- Name of sport (game): Gateball
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Started in Japan in 1947, they play in Japan, China, Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, Macau, South-America. Since a few years they started playing first in Australia, afterwards in New-Zealand. The last years it started up in Europe in countries like Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany. Recently they started in Africa.
- History:
Gateball was invented in Japan by Suzuki Kazunobu in 1947.
At the time there was a severe shortage of rubber needed to make the balls used in many sports. Suzuki, then working in the lumber industry on the northern island of Hokkaido, realised there was a ready supply of the wood used to make croquet balls and mallets. He revised the rules of croquet and created gateball as a game for young people.
Gateball first became popular in the late 1950s when a physical education instructor introduced gateball to the women’s societies and senior citizens’ clubs of Kumamoto City. In 1962, the Kumamoto Gateball Association was formed and established a local set of rules. This version of the game became known nationally when it was demonstrated at a national fitness meeting in Kumamoto in 1976. Shortly afterwards the gateball’s popularity exploded as local government officials and representatives of senior citizens’ organisations introduced the sport around the country.
In 1984, the Japanese Gateball Union (JGU) was founded. Under the leadership of its inaugural chairman, Ryoichi Sasakawa, the JGU developed a unified set of rules and organised the first national meeting. The following year, the JGU joined with five countries and regions, China, Korea, Brazil, United States of America and Chinese Taipei, to form the World Gateball Union (WGU). The WGU has since been joined by Bolivia (1987), Paraguay (1987), Peru (1987), Argentina (1989), Canada (1989), Singapore (1994), Hong Kong (1998), Australia (2003) and Macao (2005).
Today more than 10 centenarians play gateball in Japan.
The last years it started up in New-Zealand, in Europe and recently in Africa. - Description:
Gateball is based on croquet.
Gateball is a mallet sport derived from aspects of Croquet. The two teams use five balls each, either
red or white depending on the team, and play in an alternating fashion between red and white, from numbers one to ten. Each player wears their number of the playing order, also shown on their own ball (“stroker’s ball”), and plays the same ball throughout the game.We also can play in doubles or singles. This happen more and more.
OBJECT OF THE GAME
Each team tries to get its own balls to pass through as many gates as possible and hit the goal post (‘Agari’). You win a point by passing a gate in the right sequence, and also have the right to “stroke” again. One point is given for every gate the ball passes in order, and two points for then hitting the goal post, for a total of five points for a finisher. To decide the winning team, each player’s scores are totalled at the end of the game, and the team with the higher score is declared the winner.
HOW DOES A GAME START?
The balls are played from the starting zone in front of hoop 1 (see layout diagram, over). The sides decide by tossing a coin which will start. The first team to play uses red balls, with odd numbers. The other uses white balls, which have even numbersTOUCH AND SPARK
Once your ball has passed the first gate, if you hit another ball (called a “touch”), you have once more the right to stroke again, provided that both your and the other ball stay inside the boundary line.Having made a successful touch, you must now “spark”. This means, you pick up the ball touched and bring it back into contact with your own and, placing your foot (your toes, really) on your own ball so that it doesn’t move, stroke again so as to drive the touched ball to the desired position.
The sparked ball must move at least 10 cm, unless it hits the goal post in turn. Following a spark, you stroke again, but cannot “touch” the same ball twice in a turn.
If you touch in the same stroke as successfully passing a gate (a “pass touch”), after sparking you then get 2 more strokes.GOING OUT OF COURT
An out-ball cannot touch any other ball or pass a gate until the turn after it is stroked back into court. Whenever any ball goes out of court, it is placed at a point off court 10cm from where it crossed the inside line.WHAT IS THE SEQUENCE OF GATES?
The balls have to pass through the gates in a set sequence and direction (see diagram). To pass the gate successfully (“tsuka”), the ball must pass completely the gate.
To pass gate1, a ball must not touch another ball on the way towards it. A ball that has passed the gate line of gate 1, but not by more than the diameter of one ball, may be temporarily moved if it obstructs the passing of another ball.TIME LIMITS
Each player has only 10 seconds in which to stroke their ball from when called upon to stroke, or from when the right to keep playing occurs. The referee on-court keeps count of the 10”, and warns the player when 8” is reached.
