Let's talk about sport

It goes without saying that doing sports is very important for every person. A certain amount of exercise is necessary to keep your body in good shape. Sport is given a lot of attention all over the world as it helps to bring up strong and healthy people. It creates, so to speak, a healthy body for a healthy mind. It also makes people more self-organized and better disciplined.

There is always a kind of sport which will suit you and there are many different kinds to choose from. If you like team games, you can play football, volleyball, ice hockey, field hockey or basketball. Games to play with a friend include badminton, squash and tennis. There are individual sports such as swimming, riding, horseriding or athletics.

There are summer sports such as track-and-field athletics and water sports and winter sports such as cross-country skiing, snowboarding or skating. There are sports which don't depend on the weather, since they are played indoors. Extreme sports have also become one of the fast growing leisure activities nowadays. Among them there are parachuting, hang gliding, windsurfing, bungee jumping, cave diving etc.

An important attraction of sport is also its competitive and challenging nature. The roots of men's desire to display their physical health and beauty go back to ancient times when the idea of the Olympic Games first appeared. For the ancient Greeks the Games were a way of saluting their gods. The original Olympics included competitions in music, oratory and theatre performances as well. After nearly 300 Olympiads they were stopped by the Roman emperor Theodosius. 1500 years had passed and the Games started again in Greece in 1896. The 2012 Summer Olympics were held in London.

At present sport in our country is paid a lot of attention to by the government and much is being done to set up all necessary facilities for its development. Many skating rinks, stadiums are built for people to go in for sports. Our country is preparing for the 2014 Ice Hockey Championship which will take place in Minsk.

Our country provides support to team sports. Our national senior and junior teams have become regular participants in the finals of top tournaments, European and world championships. The stunning performance of its athletes has secured Belarus a place among the top twenty sports nations. This is the best result the country has ever had in its sports history.

I'm sure that either as a sportsman or merely as a spectator almost every person likes sport. Some people do sports professionally, others have regular workouts to keep fit. As for me, I'm fond of volleyball. I love it because it's a team game and it requires different kinds of skills. You must do your best and at the same time you should keep your eye on what your teammates are doing and you need a quick brain too.

I do think regular exercise is an essential part of our life. I believe it's very important for people to have some regular exercises. It's very good for the posture, which I believe greatly affects the general health of the body, and makes you feel good.