An Introduction
Are you a sports enthusiast? Do you love playing games with your friends and family? Have you watched the Olympic Games? There are a variety of sports events held in the Olympics. If you’ve ever wondered about these games or wish to know their names, we are here to enlighten you. We have prepared a list of some English game names with pictures and examples, some of which you can play with your friends.
Playing sports is important for a healthy life. It helps us relieve stress and makes us healthy and energetic. Other than having fun with friends and playmates, one can also learn about the values of discipline, teamwork, unity, and hard work through sports. This list of English game names will not only make your game time exciting and fun but also strengthen your speaking and listening abilities as you add new words to your vocabulary.
A collection of different sports
Types of Sports or Games
The definition of games states, 'a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other'.
Let’s classify the different types of games based on the use of primary equipment or the setting of the game.
Air Sports: As the name suggests, these sports activities are usually conducted in the air or above the ground. Eg: Drone racing, paragliding, skydiving, etc.
Athletics: This category comprises all gaming events involving competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. Eg: sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps (high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault), throws (shot put, javelin, discus throw, hammer), etc.
Ball Sports: You might have guessed already, ball sports include all games involving a ball. Eg: cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, tennis, baseball, rugby, etc.
Board Sports: These games require a board or board-like object as the primary equipment. Eg: skateboarding and surfing among others.
Combat Sports: Combat sports or fighting sports are competitive games involving contact between the opponents and a one-on-one fight. Eg: martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, etc.
Cycling Sports: As obvious, cycle sports include races involving bicycles or can also be a display of tricks and skills on a bicycle.
Gymnastics: This category of sports involves performing systematic exercises while exhibiting balance, strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall physical conditioning, with the help of rings, beams, or bars.
Ice Sports: Commonly held during winters, these games are usually played on ice. Eg: ice hockey, ringette, broomball, speed skating, curling, skiing, etc.
Indoor Games: These games are specially designed to be played indoors, within the four walls of an auditorium-like area, or at home. Eg: table tennis, chess, indoor soccer and cricket, billiards, etc.
Mind Sports: Mind sports require a high level of concentration and fine intellectual ability. The player should have the acumen to strategize their moves in order to win the competition. Eg: chess, sudoku, checkers, etc.
Motorsports: This category of sports competitions requires motorised vehicles that compete in racing events. Eg: car racing, motorcycle racing, oval track racing, etc.
Racket Sports: Racket sports require the player to hit a ball or an object such as a shuttlecock with a racket in an outdoor set-up. A net is usually displayed to demarcate the areas of the opponents. Eg: badminton, lawn tennis, squash.
Strength Sports: These sporting activities test the muscular strength and endurance of the player. Eg: weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding.
Target Sports: These games necessitate a high level of focus and concentration. The player participating in these events throws or shoots a piece of equipment to hit a target. Eg: air rifle shooting, archery, bowling, golf, billiards, darts, etc.
Water Sports: As the name suggests, all sports events that are performed or played in waterfall fall under the category of water sports. Eg: surfing, swimming, diving, rowing, rafting, water polo, etc.
List of English Game Names
In alphabetical order, here is a list of some popular sports.
Acrobatics
Aerobic Gymnastics
Archery
Arnis
Artistic Gymnastics
Artistic Swimming
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Baton Twirling
Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
Billiards/ Pool (U.S.)
Bobsleigh
Bodybuilding
Bowling
Boxing
Canoeing
Car Racing
Cheerleading
Chess
Cricket
Croquet
Curling
Dance Sport
Darts
Diving
Dodgeball
Fencing
Figure Skating
Football (U.K)/ Soccer (U.S., Australia)
Frisbee
Golf
Handball
Hang Gliding
Hockey
Horseback Riding
Horse Racing
Ice Hockey
Ice Skating
Jet Ski Racing
Judo
Karate
Kayaking
Kendo
Kickboxing
Kite Surfing
Lacrosse
Luge
Mixed Martial Arts
Motocross
Muay Thai
Paintball
Parachuting
Paragliding
Parkour
Polo
Pool/Billiards
Powerlifting
Rafting
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Rock Climbing
Rowing
Rugby
Sailing
Sandboarding
Scuba Diving
Shooting
Skateboarding
Skeleton
Skiing
Snowboarding
Softball
Speed Skating
Sport Climbing
Squash
Sumo Wrestling
Surfing
Swimming
Synchronised Skating
Synchronised Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Track and Field
Trampolining
Triathlon (Tetrathlon, etc.)
Tug of War
Volleyball
Water Polo
Weightlifting
Windsurfing
Wrestling
Wu Shu
Some of the English game names
Some more English game names
Conclusion
So, we hope you have learned something new and interesting today. Make a list of the games you would like to play with your friends or siblings. Also, you can do some research on your own and find out more information about the different national and international sports competitions, such as the Asian Games, Olympics, Commonwealth Games, FIFA, Cricket World Cup, etc.
FAQs on Popular English Game Names
1. Why should kids be encouraged to play sports?
Sports and games bring along a variety of benefits for people of all ages. Children, especially, should be encouraged to play games. It helps in physical development, improvement of motor skills, concentration and ensures a healthy mind and body. Moreover, playing sports and games teaches kids about the importance of unity, teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship.
2. Mention a few examples of sports covered under athletics.
Athletics encompasses all kinds of physical sports involving competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. Some of the common examples include sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps (high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault), throws (shot put, javelin, discus throw, hammer), etc.