2 . The word “sport” first meant something that people did in their free time. Later it often meant hunting wild animals and birds. About a hundred years ago the word was first used for organized games. This is the usual meaning of the word today. People spend a lot of time playing football, basketball, tennis and many other sports. Such people play because they leant to. A few people are paid for sport they play. These people are called professional sportsmen. They may be sportsmen for only a few years, but during that time the best ones can earn a lot of money. For example, a professional football player in England earns more than 300,000 dollars a year. The stars earn a lot more. International golf and tennis champions can make more than 500,000 dollars a year. Of course, only a few sportsmen can earn as much as that.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about sportsmen and money is that the stars can earn more money from advertising than from sports. An advertisement for sports equipment does not simply mean, “Buy our things”. It says, “Buy the same shirt and shoes as…” Famous sportsmen can even advertise things like watches and food. They allow the companies to use their names or a photo of them and they are paid for this. Sport is no longer just something for people’s spare time.