Although Quidditch was invented for the Harry Potter saga, the sport now known as Quadball has moved from fiction to reality. Switzerland took part in the European Cup in Ireland this weekend.
If the wizard’s apprentices flew on magical broomsticks to compete in their Quidditch matches, Muggles would be the non-magical people of the Harry Potter saga, climbing wands and playing Quidditch.
For Raphael Traini, a fan of the Harry Potter series and a Swiss national team player, the tournament is a special experience. “I find it very impressive to take a sports book and make it a real version,” he says.
The Swiss team, which faced Catalonia on Sunday, finished last in the points table. She hopes more and more people will join her even if she loses or changes her name.
About 20,000 Quidditch fans
In the series, characters throw balls through rings while flying on magical broomsticks. Even though players aren’t flying in the real world, the principles remain the same. “The most important rule of Quidditch is to always sit on the broom. You have to touch it with one hand because I can’t play without hands,” explains the Raphael trainee.
Quidditch is a booming sport played by over 20,000 people in over forty countries. His international federation now wants to be taken seriously. “We have big ambitions. Our biggest goal is to play in the Olympics,” International Quidditch Organization member Lor Badz said.
However, the sport’s growth is making people jealous, and Warner Bros., which produced the Harry Potter film series, wants to tap the revenue Quidditch can generate. That is why the name of the sport was changed.
“As long as we were called Quidditch, we couldn’t receive financial support or have sponsors because of copyright. By changing the name, we could get more money and grow”, explains Lor Bads.
Clement Burgue/aps
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