In a couple of months the largest sports event in the world will begin in Brazil. Soccer, known in the rest of the world as football, is the world's most popular sport, especially in Brazil. However, a new sport has begun over the years taken hold of women worldwide and Brazil is hosting the event that will see athletes from all over the world.

Rio de Janeiro hosted the annual Pole Dancing World Cup this weekend. According to the BBC, more than 150 pole dancers from around the world are competing in this unique event. Judges will be looking at the difficulty of dance moves and artistic performance.

Although pole dancing began in strip bars, it has become a very popular sport among people of all gender and all ages around the world, according to Metro. The championships began in 2011 and this year was hosted along with the Arnold Classic Brazil. Competitors from 36 countries attended the event.

According to the website World Pole Dance, a British group, "Pole dance is a form of performing art and traditionally in the 1980's it was associated with strip clubs for gentleman's eyes only! Which combines [sic] dance and acrobatics, centred on and around a vertical pole. This art form has recently gained its popularity as a form of fitness (Pole Passion [was] established, government approved and accredited instructor training courses in 2008) and has now become a mainstream entertainment and skill, practised by many enthusiasts in gyms and in dedicated pole dance studios."

The winner of this year's World Cup will receive a reward of about $34,000. Had you ever heard about the Pole Dancing World Cup? What do you think of it?