Basketball is a very popular outdoor sport that is played throughout the world by number of countries. It is believed that about hundred years back a Canadian started this game to keep his students occupied. Initially, this game was played with as soccer-ball. This sport is played between two teams with five players representing each side and this played on a rectangular court. The team can win points when it shoots the ball through a hoop which is around eighteen inches in diameter and ten feet high mounted to a black-board on both ends. This sport is one of the highest viewed sports around the globe. A field goal is scored when a team-member shoots the ball through the basket during the regular play. A player fetches three points to his team if he scores from behind the three point line and points when he shoots from front of the line.
One point is scored by the team when they are awarded free throw for a foul which is committed by the opponents. It is considered as a foul when an opponent player tries to drag or lift a player’s swivel foot without dribbling the ball. The winner is of course the team who has got more points but in case of a tie, extra time decides the fate of both the teams. Different techniques like shooting, passing and dribbling are applied by the players. The tallest and strongest persons of a team are called a centre or power forward. The small forward are the ones who are shorter but at the same time are nimble-footed. The shortest players of the team possessing very good ball-handling skills are called point guard or shooting guard. Basket ball was originally brown in color but later orange-colored balls were introduced to make them more visible to both the players and the spectators. As the shape of ball continued improving dribbling became a major part and parcel of the game. The IBA or the International basket ball federation was constituted by eight different nations.
The first FIBA world cup was held between October twenty-second and November third in Argentina in the year 1950 wherein ten teams participated which was won by the host nation beating the United States of America 64-50. In twenty-first century the Asian countries started to show their strength in basketball. As a matter of fact, the 2006 FIBA world cup was held in Japan wherein twenty-four teams participated that was played in five different stadiums with Yao Ming being the top-scorer. This edition of FIBA world cup was won by Spain who in spite of losing one of their key players hardly gave the Greece any opportunity in the final. The 2010 FIBA world cup which was played in Turkey had twenty-four teams taking part in it.
USA has expected won the cup beating the host 81-64. The 2014 FIBA world cup the USA successfully defended their title in a one-sided affair with Serbia that was played in Spain. This was the USA’s fifth word cup win thus putting them even with the erstwhile Yugoslavians. The world is eagerly waiting for the 2019 edition to be held in on the countries in Asia.
September 8, 2024
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