial water content. Besides the use of regular scuba equipment in specialized configurations, it uses a varied range of equipment, depending on the circumstances. Major hazards of this sport are caused by lighting failure and low visibility, which can lead to separation from the partner. Air loss is another peril, especially because one can't just rise to the surface to catch air, or he might smash his head.
9.American Football.
No list of dangerous sports would be complete without including football. Hard to believe but a century ago, the sport was even more brutal than it is now. Those games often left dozens dead on the field. With rudimentary protective equipment, players had their spinal cords compressed, crushed skulls and broken ribs piercing soft tissue. This was due to the practice of spearing and helmet-to-helmet collisions. The situation was terrible until President Roosevelt intervened and urged teams to curb excessive violence.
While rules have been changed to reduce fatalities, excessive tackles still happen and have led to broken bones, concussion, head and neck injuries, etc. In recent times, only nine players have died on the field (but a ton of gruesome life-changing injuries), but there’s a more disturbing trend emerging. Research has found that pro football players are at risk for earlier death and dementia by 10 years, over their peers.
10. Rugby.
With 13 burly players on either team smashing against each other for 80 minutes, there’ll definitely be sickening injuries. With the only protection being a mouthguard and spiked boots, players have to carry the ball down the field. Rugby players use their whole bodies to play the game, leading to the controversial use of shoulder barging, body checking and the lifting tackle. These plays contribute to the concussions, torn ligaments, dislocated shoulders and even tetraplegia, that players can end up with. Recent data shows that the repeated concussions also puts players at risk of developing Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), brain damage and dementia. Since 2001, collisions and rough tackles in rugby have led to the deaths of over a dozen professional players.
11. BMX.
Bicycle motocross, or BMX, is a cycle sport, and there are special kinds of bikes, known as BMX bikes, which are ridden in this sport. While the sport in its basic form involves racing, its offshoots include bicycle stunts on vertical ramp and flatland. It requires the cyclist to perform a combination of acrobatics while he is astride the BMX bike. As the bikers strive to do a trick no one else has ever done before, they are likely to face injuries or even concussions, besides cuts, scrapes, and bruises.
12. Soccer.
Soccer is one of those games that you’re either mad about. But the game takes physicality to another level, running for over 90 minutes while moving a ball with only your feet and avoiding tackles is no easy feat. With no protective gear, players are at the mercy of ruthless forms of defense including the infamous studs-up challenge and aerial body checking. Concussion, bruises, and bloodied limbs, torn ACLs, shin splints, etc, are some of the common injuries in soccer. Apart from a widespread occurrence of concussion and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) among soccer players, the sport also ranks high for the number of former players who suffer CTE due to a repeated concussion. Since 2001, there have been 67 footballers who died while playing a game, died from injuries sustained while playing, or died after contact on the pitch.
13. Boxing.
Boxing is a sport in which the goal is to punch an opponent until your opponent does not get back up. While it may look like boxing gloves are big pillows, they exist to protect hands, not heads or faces. There are well over twenty deaths directly attributed to injuries sustained within the ring.
Mexican fighter Oscar Gonzalez is one of the most recent examples. Back in February, he was knocked out in the tenth round of a fight, slipped into a coma and died the next day. Gonzalez was just 23 years old. While brain damage during a fight is a risk in boxing, professional fighters are known to suffer from degenerative diseases such as CTE and other mental illnesses.
14. Cliff jumping/Diving.
This is jumping off a cliff as a form of the sport when done without equipment or protective gears.
Michal Navratil of the Czech Republic is seen here diving from the 26.5-meter platform in Antalya, Turkey
Trending