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Sport

Sci-Fi sports:

Fiction

turned real life

Caitlyn Walsh

If you haven’t realised it already, many science fiction sports from movies and other forms of media have become popular and, in turn, have been made into real sporting events. Turning fictional sports into real-life sporting activities is a matter of great interest to those in their respective fandoms.

Harry Potter’s Quidditch:

One of the most popular fiction sports, known as Quidditch from the Harry Potter franchise, is now being practised as a real sport. Unfortunately, certain details of the game cannot be included, such as witches, wizards, flying broomsticks, and a golden-ball with the ability to fly, but improvisations have been made to call the new game Muggle Quidditch. Muggle Quidditch, the term “muggle” referring to normal humans, involves the use of dodgeballs to replace “quaffles”, hula hoops on sticks for goals, a player dressed in gold who acts as the “snitch”, and every player is straddled to a broomstick - unfortunately, without the gift of flight.

Star Wars’ Beat Saber:

Another popular science fiction sport is Beat Saber, which is presumed to be lightly based on Star Wars. This is a Virtual Reality game, in which you exercise. The Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise says that “Beat Saber’s primary exercise comes from the fast upper body movement needed to slice musical blocks, along with moderate side-to-side leaning, and occasional squats to avoid obstacles”. A player moves the lightsaber to the rhythm of the beat during a game, giving the player an interesting and innovative way to workout.

Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu:

The Call of Cthulhu, which is a horror fiction roleplaying game, is based on H.P Lovecraft’s short story with the same name. According to HPLovecraft.com, this game is initially based off of a short story Lovecraft wrote in 1926. Not only has it been turned into a popular video game, but it has also become a real-life fantasy tabletop role-playing game, similar to Dungeons and Dragons. Although it does not include aspects of physical activity, like other reality games and sports sometimes do, it definitely keeps the mind active and is a fun and interactive way to celebrate your favourite authors.

However, there are many sci-fi and futuristic games that will probably never come into reality - for example, Hunger Games, which would be a terrifying real-life sport. A sporting game that includes murder and killing for entertainment would probably not land too well. Another example of a fiction sport that would not stand well in the 21st century, is Flamingo Croquet from Alice in Wonderland. The possibility of using real flamingos is definitely not viable, however the likelihood of the sport’s rendition using flamingo-like croquet balls does exist.

Overall, the impact of sci-fi movies on sport is great, and the fact that may fandoms have taken it upon themselves to recreate certain sports is fun and unique - however, some sports should remain what they are, fictitious.

TuksUnderwaterHockey with Elrich Engelbrecht

Boitumelo Kokwe

Elrich Engelbrecht is an Underwater Hockey player, and is the coach and Coach Coordinator at TuksUnderwaterHockey. PDBY spoke to Engelbrecht about TuksUnderwaterHockey and what Underwater Hockey is.

What is TuksUnderwaterHockey about?

TuksUnderwaterHockey is a family who love water and is a sports team with people who enjoy having a good time.

What is the major difference between Underwater Hockey and other types of hockey?

The major difference between underwater hockey and other forms of hockey are that it is the only three dimensional sport in the world. Thanks to that, there are three referees in the pool court, instead of one. You can’t speak to your teammates while you are submerged and playing the game.

Needing to hold your breath while playing the game is a massive factor in Underwater Hockey.

And what is Underwater Hockey about specifically?

Underwater Hockey is played in a two to three metre-deep pool. There are two teams with ten players each - with six players per team in the court with four substitutes per team.The team is either black or white indicated by the colour of their caps and sticks.The gear worn consists of a cap, diving mask, snorkel, a glove to protect the hand, a stick [to] move the puck, a pair of fins, and a swimming costume.

What happens during a match?

A match consists of two 15 minutes halves, with a three minute break where teams change sides.At the start of the match, both teams start on the side of the pool where their respective goals are.The puck is placed in the middle of the pool and when the match starts both teams sprint for the puck.

How does a team win?

The team that scores the most goals wins. This is through scoring the puck in the opposition’s goal.

When did you start playing Underwater Hockey?

I started playing at the end of 2007. My brothers and I have always been avid swimmers so when we found out about a water sport that is also a team sport, we dived right in. We were hooked from the moment we played our first game. It has almost been 13 years and we all still love the sport.

How much have you achieved in the sport?

I have won a gold medal at the Under 19 world championshipsand had the privilege of captaining the Under 19 and 23 South African men teams in two different world championships. Earlier this year I was selected to be part of the team that would have represented South Africa at the 2020 Underwater Hockey World Championships. Last year I had the privilege of being the assistant coach of the Under 19 South African men’s team.

Would you consider yourself having reached the level you want to be in terms of Underwater Hockey?

With being selected for the men’s open SA team, I have reached the level I have always wanted to reach in my career. As a coach I would like to be the head coach for the Under 19 South African men’s team and a gold medallist coach. The biggest prize would be to win gold on Elite Level.

What tournaments are TuksUnderwaterHockey participating in at the moment?

The three major tournaments TuksUnderWater Hockey competes in are the Senior Nationals, Inter Clubs, and the Arnold Classic Games.

What is TuksUnderwaterHockey looking to achieve in the tournaments?

Tuks has been on the podium for all three tournaments for the last three years but haven’t won a gold medal. Our goal before the national lockdown was to win the Senior Nationals tournament. We are now focusing on winning Inter Clubs held at the end of the year.

Where is TuksUnderwaterHockey currently located?

TuksUnderwaterHockey is currently located at the Hillcrest Sports Campus’ swimming pool. Training times are Mondays and Thursdays starting at 19:30 and ending at 21:00 and on Saturdays from 13:00 to 15:00.

Image: Provided

Bongani’s badminton dream

Chrizaan Pretorius

Bongani van Bodenstein is 23 years old and represented South Africa for badminton in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, and was a University Sports South Africa (USSA) triple time winner for three consecutive years.

PDBY spoke to van Bodenstein about his passion for the fastest racket sport in the world (that reaches over 470 km/h in speed) and is played all year-round with no off season. Van Bodenstein told PDBY that his love for this sport derives from of his constant search for new experiences, and badminton offered him the opportunity to meet new people, while traveling across the country to compete on an elite level. Moreover, van Bodenstein added that his biggest dream is to compete at the Olympic Games and to bring back a medal for South Africa, but generally speaking it is important to build on smaller goals that will lead to the achievement of bigger goals later on. Some of these goals include to get his singles ranking to top 10 and his doubles ranking with his partner, Jason Mann, to top 3.

TuksBadminton is one of the many sports offered at UP, making it possible for various players to fulfil their ambitions by providing a foundation of community, equipment, facilities, and leadership under their manager, Ilze Wicksell. Bongani also admits that no dream goes without disappointment, stating that, “the advice I would give to any sportsman/woman is that disappointment has the power to shape you if you let it, not all failure needs to have negative residual effects. Draw motivation from that feelings you felt when you lost and work every day to rectify those mistakes in a positive and healthy way”. Given these points, van Bodenstein added that he is keeping fit during lockdown with a weekly program from their National Coach Stewart Carson and a strict diet.

By and large van Bodenstein says that for anyone eager to professionally compete on any sport level, it does not go without sacrificing certain things and requires perseverance, determination and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, comparatively adding that “[…] I really enjoy being outdoors and just spending time with friends and making them feel appreciated”. Badminton all in all is a wonderful, but physically demanding sport. It does not only challenge the mind, but also a person’s mental capacity. Van Bodenstein enjoys the challenges badminton has to offer, and enjoys competing in the unknowingly competitive sport.