A tournament is a competition where players or teams compete against each other, and the winner of such a competition is decided based on certain rules and regulations. Do you know the types and events of tournaments that happen and will happen for years around the world? This article will tell you the types of tournaments that happen around the world.
14 Types Of Tournaments That You Might Not Know
The types of tournaments depend on the type of game or sport you are looking at. The history of sports begins with men competing against each other in physical contests. The goal was to defeat an opponent, not some sort of mystical beast or monster from some lore.
In some cases, the rite of passage forsook the defeat of an opponent and used some sort of physical obstacle that men had to overcome.
Tournaments are divided into two types
- Individual Tournaments
- Team Tournaments
A. Individual Tournaments
Individual team tournaments are where one player is up against another in an attempt to defeat them. These can be individual sports or team sports, but it still comes down to individuals competing against each other. The most common tournament types are discussed below.
1. Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are a major international multi-sport event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating.
History
The Olympic Games is an international multi-sport event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic games are considered to be the world’s foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart.
The Ancient Olympic Games were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. The competition was among representatives of several city-states and kingdoms of Ancient Greece. These Games featured mainly athletic but also combat sports such as wrestling and the pankration and chariot racing events.
List Of Olympic Events
- Golf
- Boxing
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
- Archery
- Canoeing-kayaking
- Cycling
- Field Hockey
- Football (Soccer)
- Gymnastics-artistic
- Judo
- Modern Pentathlon
- Rowing-crew
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Softball-baseball
- Table tennis
- Tennis
- Triathlon
- Volleyball-beach volleyball
- Water polo
- Weightlifting
List Of Athletes With Most World Olympic Medals Won
- Mark Spitz (USA) – 9 Gold Medals
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 9 Gold Medals
- Michael Phelps (USA) – 8 Gold Medals
- Paavo Nurmi (Finland) – 6 Gold Medals
- Allan Wells (Great Britain) – 4 Gold Medals
- Leroy Burrell (USA) – 4 Gold Medals
- Benny Leonard (USA) – 3 Gold Medals
- Alberto Juantorena (Cuba) – 3 Gold Medals
- Ye Shiwen (China) – 2 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – 2 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal
2. World Championships
World Championships are the second most prestigious league of track and field competitions, after Olympics Games. The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) holds these championships every two years. Athletes from more than 120 countries participate in these championships. These championships are divided into outdoor and indoor.
History
The first world championship for track and field was held in 1983 on the occasion of the first World Championships in Athletics which were retroactively termed the 1983 World Championships in Athletics. Since then, two types of championships have been held:
List Of Athletes With Most World Championship Medals Won
- Michael Phelps (USA) – 23 Gold Medals
- Allyson Felix (USA) – 18 Gold Medals
- Bryan Clay (USA) – 16 Gold Medals
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 10 Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal.
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – 8 Gold Medals and 1 Bronze Medal
3. Grand Prix Series
It is the Grand Prix series of athletics which is composed of 14 international meetings. It includes the most prestigious track and field competitions like World Athletics Championships, IAAF Diamond League, European Athletics Championships, etc.
History
It was first started in 1998 and it is also known as IAAF Athletics World Cup. Since 2000, a total of 24 athletics meetings have been part of this series. Each year after the end of outdoor track and field season, a meeting takes place which offers athletes extra competition during the autumn. The first meeting of this series was held in 1998 and the last one took place in 2014.
List Of Athletes With Most Grand Prix Series Medals Won
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 11 Gold Medals
- Michael Johnson (USA) and Maurice Greene (USA) – 8 Gold Medals.
- Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa)- 6 Gold Medals
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica) and Veronica Campbell-Brown(Jamaica) – 5 Gold Medals each.
4. Diamond League
Diamond League was created by Sebastian Coe as an attempt to bring back the spark and interest in track and field. The diamond league is a series of 14 international meetings which take place throughout the year from May to September, culminating with the World Athletics Championships in October/November.
The name of the series Diamond League has been derived from sponsorship. The last meeting is known as the ‘breeders’ cup’.
List Of Athletes With Most Diamond League Medals Won
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 9 Gold Medals
- Linford Christie (UK) and Sally Gunnell (UK) – 6 Gold Medals
5. National Championships
This championship is conducted by national athletics federations of respective countries in which athletes of member federations compete for national titles.
History
The first national championship was held in New Zealand. The first American Athletics Championships was also held in 1880.
List Of Athletes With Most National Championships Medals Won
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 9 Gold Medals
- Michael Johnson (USA) 6 Gold Medals
6. International Meetings
International Meeting is also referred to as non-regular meeting, i.e., it is not part of Diamond League or Grand Prix Series, etc. These meetings are organized by different athletics organizations like IAAF, European Athletics, +, etc.
