Most Dangerous Sports in the World
Sports are one of the best sources of entertainment. But have you ever thought that your favorite sports could also be the most dangerous sports in the world? Yes, you read it right. Sports are dangerous in general due to their very nature, but some sports are more dangerous as compared to others.
Every sport involves a lot of physical contact, which introduces an element of danger in them. They require the players to brush their bodies to attain a new height of physical existence. In the air, water, or the ground, wherever the players opt to prove their talent, sports can be dangerous. Though every sport is dangerous in its own ways, we have rounded up a list of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Most Dangerous Sports in the World
Have you ever thought, what is the most dangerous sport in the world? If you watch sports or participate in them regularly, you know sports are dangerous. Every sport can have its players who have faced issues from scraped elbow, broken bone to life-threatening injuries. Below mentioned are the most dangerous sports in the world.
Base Jumping
The fits through that come to mind when we see people jumping out of planes with parachutes is – man, this is crazy, and I could never do this!
What if I tell you that many people do not even use planes to jump from. They throw themselves down mountains or buildings. Yes, you read it. Base jumping is such one sport. In base jumping, the jumpers use a parachute, but they actually jump from different bases.
The summer of 2020 has recorded twenty-three fatalities in Base jumping (Source). Base jumping is a recreational sport and is one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
The full form of BASE is Buildings, Antennas, Spans, and Earth (natural height like gorges, mountains, etc.). Jumping from a building might sound easy and safer, but it is actually tricky as you get no time to balance yourself and deploy the parachute.
Boxing
You must be pretty sure that you never want to hit a 220 pounds player. But this is the game. Boxing and MMA are the most dangerous sports. These are literally the sports in which players usually walk away with an injury. Whether they get small injuries like a fat lip or a black eye or severe injuries, they never get away without one.
In boxing, every year, on average, 13 people die in the ring (Source). Almost all the players who choose boxing face brain injury or other injuries in their careers. Boxers are also prone to develop various neural issues like Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. The same is the case with all the fighting sports.
Jallikattu
This sport is a perfect answer to the question of what is the most dangerous sport. Jallikattu is organized every year in Tamil Nadu, which is one of the states in India. The sport is organized during the event of Pongal. In order to say thanks to the harvests, people participate in Jallikattu, which is basically bull-taming.
Jalikattu has spurred various animal rights activities as the sport is harmful to both humans and animals (Source). In this game, the bull is released in a field, and various participants try to catch and subdue him. Every year people die in this sport, which has led to many controversies.
Rugby
Rugby is another most dangerous sport in the world. Imagine hundred-pound men running behind a ball and slumming into each other. Sounds scary? This is rugby. It is one of the toughest sports, and the danger level involved in it is insane.
Rugby is the roughest contact sport and is also maximum prone to injuries. Practically every rugby match is interrupted by a medical team running in the field to help the injured player. Ligament and leg muscle injuries are very common in this sport. The vicious tackling in this sport produces torn muscles, concussions, and broken bones. Yet, every year, many tournaments of rugby are organized across the globe.
Bull Riding
Bull riding is not only exciting but also a dangerous sport. It is a rodeo event in which players try to bull while the animals oppose them violently. Bull riding also involves a big bull. In this sport, the players have to survive on the top of a bull. Sounds simple, but trust me, it is not. The bull that players have to ride is angry. Neck and head injuries and bone fractures are common injuries in bull-riding.
Racing
When we think of racing, the things that come to our mind are cool jackets, sports cars, or a superbike, but that’s not it. Racing is a dangerous sport with serious injuries. Imagine crashing your superbike and car into a wall at a speed of 200 miles per hour. The chances of surviving in these cases are quite low. Apart from the crash, the fuel could ignite and burn the car.
The security level in racing has remarkably grown in the past few years with the introduction of strong construction materials that can withstand crashes. However, racing is still one of the deadliest sports.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is an impressive sport but trust me; it is also dangerous. In this sport, people compete in different disciplines that test their strength, control, balance, and flexibility. The injuries involved in this sport are scary. Wrist and bone fractures are common in gymnastic competition. Moreover, this is one of the sports that has witnessed spinal fractures and the worst falls, which makes it one of the most dangerous sports in the world.