Players normally wait at the courtside near their own ball, to save time when it is their turn to stroke again. The ball of a player who does not stroke within 10 seconds stays where it was until that player’s next turn to stroke, although such a ball in court can still be touched and sparked by others.
TACTICS
When you spark team mate’s ball, you make positive tactical choices about positioning, bearing in mind the playing order.
For example, the first team to pass a ball through gate 1 successfully (say with ball 1) will often place that ball between gate 2 and the boundary. That way, it is dangerous for the other team to try and touch without a ball going out, whilst if a ball from the other team (say ball 2) takes position to run gate 2 on its next turn, it can be touched by ball 1 and made use of, to benefit the first team.
Instead of positioning in front of gate 2 therefore, ball 2 might go to guard the access to gate 3.
If you spark a ball from the opposing team, you might send it to where your team’s balls can use it, bearing in mind the number sequence of those balls which are due to play before it. Alternatively, you might send it out of court, meaning it then needs to use its next turn just to come back into court, without being able to touch or to pass a gate.
DOUBLE TOUCH
When you see 2 balls of your own team near each other, a player will normally try to take position for a “double touch”. A ball that touches 2 others in the same stroke gains the right to spark twice in succession, which is a very powerful attacking tactic. The other balls touched are temporarily moved until it is their turn to be sparked.END OF THE GAME
The game ends after 30 minutes. When time is called (“game set”), if the leading team is playing, the next player from the other team has one last turn. If the following team is playing when “game set” is called, the game ends when that stroker’s turn is completed
REFEREES
The referee(s) in charge of the game decides on whether a ball is in or out, whether a gate has been successfully passed, a touch made, a successful spark, a fault committed (such as hitting your own ball twice in a stroke), the goal post hit, and when the 10 seconds has elapsed for each player to stroke.
The arm gestures made by the referees and linesmen, at the same time as they call the decision, indicate to the recorder, players and spectators what is happening:-
“Play ball” (30’ starts) is by the hand outstretched in front at face height, palm down.
A turn is notified by the arm(s) raised, fingers showing the stroker’s number.
“Standby” by bringing one arm up to point, then down to the side when the 10” starts.
“Gate Tsuka” is pointing and looking sideways in the direction of the successful pass.
“Touch” is pointing forwards, at the place where the touch occurred.
“Out” is by raising one arm straight above the head, palm facing forward.
“Safe” (the ball is still in) is by sweeping the forearm outwards across the body
“Time”, when the 30’ clock is stopped temporarily, is by a T-shape with 2 hands.
“Foul” is by bringing a clenched fist to shoulder height.
“Agari” when the goal post is hit, is by raising the arms to a V-shape above the head.
“Game set” at the end is with forearms crossed above the head.TOURNAMENTS
The world championships have been dominated for several years by players from China and Japan. At the 2014 world championships staged in Niigata(Japan), 96 teams took part from Australia, Brazil, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Paraguay, the Philippines, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland, Europe and the USA. - Current status:
Today various international championships and tournaments including the World Championships and Asian Championships are held periodically in countries around the world.
The World Gateball Union, gateball’s global umbrella organization, has member organizations from 16 countries and regions. Gateball is played by more than 10 million people in more than 40 countries.
Gateball League starts in 2016 in Europe.
The concept consists in tournaments of 3 days where beginners are teached on first day.The second and third day, players participate both on single and double tournament.
In singles, players can ask for assistance of a coach. In doubles we assign beginner to more experienced player.
Because people are travelling, we try to have an equal number of games for all participants.
The Gateball League is open for everyone. We had already people coming from Japan, Australia .. participating. We keep a ranking for single players which allow us to build double teams from equal level. People like to have close games - Contacts:
If you enjoyed this game, and would like more information about where and when to play gateball, contact Bernard Thys.
Bernard Thys was captain of a team representing Europe at World Championships Gateball in Japan in September 2014 and he is the creator of the Gateball League in 2016.
