Tug-of-war teams mean business
15 July 2005
South Africa's men's and women's tug-of-war teams are reportedly in excellent shape for the 2005 World Games, a unique international event featuring non-Olympic sports.
The 2005 World Games, the seventh since the inception of the Games in 1981, is being held in the four German cities of Duisburg, Bottrop, Oberhausen and Mülheim from 14 to 24 July.
SA tug-of-war team manager Victor Mathale says the teams have been acquitting themselves against traditional powerhouses Great Britain and the Netherlands.
"Tug of war is a rapidly growing sport, and we have an extremely strong base from which to pick our teams," Mathale said.
The pulling in men's and women's divisions is classified according to the combined total body weight of eight athletes on the team.
The teams are captained by the lead person, who is first in line. The anchor is the last man or woman, who may wrap the rope around his or her body once.
The highlight of outdoor tug-of-war is the clash of sheer power between the opposing teams. Athletes seek an optimal foothold in the ground by digging in their heels and using that as a pivot.
Indoor matches require more complex techniques and tactics as the athletes try to steadily move back - step by step - to avoid loss of pulling power.
The team pulling the centre of the rope four metres from the starting position is declared the winner.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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