What was the first sport ever to be invented?

The earliest organized sports were most likely sprinting and wrestling. Both of these sports are depicted in cave paintings that date back more than 17,000 years. There is also evidence that competitive swimming, archery and horse racing were practiced more than 10,000 years ago.

The earliest team sport with a complex system of rules is most likely the game Tsu Chu, which was played in China as early as 3000 B.C. Tsu Chu was similar to soccer. It was played by maneuvering a lightweight leather ball into a hole. As in soccer, players were not allowed to use their hands.