My thoughts on the Olympics

[mongolianarcher]

As I watch the Olympics I consider why we have it. It binds the world in an international state of fellowship united in the desire for excellence. It also allows for the world to display its unique cultural traditions and heritages concerning sports. Horseback archery being a unique sport of the heritage of the Islamic nations as a whole, even passing through the Middle East all the way to the steppes of Russia, Mongolia, and to the island nation of Japan, ought to be recognized as vital as any other sport practiced. The tradition of horseback archery deserves to be put alongside the ancient disciplines displayed every Olympiad.
In order for it to be recognized though, it needs to become well established. Golf was a sport of gentleman, it is one of the most lucrative and affluent sports in the world now, yet even simple folk can access it. Therefore, I think that in order for the horseback archery traditions to be reestablished in this modern world, we ought to not just have the occasional enthusiast, hobbiest, or craftsman to be dedicated to the art, but the Kings and Emirates of the East, the country clubs of the West, and the equestrians of the world to become drawn to it. This would ensure the sport's vitality and longevity. Then, it would be able to become immortalized in the Olympics.

[Dan]

Much as I would love to see horseback archery in the Olympics, it's not going to happen. Lacrosse have been trying for years. That's a religious rite as well as a sport, it's part of the heritage of the Native Americans and there are far more people playing it than there are horseback archers.

Horseback archery being a unique sport of the heritage of the Islamic nations as a whole, even passing through the Middle East all the way to the steppes of Russia, Mongolia, and to the island nation of Japan, ought to be recognized as vital as any other sport practiced.

Maybe I'm misreading this, but horseback archery did not originate with Islamic nations. It had been used to devastating effect at least 1,000 years before the Muslims started using it. They also are not responsible for taking it to Japan. It had been used there for a couple of centuries before Islam came into existence.

[Justin Ma]

Maybe I'm misreading this, but horseback archery did not originate with Islamic nations. It had been used to devastating effect at least 1,000 years before the Muslims started using it. They also are not responsible for taking it to Japan. It had been used there for a couple of centuries before Islam came into existence.

The Chinese started to adopt horseback archery in 307 BC (with the king of the state of Zhao issuing his military reforms during the Warring States period). But this was in response to the Xiongnu, a nomad people living next to China who had been doing mounted archery long before then. Still, this is several centuries before the creation of Islam.

That said, there are earlier depictions of mounted archers originating from the Middle East (which wasn't Islamic at the time), so someone familiar with Middle Eastern archery history would be in a better position to comment. (*ahem ahem* Bede *ahem ahem*).

[Dan]

But this was in response to the Xiongnu, a nomad people living next to China who had been doing mounted archery long before then. Still, this is several centuries before the creation of Islam.

Were they the ones who are believed to be the Huns in early form?

[Justin Ma]

The Xiongnu were a nomadic confederation, but there's some disagreement about their ethnic identity (as well as whether they were the direct predecessors of the Huns).