You can tell this is the United States and not Mexico or Japan or some other true top loving country. How can the world's oldest toy be ignored? I nominated the top on their website but it is not the first time I have been ignored (of course, not a single finger is pointed at anyone in my family-ha!).
You can check out their website and toys that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame at: http://www.museumofplay.org/NTHoF/
In fact, Mike, that happens not only in the USA nation, but even in the most of the world.
Here, the government doesn`t give any support to this sport, and only the companies like Cometa pay money to the players in order the kids acquire the toy when the kids watch the amazing tricks the players do. Although is a very popular game here, don`t you believe that a great percentage of mexicans play trompo well. We are counted the ones who play trompo at this level. In a country of almost 120 millions of people, I thinkk that we are not even 1000 prof players here.
In Colombia, by an example, the thing is different. There , there are more people that plays trompo than in any part of the world, and every year, in different cities, there are championships of trompo and another games.
Are called "Juegos de la Calle", and as far as I know, the government gives financial resources helping these tournaments
I completely ignored how developped is the game of top in the rest of the world, but, for the most of videos in internet, the countries where the top `s got more diffusion, I mean, where there`s more people interesed on him (top) are: Colombia, Mèxico, Usa and Japan.
Some people in another countries (but only little groups of persons) got interes on it, and, in most of these cases, the top is seen like a "minor" or not very shinning toy, and is seen less amazing than the yoyoyo with ballbearings.
Resuming, I believe that in the most of the world, the top is still in chilhood.
