Cockroach racing might seem like an odd and unconventional sport to a lot of people. As true as this may seem it has become the 6th most played sport in the world. It is commonly practiced in countries in Africa, Asia, and most commonly in Australia. It is just now starting to spread to Europe and parts of South America. One of the primary reasons it has become so popular now is because of genetic engineering. Countries all over the world are seeing this forced evolution happen more and more often.
Betsy, the debatably best cockroach at racing so far is so modified viewers and fans get worried for the future of their sport.
One such cockroach that has been bioengineered is named Betsy. She is a champion in Tanzania and has record times. She can dash from the start to the finish in under 10 seconds. Some have speculated that this might be taking this game to seriously but the fallout of this is creating great strides in making cockroaches better at other things. One such study commenced in the university of Abuja in Nigeria had a cockroach that was eight times the size as one you might see crawling on a floor somewhere. They dissected the thing and it was reported that it was high in proteins and vitamins that people are not getting enough of. Would you munch on these creatures?
In the races there are very few competitors who are regular cockroaches. Even when there are these people don't make it far. In the rules and regulations in the game it does not discuss modifying them but officials are thinking that the rule book should change with the times but people are skeptical whether action will be take.
This is the Australian finals for cockroach racing. Unfortunately Betsy couldn't make it there because of difficulties with transportation of the animal across borders.
This is the court. As you can see the court is a 6 meter circle with a small circle in the middle. The objective is to put all of the cockroaches in the center ring. The first cockroach to reach the edge of the larger circle is then declared the winner of the match. He is then usually rewarded by an owner and the owner is given the prize. Former prizes include 250,000$ USD, A brand new car, A cockroach habitat that is the size of a shed, and of course respect from the fellow racers.