Please contact Bernard Thys atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Additional contacts for Gateball League:
John Swabey from Germany :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Laurent Gueraud from France :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
David Underhill from Switzerland :This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. World Gateball Union/Japan Gateball Union
Toranomon 35 Mori Bldg. 7F, 3-4-10, Toranomon, Minato-ku,Tokyo 105-0001 Japan
TEL:+81-3-5401-2251
FAX:+81-3-5401-2252
Mail:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://gateball.or.jp/
http://gateball.or.jp/wgu/
https://www.facebook.com/japangateball/
https://twitter.com/japangateball
https://www.youtube.com/user/japangateballunion
https://www.instagram.com/japangateballunion/ - Gallery:
- Documents:
- Name of sport (game): Gatka
- Name in native language: Punjabi: ਗਤਕਾ Urdu: گٹکا gatkā
- Name of sport (game): Ghe Ngo
- Name in native language: Đua Ghe Ngo
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Town of Sóc Trăng in the province Sóc Trăng - Vietnam
- History:
A boat was an important element of the Khmers culture, who used it to navigate the waterway, avoiding wild animals. The waterway also solved the communication issue, as it was difficult to build and maintain roads and bridges in those conditions.
Over time, the boats became faster, which was caused, by tactics during the ethnic war and many conflicts. Tuk Ngo boats were created to escape or quickly attack. Therefore, the boat became an inseparable element of the life of people from these areas, as it was a method of transport used to transfer people and cargo.
There are many legends about the beginnings of the Ngo boat race.
One says that Princess Neng Chanh (Nàng Chanh) disobeyed the will of the king. When he wanted to punish her, she got into the boat and tried to escape by the river. Soldiers, however, caught her and executed on the orders of the king. Every year, a race is organized to memorialize this event.Another story tells about the tradition of bringing Buddhist monks to temples by water, due to the difficulty of travelling by land or danger of wild animals. Initially, first rafts were built from bamboo, then from wood by carving its interior, creating a type of TukNgo boat. With time, rivalry began, who would transport monks faster and for this reason, the tradition of boat racing was born.
According to another legend, the Khmers boat race of Sóc Trăng took place for the first time in Pem Kon Thô, (today Vàm Dù Tho) in the district of Mỹ Xuyên in the province of Sóc Trăng. Ngo boats from Bạc Liêu, Kiên Giang and Trà Vinh congregated in a place where the water flowed calmly and the river was wide to compete with each other. There, Ngo boats from the Bạc Liêu and Kiên Giang regions had a fairly easy task, because the stretch of the river is straight and the water flows calmly. Later, when the region became crowded, intensive commercial traffic appeared, the rivalry moved from Vàm Tho to the Ompuyea River, i.e. Nhu Gia, in the municipality of Thạnh Phú, Mỹ Xuyên District. This theory seems most likely, according to monk Thạch Sô Tưm in his 2009 publication on the Ngo boat race. He adds that the Ngo boat association has existed for a long time (from around 2071 according to the Buddhist calendar, and in 1528 - according to the Gregorian calendar, corresponding to the era of the first king An Chanh) and it was the custom of the inhabitants of the ancient country of Ba Sac (now Sóc Trăng) to organize this type of racing.During the French colonial period, the Khmers were forced to transfer the race to the Om Puie river (that is, the river Nhu Gia today in the municipality of Thạnh Phú, Mỹ Xuyên District, in the province of Soc Trang). However, from time to time (1972–1974) races were organized at Kinh Sáng in the city of Sóc Trăng. After regaining independence, races took place on the Nhu Gia River until the early 1980s. However, due to the scale of the project, the race was officially moved to the Maspéro River (city of Sóc Trăng) in the centre of the capital of the province of Sóc Trăng.
- Description:
Originally, Ghe Ngo was a boat made entirely of a tree trunk, but today finding such large and long trees is difficult, so boards are used. Ghe Ngo has a length of 25 to 30 m, and in the middle, in the widest place, is about 1.1-1.2 m. The boat should resemble a snake, hence the front (head) is raised, but the rear rises even higher (tail). There are 24 to 27 benches for two people along the entire length of the boat. Each boat must provide space for 40 to 60 people (e.g. the Ngo Bốn Mặt (Sóc Trăng) boat could accommodate 53 people in 2013, the Ông Mek boat (Trà Vinh) 57 people).
