Aside from the games that seek to mimic Olympic sports, what if there were Olympic Games that included only tabletop sports? What would it look like? Events must be widely practiced around the world (officially, no fewer than 75 countries by men and 40 for women) and require a governing body. There is also a ban on pure mind games, so an element of dexterity has to be involved. This means chess — although recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee — doesn’t get a look in.
So, what games would be left if Tabletop Olympics ever went from theory to reality under these criteria?
Air hockey: Played with paddles and pucks on a smooth playing surface, competitive air hockey — generally played on an 8-foot table — is an intense sport of quick-thinking and reflexes.
Carrom: Hugely popular in South Asia, and picking up elsewhere, Carrom deploys flicking techniques to pot wooden discs. Its governing body, the International Carrom Federation, was founded in 1988.
This story is from the Winter 2022 edition of Casual Game Insider.
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This story is from the Winter 2022 edition of Casual Game Insider.
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