Seven Castles

Cockfighting

                                      

October 10, 2007

 

Cockfight is a fight between gamecocks (specially bred birds), arranged as a spectacle. The blood sport is for the primary purposes of gambling and entertainment. A cockfight usually results in the death of one of the birds; sometimes it ends in the death of both. A typical cockfight can last anywhere from several minutes to more than half an hour.

 

As cockfighting traditionally involves betting on single matches or a series of pairings, many countries have banned or restricted it, but the laws are not always strictly enforced and illegal matches are often held privately.

 

The sport was popular in ancient Greece, Persia, Rome and China, and is still popular in Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Some countries have well-established arenas with seats or bleachers for spectators surrounding the ring, similar to a wrestling or boxing arena, and fights may be held all throughout the day. Every time there is a fight, it will draw a big crowd. In many countries, the spectacle of cockfighting draws whole families, and in some countries, cockfighting is as popular as baseball and football are in the United States. Among the competitors who raise fighting cocks, there is great pride in the prowess of their birds and in winning a championship.

 

However, cockfighting is now generally recognized as a form of animal cruelty. Moreover, the movement and transportation of birds in association with fighting events represents a significant risk with regard to public health.

 

Interestingly, "cockfighting" is also the name of the children's game we once played here in China - hopping on one leg, kids try to knock each other down or take enemy's "stone" home. And we call squinting eyes as "cockfighting eyes" (Cockeyes).

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2007年10月10日 星期三 11:49】【注册】【打印】