Sobetsu (Japan) (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. Yukigassen, essentially a snowball fight, first became a sport in Sobetsu 37 years ago and has since spread to 13 countries, including Russia, Finland and Australia. “We say it’s the oldest winter sport in human history,” says Yuji Ano, president of the organising committee for the Sobetsu tournament.