To strengthen the boat, builders fasten long wooden beams along the central part. Beams must be made of hardwood, usually about 0.2 m in diameter. At the bow of each boat, two eyes are placed to look for the best and safest path. This custom is known in the region, where every boat used for fishing or transport has such signs, and although the Ngo boat is used only for competitions, it also has those eyes.
Each boat has its own symbol, which is a hallmark, allowing the boat to be identified and memorized. Often this symbol is also supposed to show the power of a racing boat and refers to the tradition of each temple. Very often the symbol is animal (e.g. a bird, a tiger, a snake) because they represent power, speed or perseverance. People think that the boat has the power connected with a particular animal. On the entire length, there are patterns and colors referring to the selected symbol. So, if the symbol is a snake, then the motifs on the sides are chosen so that the boat imitates the movement of the snake on the run.Ngo boats are property of the temples. Each town, for example, a commune and village, has its own temple. Ngo boats are stored inside the temple, cover by a specially prepared roof.
Every activity related to the boat is accompanied by special ceremonies. Starting with the initiation of construction, through launching, ceremonial moving and storage of the boat, everything has its own specific order and ritual. According to the concept of "all spiritual things", the Khmers believe that the Ngo boat is also holy. One of the most important stages is the boat launch ceremony before the race. Not only competitors take part in it, but also the community belonging to the temple (pagoda). Gifts are brought and placed on the mat in front of the boat, and the Master of Ceremonies also burns incense. Everything is accompanied by music, sometimes with specially prepared words for the occasion. Khmers believe that the patron of the Ngo boat is Neng Khmau (Neng Teo), which is why the costumes are often used in the ceremony. When the music ends, the priest kneels before the sacrifices and begins to pray for the favour of the boat. The prayer is repeated three times, and then the boat is symbolically smeared with coconut oil, then the heads of the competitors who promise to unite to win the race are lubricated. When the boat is carried to the river, the procession is accompanied by music.Because the boat is long and its front and back are bent upwards, it is easy to lose balance and cause overturn. Therefore, before placing the boat on the water, the players train on land to achieve the desired rhythm of work, and above all to learn to synchronize movements. The competitor must be healthy and practice in accordance with the allocated place on the boat. So first, there are exercises on land, then on a wooden platform on a pond or river, and only after mastering the movements and their coordination with the whole team, a trial on the boat is made.
The teams compete in two competitions: Swimming 1200 meters for the male team and 1000 m for the female team. The prize for the men's boat team was 150 million VND in 2017, and 100 million for the women's team (this was the third festival from October 28 - November 3, 2017). - Current status:
Ghe Ngo Boat Racing called The Ngo Sóc Trăng Boat Racing Festival (Đua ghe Ngo Sóc Trăng) are part of the Óc om bóc Festival, which takes place in Sóc Trăng, in the south of Vietnam. During the Festival, many events related to the culture of the Mekong Delta nations are organized, including moon worship ceremony, lamp releasing ceremony, but the most famous and popular part is the boat racing. Since 2013, these races are not only regional but also national competition.
The festival always gathers dozens of Ngo boat teams from around the region that participate in the competition.Originally, the Ngo boat races, on "Oc-Om-peel", were held at Nhu Gia, then at Kinh Xáng - Sóc Trăng Town, and again at Nhu Gia. However, in order to provide the opportunity to watch the race for an increasingly number of spectators in more comfortable conditions, also with the possibility of accommodation, the Ngo boat race was organized in Sóc Trăng. From now on the festival takes place there.
In 2017, 62 teams took part in the race (50 male teams and 12 women's teams), in 2018 there were 51 boat teams (41 male teams and 10 women's teams) from the province of Sóc Trăng, Bạc Liêu, Cà Mau, Hậu Giang, Vĩnh Long. In 2018, nearly 100,000 people from many provinces (e.g. Vĩnh Long, Hậu Giang, Bạc Liêu, Cà Mau) and cities came to Soc Trang to participate in the Festival and watch the Ngo boat races. In 2019, 60 Ngo boats participated in the race.
