The Japanese snowball fight game vying to be an Olympic sportSOBETSU, Japan, Feb 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - At the foot of an active volcano in northern Japan, shouts ring out, competitors size each other up and snowballs whistle through the air in a very serious game of "yukigassen" -- a sport with Olympic dreams. The competition taking place this weekend is held every year in Sobetsu, a town on the main northern island of Hokkaido, where this game -- essentially a snowball fight -- became a sport 37 years ago. Japan's yukigassen federation emphasises the "mental challenge" posed by the game, in which players on both teams pelt their opponents while taking cover behind shelters. Yukigassen -- which means snowball fight in Japanese -- was born, and the first international tournament took place in 1989. Keen to capitalise on the international expansion, officials want to turn yukigassen into an Olympic sport.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 22, 2026 04:35 UTC