Cheerleading
This amazing sport looks like a fun sport, which may make you wonder how it could be a dangerous sport. Cheerleading involves making human pyramids and throwing members in the air to support the sports team. All of the cheerleading stunts are followed by songs and cheerful chants that help boost the morale of the players and the audience. Nevertheless, cheerleading is one of the most dangerous sports. More head injuries are included in cheerleading as compared to high school football.
Luge
Luge is one of the most dangerous sports in the world and is a popular part of the Winter Olympic program. In this sport, the lugers steer using their calf muscles to flex the runners of the sled.
In luge, the participants lie down on their backs and push themselves down the lane while fighting every moment and trying not to be captured off the halfpipe. It may sound easy but trust me; this sport has its share of injuries and deaths, which makes it a deadly sport.
Skiing
Skiing is a fun sport, but we can imagine hundreds of ways that someone could die while skiing on a mountain. While skiing, a participant can get hit by a tree, hit with an avalanche, fall in a well of trees, or simply hit the ground while riding on the trails. It looks like an easy run but trusts me; it can turn tragic in just a blink of an eye.
A more dangerous version of this dangerous sport is helicopter skiing, which is more deadly. In this, the participants ski with the help of a helicopter. It may sound easy, but if the participants are not careful, they can have a wide range of skeletal and muscular injuries.
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving has become a popular recreational activity and adventure sport. The craze of exploring the sea is continuously increasing among people. In this, the divers use an underwater breathing apparatus for breathing underwater. It may sound safe and amazing, but deep down under the sea, you can die due to various reasons. Apart from the risk of drowning, other risks involve bumping heads on a rock, sea life, a bad mix of gas, oxygen toxicity, and equipment malfunction. In addition to this, let’s not forget about sharks… Oops!
Polo
It is a popular sport that most people like to watch or play. But did you know that Polo is also one of the most dangerous sports in the world? If you think about this sport, it involves a person sitting atop a horse and wearing a heavy helmet and trying to hit a ball using a stick that is almost six feet below them.
Polo is not only one of the oldest sports but is also a high-risk sport. This dangerous sport causes many horrific injuries and also claims the lives of both horses and riders. Yes, Polo is a popular, expensive, and addictive sport loved by people.
Mountaineering
You may not have selected it, but mountaineering is actually one of the most dangerous sports out there. Each year thousands of people are injured while climbing mountains. Most of the injuries are caused due to falling or slipping from the rocks. Deaths and missing persons are common in this sport. This dangerous sport carries a risk of 1 percent death per climb. As compared to this sport, running a marathon is approximately 1,000 times safer.
Surfing
Riding the beautiful high waves on a surfboard on a sunny day sounds amusing, but it is also risky. Falling into the blue seawater from a specific sea level may sound harmless. But surfers have to travel at high speed. In addition to this, they not only get strong water waves but also hit the reef that is present below. If they survive from the reef and water, then what about the sharks? To succinctly describe, you have to be a little bit crazy to surf.
Bull Fighting
This one is an archaic sport, but it is played across the globe. Due to some reasons, people think that it may be amazing to slab a two thousand pound bull with sharp horns. In this dangerous sport, the participants try to immobilize or subdue the bull following a set of guidelines, rules, and cultural expectations.
Every year, there are dozens of injuries in this sport, which makes it fall in the category of the most dangerous sports in the world. In recent years, bullfighting has attracted various controversies by animal rights activists.
Final Words
Almost every sport includes some types of risks and dangers, but some sports are more risky than others. Most dangerous sports in the world are dying due to their very nature. They require the players to push their limits and explore new heights. These sports are dangerous as they have prolonged effects on the participants, the highest rates of injury, and death every year. So what is the most dangerous sport, according to you? Tell us by dropping a comment.