Boats also participate in international competitions and shows in Cambodia, Singapore, China and Thailand. - Importance (for practitioners, communities etc.):
For Khmers, the boat has many meanings and unique cultural values. Ghe Ngo is not a product of a person or group of people. Each boat is built by people belonging to a specific pagoda and represents it in competition on the water. Therefore, victory or defeat is the triumph or failure of the pagoda and people who belong to the same group.
Spiritual elements are also one of the important factors that help boats succeed.Khmers traditional boat races Ghe Ngo (Đua ghe Ngo Sóc Trăng) Ngo Sóc Trăng Boat Racing Festival are part of one of the major festivals that take place in Sóc Trăng, in the south of Vietnam. The practice of this tradition is testimony to the unique traces of Khmers culture, cultivated for many generations, showing the attachment of the Mekong Delta community to faithful and loyalty to their culture and the joint-life of three ethnic groups: Vietnamese, Khmer and Chinese. Ngo Boat Festival and races are the elements that unite this community and allows to build harmonious relationships between these groups.
The Khmers for a long time have been growing rice. It was not an easy task due to frequent natural disasters, wind, rains or floods. So the "Oc-om-boc" ceremony meant celebrating the rice harvest on lunar days, when the rain and wind cease and the water slowly recedes, starting the dry season after hard days of work. The festival was originally associated with the end of the collection. It was when the Khmers organized a ceremony to show their gratitude for agricultural produce. Although people are very busy with work, they devote their time to training before competitions that are important to them, because they show the culture of the region and allow to cultivate old traditions. Since ancient times, every year, on the day of the full moon of the tenth lunar month in the Khmer calendar, the moon ceremony - Oc - Om - boc is celebrated. This is an important holiday because the moon gives people happiness. It had the character of a family holiday, with a solemn meal, wishes, but also has a social character, because it created an opportunity to have fun and gave a chance for sports competition.
The desire to maintain tradition contributes to supporting social unity and promoting cultural identity through this traditional sport. Tug of war (rope pulling), martial arts and boat races were practiced, but performances were also prepared. Ngo boat races and performing arts are the two most popular elements of this holiday. To take part in the race, boats are renovated, restored, sometimes rebuilt for long months. When the competition day comes, the men and women dressed in festive clothes come to the festival to participate in this unique event, which is the Ngo boat racing.
In addition to the main attraction, which is the Ngo boat race, the festival consists of many different events, including moon worship ceremony, repair of the Ca Mau boat, exhibitions, culinary and sports festivals, competitions, music and dance performances, theatre plays, as well as scientific conferences.
Since 2017, the Ooc Om Boc Festival and the Ngo Soc Trang boat races have been taken care of by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism of Vietnam (previously the Ngo Boat Racing Festival had a regional character from 2013), which allowed for improving organization and proper preparation competition tracks on the river for Ngo boats. - Sources of information :
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic8koiMNwVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fQAPS3ig-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwGgwwmg0zA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ4M_Kidw10 - Gallery:
- Name of sport (game): Gile Mardi
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Gilan province and some part of Mazandaran province, Iran
- History:
One of the old and ancien traditional wrestling styles of Iran is Gile Mardi.
- Description:
The ceremony starts before the match by traditional musical instruments. At first, wrestlers stand in a row and praying custom will be done by them. Then, they do some jump and leap to show themselves to he fans.
A wrestler slamming both hands to say he is ready for the match. After start of the match, wrestlers shake their hands and throwing their fists to punch each other. In a proper time which they prevent to be punched, the wrestlers can touch each other to wrestle. If any part of a wrestler touches the ground, he is loser.At the beginning, the wrestlers line up in a column and follow a religious ritual, such as taking a step towards Mecca, kissing the ground, looking at the sky while jumping, which means approaching God.