List Of Athletes With Most International Meeting Medals Won
- Michael Johnson (USA) – 5 Gold Medals
- Carl Lewis (USA) and Maurice Greene (USA) – 4 Gold Medals.
- Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa)- 3 Gold Medals.
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) – 2 Gold Medals each.
7. Invitational Meetings
An invitational meeting is a competition in which participants (athletes) are invited by organizers to compete against each other. This type of meeting usually brings the best athletes from different countries, and it allows them to compete with other world-class athletes in their own country or elsewhere in the world.
List Of Athletes With Most Invitational Meetings Medals Won
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica) – 13 Gold Medals.
- Michael Johnson (USA) and Carl Lewis (USA)-12 Gold Medals each.
- Cathy Freeman (Australia) – 11 Gold Medals.
- Sanya Richards-Ross (USA) – 10 Gold Medals.
- Heike Drechsler (Germany) – 9 Gold Medals.
B. Team Tournaments
These are the tournaments in which teams compete against each other to win the trophy, cup or medal, etc. There are different competitions like cricket, soccer, rugby, tennis, etc. in which different teams participate.
8. World Championships
World Cup of Cricket is the most important international cricket competition held by ICC (International Cricket Council) every four years. It involves national teams of Test-playing nations and associate members who complete in a group stage followed by a knock-out system to determine the ultimate winner.
Similarly, FIFA World Cup is the international football competition involving national teams of member countries held every four years by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). In the soccer world cup, 32 national teams compete for the title by playing a total of 64 matches in a group stage followed by a knock-out system.
List Of World Championships Events
- Cricket- ICC Cricket World Cup
- Football- FIFA Football World Cup
- Rugby League or Union- Rugby League World Cup or Rugby Union Six Nations Championship
- Tennis- Davis Cup. Fed cup, WTA Tour Championships, etc.
- Badminton- Uber cup, Sudirman Cup
- Volleyball- Volleyball World Championship
- Tug of War International Federation Tug of War World Championship
- Athletics- IAAF World Championships in Athletics
- Golf- Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, Presidents Cup
- Motor Sports- Formula One Drivers’ World Championship, FIA Formula E Championship, World Rally Championship, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
List Of Athletes With Most World Championship Athletic Medals Won
- Usain Bolt (Jamaica)- 11 Gold Medals.
- Allyson Felix (USA) and Merlene Ottey (Jamaica) – 10 Gold Medals each.
- Carl Lewis (USA) – 9 Gold Medals.
- Elijah Manangoi (Kenya), Michael Johnson (USA), Usain Bolt (Jamaica), Maurice Greene (USA) – 8 Gold Medals each.
9. Rugby League Or Union Tri-Nations
Rugby Union is an oval ball game played between two teams of fifteen players each to score more points through tries, conversions, penalty goals, and drop goals. The competition involving major rugby-playing nations is held every four years by IRB (international Rugby Board). A series of three matches are played between two of the following teams: New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
History
First Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954. Since then, it is being held every four years in different countries. Australia, New Zealand, and England have won the most titles so far.
List Of Rugby League Events
- World Cup- Rugby League World Cup
- Tri-Nations- Tri-Nations Series
- Four Nations- Four Nations Tournament
- Bledisloe Cup- Bledisloe Cup
- Carnival Trophy- Carnival Trophy is an annual rugby union tournament held in Hong Kong between national teams from Asia and Europe.
- GFI- GFI HKFC Tens, a 10-a-side rugby union invitational tournament held in Hong Kong
List Of Athletes With Most Rugby League Medals Won
- Bryan Habana (South Africa) – 17 Medals
- Julian Savea (New Zealand)- 14 medals
- Colin Meads (New Zealand)- 13 Medals
- David Campese (Australia)- 12 Medals
10. Formula One Grand Prix Series
It is a motor racing championship in which teams and drivers compete in the race with Grand Prix cars on tracks around the world. This series is held every year by FIA (Fédération Internationale de automobile).
List Of Formula One Grand Prix Series Events
- Australian Grand Prix
- Malaysian Grand Prix
- Bahrain Grand Prix
- Chinese Grand Prix
- Spanish Grand Prix
- Monaco Grand Prix (Formula One)
- Canadian Grand Prix (Formula One)
- Azerbaijan Formula One GPI: Baku City Circuit, LLC. European Grand Prix (Formula One)
- Austrian Grand Prix
- British Grand Prix (Formula One)
- German Grand Prix
- Hungarian Grand Prix
- Italian Grand Prix (Formula One)
- Singaporean Grand Prix. Malaysian Formula One GP II: Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. Japanese Grand Prix. Russian Grand Prix
- United States Grand Prix (Formula One)
- Mexican Grand Prix
- Brazilian Grand Prix. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. JSC «Aeroflot» Russian Grand Prix: Sochi Autodrom
List Of Athletes With Most Motor Racing Medals Won
- Michael Schumacher (Germany)- 7 titles
- Alberto Ascari (Italy)- 5 titles
- Juan Manuel Fangio (Argentina) and Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) – 4 each.
11. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
NASCAR is the most popular motor racing circuit in the USA and Canada consisting of over 1000 races at 100 tracks across the USA, Canada, and Mexico. It involves drivers competing with stock cars (modified production vehicles) on oval tracks for a season which culminates into play-offs to determine the champion.
List Of Athletes With Most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Won
- Richard Petty (USA)- 7 titles
- Dale Earnhardt (USA) – 7 titles
- David Pearson (USA) and Jimmie Johnson (USA)- 5 each.
12. National Hockey League
National Hockey League is the premier ice hockey league in North America comprising teams from USA and Canada playing matches every year to determine the national champion. The use of Equipotentiary for sports is not used in any other sport, but it can be used for choosing an all-star team made up of players from different teams.
A more recent form of the tournament found in sports is the Tournament Of Champions, which was first introduced by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) in 1990. It brings together all past singles winners on certain tours during a calendar year to compete for the most prestigious title in tennis, the ATP World Tour Finals. It is held at the O2 arena in London, England.
History
The World Series by Renault introduced the concept of a “Roadshow” format in which the 16 season-tickets holders from across Europe were invited to attend all rounds of the series. In 2004, the FIFA International Soccer Tournaments gave birth to Club World Cup following a request from FIFA members for a trophy other than their continental tournaments.
The clubs that participate in Club World Cup are amateur and professional.
List Of National Hockey League Events
- NHL All-Star Game
- NHL Entry Draft
- Rivalry Night (x2)
- Saturday Night Hockey (x4)
- Hockey Day in America (x2)
- Stadium Series (x3) – the latest addition in the NHL is Stadium Series which will be held in 2014 in baseball stadiums.
List Of Athletes With Most National Hockey League Wins
- Wayne Gretzky (Canada) – 9 titles
- Mark Messier (Canada) and Gordie Howe (USA)- 6 each.
13. Invitational Meetings
Invitational meetings are held in athletics and cycling among other sports, for athletes whose records made them eligible to compete. It is an event that meets the eligibility criteria of the IAAF World Athletics Championships or the UCI Road Cycling World Championships.
These events do not carry any significant level of importance but are used to give athletes who cannot compete in the main world championships because of age, or other reasons, an opportunity to race.
List Of Invitational Meetings Events
- World Athletics Final* (Athletics)
- World Cycling Championships for the Disabled (Cycling)
- Paralympic Athletic Meetings (Athletics)
- Paralympic Track and Field Games (Athletics)
- Invictus Games (Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis, Wheelchair Basketball, Sitting Volleyball)
List Of Athletes With Most Invitational Meetings Won
- Tanni Grey-Thompson (Great Britain)- 11 titles
- David Weir (Great Britain), Chantal Petit Clerc (Canada) – 10 each
14. Mixed Martial Arts
MMA is a contact combat sport that permits striking and grappling techniques making use of both traditional martial arts and modern fighting systems. The first mixed martial arts event was held on October 11, 1993, at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado.
History
Atari 2600 games played a role in popularizing chess boxing between 2006 and 2007. World Chess Boxing Organization was founded during those years as well. In 2008 Miyamoto Suzuki won the first official chess boxing world championship.
List of Mixed Martial Arts Events
- UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship)
- Bellator MMA
- Dream
List Of Athletes With Most Titles In Mixed Martial Arts
- Dan Henderson- 4 titles in PrideFC and UFC. Tito Ortiz- 2 titles in UFC, one in Strikeforce, and 1 in Bellator
- Fedor Emelianenko- 2 titles in PrideFC, one in Strikeforce, and 1 in Bellator. Georges St-Pierre – 3 titles in UFC
Types Of Tournaments – Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many types of tournaments in sports today. As one can see, I included both individual and team tournaments, as well as invitational meetings for athletes that do not compete in the main world championships.
In addition to this, I included information about the Paralympics which is only attended by disabled or handicapped individuals. The list also includes mixed martial arts competitions or events and will include any other sports that I recognize in the future.
References
- https://www.roadtrips.com/blog/best-soccer-tournaments/
- https://bleacherreport.com/articles/555091-top-5-tournaments
- https://www.topendsports.com/events/sport-events.htm
Hello, I am Aatka Azhar. I have done bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Writing articles is my passion through which I explore so many things. So, I am using my passion by working here and it will be the source of knowledge for the readers.