Did The Olympic Games Start In Africa?

harrison dillard in the hurdles in the olympics
Via Gary Stock Bridge 617
Adé Hennis
August 12, 2024

Sort of. Although the Olympic Games started in ancient Greece, many of the sports that are represented in today’s Games originated in Africa.

#1: Fencing: The walls of ancient Egyptian temples feature hieroglyphics of stick fighting, which evolved into sword fighting and then fencing. Dating back at least 2000 years, stick fighting was more of a game than a fight.

#2: Boxing (Striking): Starting around the 10th century, the Hausa people of Nigeria had their own striking sport, known as Dambe (pronounced dum-bay). Fighters wrapped their punching arm with rope and delivered powerful blows and kicks until one of them fell to the ground. Dambe was originally a test of bravery.

#3: Archery: Nearly 64,000 years ago South African tribes became skilled archers. Archery was also popular in regions of central west Africa, including Benin. This African nation is credited with the ekpede, a type of crossbow that warriors used before the introduction of European firearms.

Many sports played in today’s modern Olympic Games wouldn’t be there without the contribution of Africans in making them popular. Centuries later, our people dominate these events and everything else.

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