The bout starts with a challenge commenced by one of the wrestlers. In a ritualistic sense it resembles a dance to challenge a potential opponent. When another wrestler approaches and touches his hands, this signifies that he accepts the challenge. If the first wrestler considers that this wrestler is of his class (his level of skill) the fight begins with wrestlers who first continue to dance to symbolize the challenge, bent forward, swinging their arms as if they were going to fight (see photo), but also in order to create ‘openings’ for combat. As soon as the opportunity is found, one of the wrestlers grabs his opponent and attempts to throw him down. Any fall of the opponent results in victory, as well as keeping the opponent lifted for 2 or 3 seconds, which a priori does not justify a combat time limit. At the end of the fight the winner kisses his opponent. The winner of the tournament is given a sort of puppet, symbol of victory (photo, with musicians). There are 12 tournaments and each lasts around 15 to 20 evenings! Around 40 to 50 wrestlers usually sign up. It appears that this style is practiced and experienced at least as much as a ritual ceremony as than a sporting activity. - Current status:
Today, Gileh-Mardi is generally practiced alongside wedding ceremonies, from June to September, when the rice harvest is finished. In the past it was also to celebrate the end of the main agricultural works, or at fairs. Its specificity is that the tournament always starts in the evening, after work and obligations, and can end after midnight. Wrestling bouts are permanently accompanied by musicians. The cultural associations which organize these events have only very recently deemed it useful to have weight categories (- and + 72kg), once again under the influence of Olympic wrestling and the wrestling federation in Iran. It is also only recently that a combat of 2 times 4 minutes has been introduced.
- Sources of information :
Video:
https://www.aparat.com/v/n089955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxZv67WaIrY
The information contained in the article comes from the following sources:
Iran Rural Sports & Local-Indigenous Games Federation
Guy Jaouen, Traditional Wrestling in Iran: The Great Nation of Wrestling, https://traditionalsports.org/more-about-tsg/articles/guy-jaouen-traditional-wrestling-in-iran.htmlSource of photos used in this article and gallery:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g1064683-d6697776-i225936491-Gileboom-Chaboksar_Gilan_Province.html
https://wisgoon.com/pin/5974249/ - Gallery:
- Name of sport (game): Gilli Danda
- Name in native language: Gilli Danda
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Gilli-Danda is an amateur sport played in the rural areas and small towns all over Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Cambodia, Cuba and Italy.
- History:
IIn india, the origin of Gilli Danda dates back to the period of Mauryan Empire. Historical references suggest that common people played the game on the streets, sometimes being accompanied by members of the royal family. Over time, social stigma made higher social strata to abandon it, making it common man’s game.
India was a vast country with a major portion of South Asia under its belt. But as the geographical boundaries were drawn, India was divided and new countries came into existence. However, people never lost the fervor for Gilli Danda. The original game spread from India to its neighbouring countries and it came to be known as Danguli in Bangladesh, Dandi-Biyo in Nepal, Lappa-Duggi in Afghanistan and Kitti-Pullu in Sri Lanka. But with different names came different regional rules. Players played as per their own rules and thus, there was no uniform expansion of the game. It continued to remain as an amateur game only played for entertainment and fun.
It was in 2016 that the countries playing Gilli Danda came under the aegis of Gilli Danda International Federation headquartered in Noida in Uttar Pradesh. The Federation is working on restoring this age-old traditional Indian game by drafting a rule book and promoting it professionally. - Description:
Gilli Danda is known by various other names: it is called Tipcat in English, Dandi-Biyo (डण्डी बियो) in Nepali, alak-doulak (الک دولک) in Persian, dānggűli (ডাঙ্গুলি) in Bengali & Assamese, chinni-dandu in Kannada, kuttiyum kolum in Malayalam, viti-dandu विट्टी दांडू in Marathi,kitti-pul (கிட்டி-புல்) in Tamil, Gooti-Billa or Karra-Billa or Billam-Godu in Telugu, Gulli-Danda'(ਗੁੱਲ਼ੀ ਡੰਡਾ)' in Punjabi, Geeti Danna (گیٹی ڈنا) in (Saraiki, Iti-Dakar (اٽي ڏڪر) in Sindhi, Lappa-Duggi (لپا ڈگی ) in Pashto, Kon ko in khmer, the Cambodian language), Pathel Lele in Bahasa Indonesia, Syatong in Tagalog and Awe Petew in Ilonggo dialect of Philippines.
