Where does Wimbledon rank among the oldest sports events in the world?

The history of sport dates back to ancient times. The oldest sports in the world are supposed to be running and wrestling, something that people still take part in even now. Even the early man knew that playing various types of sports kept him strong and fit, and the trend continues till date.With different kinds of sports getting popular around the world with time, sports events started taking place. Athletes from all over the land used to compete with each other to win these events and be adjudged as the best player or athlete of the event.The history of sports trophies dates back to the mid 18th century. Before trophies, winners were given cash or land. Let us now look at the 10 oldest sports events around the world, and the trophies given to the winners participating in these tournaments.

#10 The Challenge Cup (1896)

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious titles in the world of rugby. It has been held every year since its inception in 1896, except for the duration of World War I and the 1939-40 season. The trophy is made of solid silver and stands at 36 inches high. The winners of the trophy are supposed to follow a certain code of conduct.

The trophy is supposed to be kept in the presence of someone when not kept in a secured cabinet. It even had its own seat on a plane when it was transported to France for some publicity work. The final of the Challenge Cup is usually held in Wembley Stadium. Wigan are the most successful team in the history of the competition, winning it a record 19 times.

#9 The Stanley Cup (1893)

The Stanley Cup is one of the oldest sports trophies in the world, and is awarded to the winner of the National Hockey League. The first cup was awarded in the year 1893 to Montreal HC. The names of the winning players, coaches, and staff are engraved in the chalice of the cup.

In 1958, the trophy was redesigned. It was made into a one piece cup with five-band barrel, each containing 13 winning teams per band. The trophy is usually referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley’s Cup, The Holy Grail, or as Lord Stanley’s Mug. The current Stanley Cup is made of silver and nickel alloy. The Montreal Canadiens hold the record of winning the trophy the maximum number of times. They have won the trophy 24 times, and were the most recent Canadian-based team to win the trophy.

#8 The Ashes Urn (1882-83)

Ashes urn

The Ashes is considered to be the oldest cricket series in the world. It has been played between Australia and England right since 1882. The Ashes Urn is the oldest cricket trophy in the world.

The urn is made up of terracotta, and is 6 inches high. The contents of the urn are still a mystery. Some say it contains the ashes of a cricket ball, some say it contains the ashes of a burnt bail, used during the first Ashes series. The Ashes Urn can be seen at the cricket museum in Lord’s, along with the scorecard of the 1882 match. Australia has won the Ashes series 32 times.

#7 Calcutta Cup (1879)

The Calcutta Cup is the oldest and most prestigious trophy given in the sport of rugby in the world. It is awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It currently belongs to England, since the 2009 Six Nations Championship.

In 1878, the Calcutta Rugby Football club closed down. As a result, the club withdrew the remaining funds and 270 silver coins worth 60 pounds were melted down and given the form of the trophy. The cup was first competed for in 1879. The cup is of Indian workmanship, having designs of cobras and an elephant on it. England have won the trophy the most number of times.

#6 The Wimbledon (1877)

The Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It is the most prestigious and important competition in the world of tennis. Players work really hard and fight tooth and nail to emerge victorious and to have have their names written down in history books.

It is the only Grand Slam tournament to be played on grass turf. The tournament was held for the first time in 1877. It took place at the All England Corquet and Lawn Tennis Club, London. The winner of the first title was given a silver cup worth 25 guineas and a prize money of 12 guineas.

Spencer Gore was the first winner of the Wimbledon title. The current Wimbledon men’s Champion is Novak Djokovic and the women’s Champion is Petra Kvitova.

#5 The Scottish Cup (1873-74)

The Scottish Cup, also known as the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, is one of the oldest tournaments in football. It is an annual association football knockout tournament for men’s football clubs in Scotland.

The competition was first held in 1873-74. It is the oldest national trophy in the world. Queen's Park was the first team to win the title in 1874. Around 90 teams participate in the tournament, with every team trying its best to perform well and go on to win the prestigious title.

Celtic is the most successful club, having won the tournament a record 36 times. The current holder of the title is Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

#4 Claret Jug (1872)

The Claret Jug

Claret Jug is the oldest golf trophy in the world. The Claret Jug is presented to the winner of The Open Championship, one of the four Major championships in golf.

The trophy was first awarded in 1872, when a new trophy was needed after Tom Morris Jr. had won the original Challenge Belt in 1870 by winning the Championship three years in a row. He won the Championship for the fourth time in 1872, but the trophy wasn’t ready to be presented to him yet, even though his name was engraved in it.

Tom Kidd was the first actual winner to have been awarded the Jug, when he won the Championship in 1873.

#3 FA Cup (1871-72)

The Football Association Challenge Cup, also known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout competition in English football. It is considered to be the oldest association football competition in the world. The trophy is organised by the Football Association, and is also named after it. A women’s tournament is also held, and goes by the name of FA Women’s Cup.

The competition was held for the first time in 1871-72. At that time, only 15 teams registered for the tournament, with 12 actually competing for the title. The winners of the first FA Cup were the Wanderers. Arsenal, the current champions, have won the cup a record 12 times.

#2 The America\'s Cup (1851)

The America’s Cup, also known as the “Auld Mug” is awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two sailing yatchs. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yatch club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging for the cup.

It is called America’s Cup because ‘‘America”, a 100 foot yatch from New York, was the winner of the first trophy in 1851. The New York Yatch Club has won the title 25 times. The most recent winners are the Golden Gate Yatch Club. It is said to be the oldest international sporting trophy.

#1 Scorton Silver Arrow (1673)

Scorton Silver Arrow

The Scorton Silver Arrow is an archery tournament that was first organized in the village of Scorton in Yorkshire, England in the year 1673. The first tournament had 22 participants competing to win a silver arrow. The event proved so successful that a new organisation, the Society of Archers, was formed to hold the event on an annual basis.

Participants shoot at targets at a range of 100 yards. The target face is a standard four-foot (122 cm) five-colour face, with the addition of a three-inch black spot at the centre. The winner is the first person to hit the black spot. The winner is appointed Captain of the Arrow. The winner is presented with a replica of the original silver arrow, which he keeps for a year.

The original silver arrow is kept in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds.

Edited by Staff Editor