SPORT AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ANCIENT GEORGIA

The article provides an overview of the history of origin and development of sport and physical education throughout the centuries. It highlights the global factors that contributed to the origination of sport and physical education, including such issues, as: human beings’ ability to withstand harsh natural environment and obtain their livelihood; development of necessary skills related to creation and use of martial weapons, and military training in the Middle Ages, etc. The aforesaid circumstances created favorable conditions in the prehistoric time for the development and introduction of various mass games. Those games/competitions oftentimes were of ritualistic nature. Some irrefutable facts substantiating the emergence/existence of sport and physical education in various regions across the globe are presented in the article. Against this background, the significant part of it is devoted to the discussion of the circumstances related to the sport and physical education issues in the ancient and medieval Georgian reality. It has been noted that, when dealing with numerous enemies from various countries, throughout the centuries the Georgian nation had employed diverse physical training systems, ensuring revitalization and toughening up of the society, and thus safeguarding the country’s security against the enemy onslaught. The end-text of the article focuses on the medieval Georgia and the sport and physical education-related activities of those times.