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hahaCULTURE
What Your National Sport Tells Us About Your Country
A whimsical exploration of a nation’s culture and character through sport
Trigger warning: Stereotypes and biases exercised without much caution!
“Where are the cheerleaders? Why does it take so long? What is the score? But they have been playing for hours! Look at that man-bun guy doubled over — pussy! There is no music! I don’t get it.”
The world calls soccer “the beautiful game,” but these old guys watching a big soccer match on one of the screens at a local sports bar find it too long, too woke, too gay, too dull, too … global.
As a European, I was annoyed at their dismissive attitude but quickly felt guilty when I recalled my comments during past football seasons: too flashy, too many breaks, too many ads, too macho, too … American?
Then I wondered: How much can a national sport tell you about a country?
Ignoring the world’s favorite sport, soccer, I decided to explore other national sports worldwide that are historically and culturally significant to a nation to learn more about them. And got carried away in the process.
