With poles instead of broomsticks between their legs, competitors battle it out in a sport usually reserved for witches and wizards, and described by one enthusiastic participant as “organized chaos.”
They are competing for the British Quidditch Cup, in a tournament which draws its inspiration from the magical Harry Potter universe created by author J.K Rowling, but which has had to be modified to allow for the limitations of ordinary mortals, known in her books as “Muggles.”
Instead of flying through the air on magical broomsticks, these competitors run around the pitch holding on tightly to their poles.
Photo: EPA
“It’s a mixed gender, multinational sport — it’s played in over 20 countries worldwide,” Tom Heynes, a player for the Velociraptors team, said during the weekend tournament in the English county of Staffordshire. “It’s basically a mix of rugby, dodgeball, little bits of handball thrown in there. The best way to describe it is organized chaos. It’s just a bit hectic on pitch, but it’s fantastic.”
Teams are made up of seven players who try to score by throwing a ball through hoops while seeking the snitch — a small, winged golden ball in the Harry Potter books, but on this pitch a tennis ball in a yellow sock dangling from the back of one of the players.
Thirty-two teams from across Britain took part in the weekend event, which was organized by QuidditchUK.
“There is no one good Quidditch player. Some of the smallest girls, they can be incredible, and likewise you’ve got some stereotypical rugby guys who also will be really good,” tournament organizer and quidditch player Beth Thompson said.
“Any body type, any personality, as long as you can throw and catch,” Thompson said.
In the end, the Velociraptors beat the Brizzlebears by 260 points to 60.
A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record in a show of China’s technological leaps. The winner from Honor, a Chinese smartphone maker, completed the 21km race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, said a WeChat post by the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as Beijing E-Town, where the race began. That was faster than the human world record holder, Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo, who finished the same distance in about 57 minutes in March at the Lisbon road race. The performance by the robot marked a significant step forward
Four contenders are squaring up to succeed Antonio Guterres as secretary-general of the UN, which faces unprecedented global instability, wars and its own crushing budget crisis. Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall are each to face grillings by 193 member states and non-governmental organizations for three hours today and tomorrow. It is only the second time the UN has held a public question-and-answer, a format created in 2016 to boost transparency. Ultimately the five permanent members of the UN’s top body, the Security Council, hold the power, wielding vetoes over who leads the
South Korea’s air force yesterday apologized for a 2021 midair collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said the pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident. “We sincerely apologize to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesman told a news conference, adding that one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. The apology followed a report released on Wednesday by the South Korean Board of Audit and Inspection,
An earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.7 off northern Japan on Monday prompted a short-lived tsunami alert and the advisory of a higher risk of a possible mega-quake for coastal areas there. The Cabinet Office and the Japan Meteorological Agency said there was a 1% chance for a mega-quake, compared to a 0.1% chance during normal times, in the next week or so following the powerful quake near the Chishima and Japan trenches. Officials said the advisory was not a quake prediction but urged residents in 182 towns along the northeastern coasts to raise their preparedness while continuing their daily lives. Prime
RSS