There is a move to categorize them as “mind sports”, with a World Mind Sport Games - the first was held in Beijing shortly after the Olympics. The next is in Manchester, England, shortly after the London Olympics next year.
Personally, I don’t buy it. I play competitive bridge 2 - 3 times a week and do not consider it a sport in any way. I do regard a physical element to be present for an activity to be a sport. Speed riffle-shuffling anyone?
Yeah, but they don’t hurl the javelins at each other, y’know? And ditto for the archers, sure as the equestrians take turns racing around on horseback? There’s a lot of war-friendly competition going on without employing the ‘active defense’ criterion. (I don’t even want to mess with a biathlon champ on dry land, let alone on turf where he specializes in the ol’ hit-and-run.)
Yeah, I didn’t include the “active defense” bit in my list - though let’s be honest, the purpose of demonstrating how much better Your City-State’s Champion is at hurling a javelin or riding a chariot is clearly meant to remind Everybody Else that in another context, those javelins and chariots could be expertly wielded in a less “let’s grab an amphora after the match and rub each other with oil” spirit.
And that’s not even bringing up the potential for showmanship in hosting the sporting event.