Dodgeball isn't just a fictitious game in a Ben Stiller movie anymore. It's a real-life sport with its own league in Hong Kong. Since 2006, the game most people know as a playground diversion for kids has become a bona fide sporting endeavour.

In a nutshell, teams of six play with six balls, trying to hit their opponents to eliminate them from the game. The last man (or woman, it's a mixed league here) standing wins his or her team a point. After two 20-minute halves, the team with the most points wins the match. According to league commissioner Brian Li, it's not necessarily the biggest and strongest guys who dominate.

'People used to think those with the strongest arms will be the best,' Li recalled. 'But the bigger you are the easier it is to get hit. With six balls, it's all about teamwork. Plus, with a 40-minute game, endurance is a factor. There are currently 16 teams, and four are all women. The good thing about the sport is you don't need to buy any expensive equipment, just show up with shoes on a court and you play.'