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Basketball
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Sheer joy is experienced
when the ball goes through the basket, not only by the player
who threw the ball but also by all those who support him. The
loud cheer that accompanies every successful throw is
indicative of the immense support and popularity that the game
enjoys.
The history of
basketball goes back to 1891. A physical education
instructor, James Naismith invented the game. He
had joined the YMCA Training School in Springfield,
Massachusetts, U.S.A., when he was asked by the head of the
physical education department to devise a game to replace the
outdoor games that were played in the school during winter.
This was needed because besides the discomfort due to cold,
the slippery ice and snow often proved dangerous to run on.
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Well, James Naismith
combined features from soccer, hockey and other outdoor sports
of the day and came up with basketball. The baskets used were
closed at the bottom, and every time a hit was scored someone
would climb up and retrieve the ball. In 1906, the baskets were cut open at the bottom.
Initially, the game was played using a soccer ball. Later
special balls meant for basketball were developed. Naismith’s version of
basketball was played with nine players on each side, as there were
eighteen students in his class! Currently basketball is played with
five players to a side. They are allotted positions – two guards,
two forwards and one centre. The credit for inventing a protective
helmet for football players also goes to James Naismith. The court used for playing
basketball is rectangular in shape. Two teams of five players each
participate in the game. Two opposite ends of the court have an
elevated basket. The basket consists of a hoop with a net attached
to it. A team can score points when one of its players manages to
toss the ball through the opponent’s basket. The baskets are placed
ten feet above the ground. The courts where professional games are
played measure ninety-four feet by fifty feet. The specifications
may vary from country to country. |
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There is a circle positioned
right in the centre of the basketball court. A line called a 3-point line is
placed at a certain distance from the basket. Balls that are thrown
into the opponent’s basket from beyond this point fetch 3 points.
The baskets used are generally 18 inches in diameter and the nylon
net connected to it measures up to 18 inches in length.
Fair play is ensured by the
presence of referees. Whenever the need is felt the referees can
bring the game to a halt by blowing a whistle and signaling out the
violation of basketball rules and the player responsible for it. International
games are generally of 40 minutes duration.
Basketball was first
introduced in the Olympic Games in the 1904 games in St. Louis,
Missouri. It was at the 1936 Games in Berlin, Germany, that the
first official Olympic basketball tournament was held. The United
States team won the Gold medal and the game was played on a tennis
court. The US team went on to win the first seven Gold Medals in
basketball in the Olympics. |
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