 ladder, and vaulting horse.
The Mesoamerican Ballgame, which does not really have an official name, was a popular sport across ancient Mesoamerica and was played by all of this region’s major civilizations including the Olmecs, Aztecs, and Maya. The game was most likely invented by the Olmec sometime between 2500 – 100 BCE.
In addition to being a sport, the game was an important part of Mesoamerican mythology and religion – some cultures used the game to choose the human sacrifices for religious ceremonies. Over time, different versions of the game were developed and more modern version of the game, ulama, is still played by the indigenous population of the area.
Tsu Chu is a ball game from ancient China, which emerged sometime around 2500 BCE. The objective of Tsu Chu is to kick a ball through an opening in a small net and it is recognized by FIFA as the earliest form of football (soccer). According to FIFA, Tsu Chu was first mentioned as an exercise in a military manual dating back to the second and third centuries BCE.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 AD), Tsu Chu became popular among the royal courts and upper classes and the Han emperor Wu Di supposedly also enjoyed the sport. Tsu Chu began to decline in popularity during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644).
Other ancient cultures boxed bare fisted and the Minoans appear to be the first civilization to use boxing gloves. Boxing first appeared in the Olympics at the 23rd Olympiad in 688 BCE and the boxers wound leather thongs around their hands for protection. Modern boxing evolved from 16th and 18th-century prizefights in Great Britain.
Humans have been swimming for thousands of years and one of the earliest depictions of the activity can be found in the Cave of Swimmers in the Gilf Kebir plateau of the Libyan desert. Archaeologists believe that these prehistoric drawings show people using the breaststroke or doggy paddle (it is possible that these movements are unrelated to swimming). Although people have been swimming since the prehistoric era, swimming did not become a competitive sport until the 1800s.
England is credited as the first country to participate in swimming as a recreation and competitive sport and the National Swimming Society of England organized these early competitions, which were immediately popular. Swimming first appeared at the Olympics in 1896 as a men’s sport.
Evidence suggests that the bow and arrow were invented by the end of the Upper Paleolithic era (around 20,000 BCE), which makes archery an important part of early human history – it was used for hunting and is present throughout the mythologies of many different cultures. Ancient Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to regularly use archery for hunting and warfare.
In addition to the Egyptians, other ancient civilizations – the Persians, Parthians, Indians, Chinese, and Japanese – had a large number of archers in their armies. Archery made its Olympic debut in 1900 and was featured in the next 1904, 1908, and 1920 before returning in 1972; it is still currently a part of the Olympics.
Wrestling is another ancient sport whose origins are difficult to trace as it is depicted throughout the art of several early civilizations. Along with running, wrestling was first depicted by the people who lived near the Lascaux caves in France over 15,300 years ago. Some of the first depictions of wrestling as a sport can be traced back to the Sumerians, who lived around 5,000 years ago.
Wrestling was also practiced by the ancient Egyptians as evidenced by the several wrestling scenes found in tombs at Beni Hasan. Historians believe that wrestling has been featured as an Olympic Sport since at least 704 BCE.
Running is believed to be the world’s oldest sport as it requires no equipment. Although its hard to pinpoint exactly when running developed as a sport, its believed that human running evolved sometime around four and a half million years ago. One of the earliest depictions of sprinting is found in the Lascaux caves in France, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era (about 15,300 years ago).
The first event in the first ever Olympics in 776 BCE was a foot race. Although this date is often cited as the start of running as a sport, one of the earliest recorded running competitions was held in Ireland in 1829 BCE.
The oldest game on Earth is also the oldest sport! It is called ‘Marn Grook’ & the game is the forerunner of modern Australian Rules Football. Played by aborigines & demonstrated to the original white settlers, it was widely played by most of more than 200 tribes! The aborigines are recognised as constituting the’ oldest, continuous civilisation’ & it has demonstrated to go back at least 65,000 years. If they were playing Marn Grook for only a tenth of that time, their game/sport would predate any other known civilisation!Ohafia, being a local government, and a clan as well, is an Igbo-speaking town in Abia State, Nigeria. Elu being among the 26 villages that made up Ohafia, is the ancestral home of the Ohafias. It is about 31.13 miles, about 50.1 kilometers away from Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State.
Abia. Akanu. Amuma. Amankwu. Amangwu.
Amaekpu. Asaga. Amuke. Elu. Ebem.
Eziafor. Isiugwu. Ibina (Ihenta). Nde Nku. Nde Okala.
Nde Anyaorie. Nde Amogu. Nkwebi. Nde Ibe. Nde Orieke.
Ndi Nduma Awoke. Nde Uduma Ukwu. Okagwe. Oboro.
According to history, Ohafia people are said to have emigrated from Angoli to Isi-Eke but flee the place one night after hearing the calabashes’ rattling sound. They believed their territory was attacked, while others headed towards Ngodo, while others went opposite Isuochi. A man, Ezeama Atita, and his sons led some toward Abam. On reaching Abam, the wife of Ezeama’s son was pregnant, which made him settle down there with his family, while the rest headed to Ugwumgbo.
Ohafia ancestors were said to be brave warriors known for their brilliance in war. Ohafia warriors were rumored to be looking for where there was a war to showcase their prowess. This hunger for war eventually made them war mercenaries. After each battle won, they would go home with slaves, which would be under their services.
There was a time the bravest warrior was selected with the number of slaves he has and the number of human skulls they took from war. It was said that only those were allowed to wear the eagle’s feather.
In Ohafia, they have a war dance celebrating war achievements. A leader headed the dance with a basket of human skulls called Oyaya. 
Ohafia, also known for its hospitality, treats its visitors with great respect. Every visitor that comes to Ohafia would be welcomed with native white chalk (Nzu) while the oldest offers and prays over the kola nut he takes before handing it to the youngest in the house to provide their visitors.
Ohafia is blessed with rivers like the Mmori River in Ebem, located along the federal roading bridging Ohafia to Abam. The Ifutiti Waterfall at Amaekpu which is more than 300 feet deep, while there is another waterfall at Uzoasuga in Akanu Ohafia.
Ohafia boasts of the Nkpogolo forest reserve, where farming, hunting, and deforestation were banished. They Have the Ezri Ofri Cave at Amaekpu, which is said to cover some places in Elu, 8 km away from Ameakpu.
The third-largest military barrack in Nigeria happens to be the Goodluck Jonathan Barracks, which are the Headquarters of the New 145 Battalion office, and 14 Brigade.
The west African calabash and it’s cosmological cannotation.Chances are, if you’re reading this article, you grew up reading books starring an endearing hungry caterpillar, a mischievous cat in a hat or a plump bear feening for honey. These adorable characters taught us fundamental skills like counting, rhyming and social etiquette, but the light-hearted lessons rarely went beneath the surface of life’s more complex realities. Siblings and co-authors, Omar Mian and Dr. Rubina Mian, feel it’s time that parents, caregivers and teachers initiate conversations about relevant affairs that children face today—such as stress, anxiety, fear, suicide and more. Some parents might argue that these controversial topics are too intense for young minds, but statistics show that children are falling victim to mental health issues at an earlier age than ever before. According to the Office of National Statistics, one in ten children in the UK suffer from mental health problems like stress, anxiety or depression. In addition, the YoungMinds children’s mental health charity reported that 1 million children (between the ages of 5-15) in the UK alone suffer from stress. With The Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer revealing that three-quarters of mental illnesses start in childhood (50% of adult mental health problems starting before 15 years of age), it’s not surprising that the authors are urging parents and teachers to start discussions at an early age.
Despite the heavy material, the authors inject their books (