Amongst the new, there’s still a place for the old

“Sports”. There’s always been “running”, “soccer”, or “tennis”, but people have a fascination with novelty. Newer sports are continually emerging to feed those looking for something new and fun, and some are fast gaining popularity today.

Obstacle courses, for example, is a current in sport. The Spartan and Tough Mudder races¹ challenge runners with grueling obstacles for miles and miles. It sounds punishing, but people love the primal element and the feeling of accomplishment.

For something less “extreme”, there’s Kabaddi. It’s a contact team sport from India that’s been gaining popularity worldwide and is a regular event in the Asian Games. With seven players a side, the “raider” runs into the opposing team’s territory to “tag out” as many defenders as possible — while avoiding their tackles.

And for something full of action and fun? Bossaball is it. It’s a combination of old sports (volleyball, football and gymnastics), with an added fun element of playing on an inflatable court with a trampoline! The goal is to hit the ball across the net and onto the opposing team’s ground to earn points. Participation in bossaball seems to be growing, and who knows, it might even become a ‘normal’ sport soon! But only time will tell.

It’s natural to seek out new and fresh things, whether it’s in sports, food, travel locations, and even investments such as the recently popular cryptocurrency.

But it’s also important to remember that trends are just trends. They can come and go. On the contrary, it may be the traditional or “old” things that stay. In sports for example, there’s still a place for tennis and soccer. These sports been around a lot longer, and with reason: they’ve been tried and tested, against time and across the world. And people still find them engaging.

Just like how we should not overlook the old for the new, investors may also want to be prudent and not jump on the bandwagon for all things new and trendy. At Eastspring Investments, while we stay on top of market trends, we look through the hype and focus on the fundamentals.