Current Affairs MCQs – Page 39 (Q381-390)

A professional championship boxing bout traditionally consists of 12 rounds, a standard reduced from the previous 15-round format in the 1980s following growing concerns about fighter safety after a series of ring fatalities. Each round typically lasts three minutes, separated by a one-minute rest period between rounds. Fifteen, twenty and ten are tempting distractors, with fifteen rounds specifically being the older standard used before the safety-driven change. World title bouts are usually decided by referee stoppage, knockout, or a scorecard decision if both fighters go the full distance.

The official distance of a marathon race is 42.195 kilometres, or 26.2 miles, a figure standardized at the 1908 London Olympics to allow the course to start at Windsor Castle and finish in front of the royal box in the stadium. Before this standardization, marathon distances varied somewhat between different competitions. 43.195, 40.195 and 41.195 kilometres are close numerical distractors designed to test precise knowledge of the exact figure. The marathon remains one of the most prestigious and physically demanding events in both the Olympic Games and major city races like Boston, London and New York.

The marathon race distance commemorates the legendary run of a Greek messenger named Pheidippides, who according to legend ran from the site of the Battle of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce a Greek victory over the invading Persian army, before collapsing and dying from exhaustion. The modern marathon was introduced as an event at the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, deliberately honoring this ancient Greek legend. Battle of Plataea, Battle of Thermopylae and Battle of Salamis are tempting distractors, as each was another significant battle in the Greco-Persian Wars but is not linked to the marathon's namesake. The exact historical accuracy of the Pheidippides legend has long been debated by historians.

James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical education instructor, is credited with inventing the sport of basketball in 1891 while working at a YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. He designed the game as an indoor activity to keep athletes active and engaged during the harsh New England winter months, originally using peach baskets as goals. Abner Doubleday, William G. Morgan and Walter Camp are tempting distractors, as each is credited with contributions to other American sports, baseball, volleyball and American football respectively. Basketball has since grown into one of the most popular sports in the world, headlined by leagues such as the NBA.

Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian-American physical educator James Naismith, who created the game at a YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts, to keep athletes fit during winter. He wrote the original 13 rules of the game, several of which remain fundamental to basketball today. 1901, 1911 and 1881 are close numerical distractors designed to test precise knowledge of the actual founding year. Basketball became an official Olympic sport for men at the 1936 Berlin Games and for women at the 1976 Montreal Games.

William G. Morgan, an American physical education instructor, is credited with inventing volleyball in 1895 at a YMCA in Holyoke, Massachusetts, designing it as a less physically demanding alternative to basketball for older members. He originally called the game Mintonette before it was renamed volleyball, reflecting the volleying action central to the sport. Walter Camp, James Naismith and George Hancock are tempting distractors, as each is instead credited with contributions to American football, basketball and softball respectively. Volleyball became an official Olympic sport in 1964 and remains especially popular in countries such as Brazil, Italy and the United States.

The modern form of badminton was developed in the 19th century primarily in England, evolving from an older children's game called battledore and shuttlecock, with the sport taking its current name from Badminton House, an English country estate where it was popularized. The Badminton Association of England, founded in 1893, helped formalize the sport's rules. China, Malaysia and India are tempting distractors, as each later became a dominant international badminton power, particularly China in the modern era. Badminton became an official Olympic sport at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Chess is often called the king of games, reflecting its long history, deep strategic complexity and enduring global popularity across cultures and eras. The game is believed to have originated in India around the 6th century AD before spreading through Persia and eventually across the Islamic world into Europe. Backgammon, checkers and carrom are tempting distractors, as each is also a historic strategy board game but lacks chess's reputation as the king of games. The World Chess Championship, first formally contested in 1886, remains one of the most prestigious individual titles in the game.

Greece is regarded as the birthplace of the Olympic Games, with the ancient Games first held at Olympia in 776 BC as a religious festival in honor of Zeus. The modern Olympics, revived by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894, deliberately began in Athens in 1896 to honor this ancient Greek heritage. France, Egypt and Italy are tempting distractors, with France notably being Coubertin's home country, though the Games' actual birthplace remains Greece. Greece has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1896 and again in 2004, both times in Athens.

Until 1970, the winning nation of the FIFA World Cup was awarded a trophy named the Jules Rimet Trophy, honoring the Frenchman who served as FIFA president and was instrumental in creating the World Cup itself in 1930. Brazil was permitted to keep the trophy permanently after winning its third title in 1970, per the rules of the era, prompting FIFA to commission a new trophy for future tournaments. Joao Havelange, Stanley Rous and Sepp Blatter are tempting distractors, as each also served as a prominent FIFA president at different points in the organization's history. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was later stolen from a Brazilian football federation display case in 1983 and has never been recovered.