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Thursday, 03 April 2008 |
The medieval game of stoolball officially recognised as a sport
A medieval game known as stoolball, which is a forerunner of cricket, has been officially declared a sport.
Stoolball, which is almost exclusively played in the South East of the UK and is currently played by as many as 4,000 people in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire, has been recognised by the Sports Council as meeting the requirements of its guidelines on what a sport should be.
Stoolball is played using a round willow bat and wickets made of wooden boards on stakes.
The National Stoolball Association is delighted with the news and hopes that many more people will discover the joys of playing stoolball.
National Stoolball Association chairman John Price is reported to have said: "We are delighted with our new status which is the result of six years of hard work and lobbying."
Stoolball is thought to date back to the 14th century when it would have been played during religious festivals.
Records show that stoolball was once played in colonial Boston in North America too, and in recent times stoolball has even made its introduction into a school in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 07 April 2008 )
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