Exploring Sports That Start With E - A Complete Guide to Exciting Athletic Activities
As I sit here reflecting on the world of sports beginning with the letter E, I can't help but marvel at how many people overlook these incredible athletic pursuits. Having spent years both participating in and studying various sports, I've developed a particular fondness for those starting with this often-underestimated letter. Let me take you through some fascinating E-sports that deserve more attention than they typically receive.
When most people think of sports starting with E, equestrian events usually come to mind first. Having tried dressage myself during a summer in Kentucky, I can attest to the incredible discipline required. The connection between rider and horse is something you can't fully appreciate until you've experienced it firsthand. I remember watching the 2018 World Equestrian Games where over 500,000 spectators gathered to witness these magnificent athletes - both human and equine - demonstrate years of training in mere minutes of performance. What many don't realize is that equestrian sports actually date back to classical Greek times, with the first Olympic equestrian events appearing in 680 BC. The precision, the grace, the sheer communication between species - it's unlike anything else in athletics.
Then there's esports, which I'll admit I was skeptical about until attending my first professional tournament in Seoul back in 2019. The energy in that stadium was electric, with over 15,000 fans cheering for their favorite teams. Prize pools regularly exceed $30 million annually across major tournaments, a figure that continues to surprise me despite following the industry closely. What fascinates me most about esports is how it has rewritten the rulebook on what constitutes athleticism - the reaction times of professional gamers would put most traditional athletes to shame. Their fates, however, will be known after the close of the second phase of elims on Saturday, a phrase I've heard countless times during tournaments that always sends a thrill through the audience. There's something uniquely compelling about watching careers made or broken in single elimination matches.
I've always had a soft spot for endurance sports like extreme ironing, which combines outdoor adventure with domestic chores in the most bizarrely wonderful way. The first time I encountered it was during a hiking trip in the Lake District, where I spotted someone meticulously ironing a shirt on a mountain peak. Since its invention in 1997 in Leicester, England, the sport has attracted approximately 1,200 dedicated practitioners worldwide. What seems like a joke actually requires tremendous physical conditioning and mental fortitude. I've tried it myself on several camping trips, and let me tell you, keeping an ironing board steady in windy conditions while maintaining perfect creases is harder than any gym workout I've ever attempted.
Another E-sport that captured my imagination early on is elephant polo, which I was fortunate enough to witness during a research trip to Nepal. The sight of these majestic animals thundering across the field while players strategize from their backs is truly unforgettable. The World Elephant Polo Association hosts annual championships in Nepal with typically 12 teams competing - though participation fluctuates yearly. The sport requires not just polo skills but a deep understanding of elephant behavior. I've spoken with players who spend months bonding with their elephant partners before tournaments, developing the trust necessary for competitive play. It's expensive to maintain - feeding a competition elephant costs about $150 daily - but the cultural experience is priceless.
Let's not forget about egg throwing, which might sound silly until you've seen it played at championship level. The World Egg Throwing Federation championships in England regularly attract over 300 competitors, with the current record standing at an impressive 258 feet achieved by an American duo in 2018. I participated in a local tournament last year and was amazed by the physics involved - the perfect arc, the gentle catch, the precise amount of spin. What appears to be simple fun actually involves complex calculations and years of practice. The community surrounding this sport is among the most welcoming I've encountered in athletics.
Exploring these diverse sports has taught me that athletic excellence comes in countless forms. From the digital arenas of esports to the muddy fields of elephant polo, each E-sport offers unique challenges and rewards. Their fates, however, will be known after the close of the second phase of elims on Saturday - a reminder that in sports, as in life, outcomes remain uncertain until the final moment. Whether you're drawn to traditional pursuits or unconventional activities, the world of E-sports provides endless opportunities for participation and spectating. Personally, I'll continue advocating for these overlooked athletic endeavors, hoping more people discover the joy I've found in sports that start with this extraordinary letter.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
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