TRCYW Maathi Yosi Report 2019 | Page 46

SPORTS AND WELLNESS Issue 8: Popular sports & considerations Based on the initial ground survey which was conducted prior to the seminar, the following 5 sporting activities were reflected to be the most popular among Tamil youth: • • • • • Badminton Swimming Frisbee Dodgeball Basketball Similarly, the seminar participants were prompted to reflect on what they felt were the most popular sports and it came as a surprise to them that soccer was not part of the aforementioned top 5. One of the participants noted that soccer might be a sport that is enjoyed by the masses but this does not necessarily mean they would actively play it. Participants went on to mention possible considerations that make a particular sporting activity attractive or popular, that centred around 3 main themes: accessibility, cost and social networks. Participants were more willing to take up a sport if there was a low amount of equipment or logistics involved, and consequently a low cost as well. High accessibility to facilities was also deemed as a contributing factor to low cost, where participants drew the comparison between paying a booking fee for a badminton court compared to playing at a park for free. It was also found that having rules that are flexible or non-stringent had a psychological impact on people, as it made them feel less pressured to perform well. Maathi Yosi | 2019 45