Jamaica Sports

Jamaica sports have always had an important place in the hearts of the people of the island. It has always been an important part of their history and it continues to be an important thing today. Jamaican sports are many and varied.

While cricket is a game that is generally thought of to be an English sport, England is not where it originated.

Believe it or not, cricket was first played in Jamaica and it was one of the Jamaica sports played by the upper classes. This was considered to be a game that was not played for the mass crowds, as it was more reserved for the people of higher class.

Many people knew the sport to be one that exemplified English poise. Over the years though, cricket did expand and reached all kinds of Jamaican social backgrounds. Today, it is a great sport and one that is truly thriving all through the West Indies.

Jamaica sports have expanded into the Olympics and this is probably due to the Jamaican competitive side and the fact that many Jamaican Athletes go for advanced coaching in the U.S. With such a drive to succeed, it is no wonder that Jamaica has taken home many medals in the competition of track and participated in various other events such as the bobsled.

Bobsledding of course is the one Olympic sport that Jamaica took by storm, even though their island does not have any snow for practicing. There was even a movie called Cool Runnings that was inspired by the Jamaican bobsled teams. If you have the time, you might want to check out the movie.

While some might think that the Jamaica sports list stops with the bobsledding, it certain does not. There are many more sports that have become very popular in Jamaica over the years. Horse Racing is one of those sports, especially at the Caymanas Park Race Track, which is found near Kingston.

While not as widely popular as Jamaica sports such as football (soccer!) or cricket, golf and tennis are played by many people as well. Generally though, it is the wealthy and the tourists that play the golf and tennis: not that this is a rule but the cost of playing golf or tennis is prohibitive for many local Jamaicans.

Basketball is another sport in Jamaica that is quickly gaining popularity points. While the Chinese population of Jamaica played the game, the rest of the population in Jamaica did not really find much interest in the game until the 1960s.

As you can see, Jamaica is about much more than just some fun in the sand. There is a lot that is offered on this beautiful island. If, while vacationing, you feel like playing some sports, it should not be hard to find something to do. After all, Jamaica sports seem to be on the rise, more and more each year...and with Mr Bolt heading the parade who knows where it will end!

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