Any definition of sport can be controversial. The level of organisation, social structure and influence that surrounds sport helps to separate if sport is truly categorised as professional sport or amateur sport. Activities undertaken for purely the sake of fun, fitness, health and well being or even recreation with no attempt to compete or pass an exam are much less organised and more likely to be recreational activities with no greater attempt to compete than to enjoy. While a game or sport can be predominantly one or even multiple pursuits, they are all conducted in competitive environments with the sport participant as the main incentive. It is not uncommon for a game or sport to include aspects of both activities.
Sport can encompass a wide variety of activities. An activity involving physical exertion is generally a contest of strength or skill. An activity using repetitive motion to complete a series of tasks is an activity involving physical skill. An activity involving mental skill is an activity where the outcome of the competition is influenced by thinking or strategy. A sport can also involve both physical and mental skill, but is typically characterised by one or the other, or by the combined aspects of both elements. Sports can normally be divided further into team games and individual competitions.
A sport is commonly defined as any physical activity involving competitive gaming, throwing, shooting, wrestling, soccer, rugby, hockey, cricket and boxing. Many other physical activities are included under this term, though the above list is an attempt to simplify the idea. Professional sport refers to any kind of sport that is competitive, usually organized and governed by a country or association. The most common international sport is basketball, but every sport can have national or even local competitions. Professional sport is also divided further into team sports and individual sport.
Most non-professional sports are not regularly regulated by an authority, so there are no official rules defining the rules of sporting competitions. However, many sporting competitions around the world have official rules. In some cases, the sport has its own governing authority, such as in baseball, rugby and hockey. In other instances, the organising body for the sport establishes guidelines for behaviour and standards of physical exertion.
The history of international sports dates back to the inception of the World Wide Web, with the first ever World Cyber Games competitions taking place in 2021. Since then, gaming events have grown in popularity, particularly in countries such as the United States, Canada and South Korea, where many young people play interactive computer games. With the growth of the internet, the definition of sport has increasingly blurred. Video game consoles are now used in athletic events, and many people take part in virtual combat through strategic online gaming.
Sport, like sport anywhere else, is determined by many different factors. Many consider the definition of sport to be subjective, given the fact that the sporting activities vary greatly from one culture to another. The definition of sport can be affected by politics, economics and, of course, genetics. Some would argue that international sports are no longer subject to any real definition, except as to what the participants wear.