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Britain becomes first country to recognize 'parkour' as sport
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Parkour, also called freerunning, originated in France in the 1980s (Shutterstock/File)
B
ritain has become the first country to formally recognize “parkour” as a sport following approval from four home country sports councils.
Parkour, also called freerunning, originated in France in the 1980s, where it was initially referred to as “art du deplacement”. Later on, it became known as “parcours”, which means course or route in French. The new sport involves negotiating terrain through natural body strength, mainly via running, jumping and climbing on buildings and surroundings.
"This is brilliant recognition for a discipline that started off as child's play with my friends almost 30 years ago," said Sebastien Foucan, the president of Parkour UK, as quoted by Reuters.
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The recognition of the sport by Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales and Sport Northern Ireland means that Parkour UK gets an official governing body and is authorized to appeal for lottery and state funding for its development.
“There are a number of benefits that come out of it, but the biggest thing for us is how it will give the public an understanding of what parkour is and what benefits it has," said Eugene Minogue, the chief executive of Parkour UK.
Tracey Couch, the British sports minister, is also fond of parkour. She has said she would like people to expose themselves to sports and physical activities that they are truly passionate about.
She believes that “parkour is certainly a fun, creative and innovative option.”
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Even though anti-social behavior such as trespassing and damage to property has been linked to parkour, the recognized version of the sport is more refined and secure.
Minogue further claims that “parkour is now in the vast majority of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities all over the UK." (nik/kes)
