There is a novel sport in town! For individuals who do not have a passion for existing sports such as football, Rugby and athletics, perhaps tree hugging competition is for you.
Tree hugging competition is a relatively new sport, particularly in Africa. Many people in the continent are not even aware of the existence of this sport.
The competition has three popular categories that include speed hugging, dedication hugging and lifestyle hugging.
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Speed hugging is where a participant has to hug as many trees as possible in one minute in order to be declared the winner. The category requires a competitor to only hug one tree in less than five seconds.
The second category is dedication hugging. In this category, individuals who compete have to show passion, respect, intention and emotion when hugging a tree in order to be declared the winner.
Freestyle hugging is the final category and it involves a lot of creativity. Competitors have to come up with creative and unique ways of hugging trees. They decide for themselves the types of tree they would like to hug.
However, the competition rules require them only hug a single tree, whether small or big in sixty seconds. For example, a competitor can hug a tree with his legs while others can decide to hug it while facing backwards.
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Only seven nations took part in the second tree hugging world championships that was held on August 23, 2021 in Finland. These countries included Spain, Hungary, Italy, Finland and Australia. Switzerland and Scotland had also sent representatives to the annual event.
Reigning world champion Stefania D revealed that tree hugging always calms her down whenever she is in turmoil.
“I feel really great, I did not expect to win two years in a row. I used nothing but my own energy and what I get from the trees, it calms me down and gives me so much,” The Italian was quoted by The Barents Observer.
The aim of this competition is to create awareness on the essence of nature. It promotes an understanding regarding the benefits of nature and trees to communities for wellbeing and health.
The 2022 World Tree Hugging Championships is slated for Saturday August 20, in Halipuu Forest, Finland.
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