"Gilli Danda" is played with two pieces of equipment - a danda, being a long wooden stick, and a gilli, a small oval-shaped piece of wood.
Standing in a small circle, the player balances the gilli on a stone in an inclined manner (somewhat like a see-saw) with one end of the gillitouching the ground while the other end is in the air. The player then uses the danda to hit the gilli at the raised end, which flips it into the air. While it is in the air, the player strikes the gilli, hitting it as far as possible. Having struck the gilli, the player is required to run and touch a pre-agreed point outside the circle before the gilli is retrieved by an opponent. This aspect of the game is similar to runs in cricket or home-runs in baseball.
There is no official maximum number of players or teams. Gilli-danda can be played where each individual plays for themselves, or between two teams.To play Gilli Danda you need:
Two wooden sticks are required for this game. Gilli - a small wooden piece 3-1/2 inches long 1-1/4 inches diameter at the centre and tapering at both ends. Danda - a long stick two feet long and one-inch in diameter, like a round ruler. Ask your parents to help you get this. Any carpenters shop will make one for you.
A small circle of four feet diameter is drawn. In the centre a small oblong shaped hole is dug which should be smaller than the gilli.
How to play:
Two teams are formed. One bats and the other fields.
Fielders stand in a position from where they can catch the gilli. The first player places the gilli in the hole and lifts it quickly high in the air with the danda and then strikes it. If he fails at first, he gets another turn. If the fielder catches the gilli before it touches the ground, the batsman is out and the second player tries to hit the gilli. If the gilli is not caught, the distance from the hole to the place where the gilli falls is measured with the danda. Each danda equals one point.
The fielder stands where the gilli had fallen and tosses it to the batsman. The batsman tries to hit the gilli while it is in the air. If it falls, he taps the tapered end and lifts it in the air and strikes while it is in the air. He gets three chances to hit the gilli. If he does not hit it, or is caught, he is out.
The game continues till all batsmen are out. The team changes side and continues the same way. The team with higher score wins. - Current status:
Practiced
There are similar games in many countries:
In Azerbaijan - Çilingağac (Chilingaghaj)
In Galicia (Spain) - billarda
In Catalonia and the Valencian Community, - bòlit
Philippines - syatong or pati-kubra (in Morong, Rizal) is similar to gilli-danda
In Italy - Lippa, Lipe, Tirolo, or S-cianco
In the United States - pee-wee
Dainty is a street ball game played in Schnitzelburg, Louisville, in the United States
In England - Tip-cat, giddy-gaddy and cat's pallet
In Poland - called Klipa
In Malaysia - konda kondi
In Russia - chizhik (чижик)
In Ukraine - chizhik (чижик) as well with sports colours being black
In Slovenia - pandolo
In Mexico - Shangai or Changarais
In Cuba - Quimbumbia
In China - "da-ga-ga"or "da-ga" (打尜) which means "hit small and sharp wood" - Contacts:
Gilli Danda International Federation
Fitworld, 45, Second Floor, Pari Chowk, Near Ansal Plaza Greater Noida, UP 201310 IN
Tel. +91 120 457 9277
Webside: https://www.gillidandasport.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GilliDandaInternational/Indian Gilli Danda Federation
Tel. +91 96903 34419
https://www.facebook.com/IndianGilliDanda/ - Sources of information :
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgSs3OvTnUQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr_dDqaPjaM - Gallery:
- Documents:
- Name of sport (game): Goutzanguiri
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Tajikistan
- Name of sport (game): Gulat
- Place of practice (continent, state, nation):
Indonesia
- Name of sport (game): Gyulesh
- Name in native language: Gülesh
- Sources of information :
Source of photos used in this article and gallery:
https://araratour.com/interesting-customs-and-traditions-of-the-caucasian-people
- Gallery: