Review of Historical, Geographical and Vocational Influences on the Selected Indigenous African Sports: The Challenges for the Sports Scientists

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.This paper evaluated and reviewed selected indigenous African sports of physical skills, their socio-cultural and the historical similarities. Attempt was made to channel a course for the sports scientists towards the development and growth of traditional African sports. This was a historical research with literature review of historical, anthropological, and sports texts, journals and published proceedings of sports events in Africa. The findings revealed similarities in the historical background of the Africans, despite the diversity of the ethnicity in the continent. Also revealed were similarities in vocations, cultures, environment and the indigenous sports of physical skills amongst Africans. Materials reviewed revealed that the sports scientists were not involved in the scientific development of indigenous African sports of physical skills. The African sports scientists and administrators should strive to identify what is beneficial and entertaining and sieve this from what is hazardous and still attempt to maintain the cultural heritage of the Africans.本文旨在探討南非的歷史背境、地理環境及職業文化等社會元素對本土運動發展的影嚮，並試從運動科研的層面，分析各種因素。初步資料顯示出運動科研參與本土運動的發展不高，本文作者又倡議當地運動政策主管人，應該尋找出一套有利發展本土運動的方案。