There are some amazing Asian sports you might never have heard. But they are quite popular in their own rights. Thousands of people gather to enjoy them. Some games are played for amusement while others are very dangerous to play. Similarly, a few are played for their physical values whereas one or two are played only to worship the ethnicity.
Here are seven games which will completely take your mind by surprise:
7. Pacu Jawi
This Indonesian bull racing game is traditionally played in Western Sumatra annually to celebrate the end of rice harvesting season. This game is played in muddy paddy field without ladder as the two bulls run the bull rider try to control them. In India this game is played during Onam festival in Kerala.
6. Yak Racing
Yak racing, which is usually held during the traditional festival in Tibet, Pakistan and Mongolia, is a little bit less sensational but spectacular to watch. Thousands of people gather to watch this sport. Each 1000 meter race comprises 100 to 150 yaks run towards the finishing point. Each yak is decorated with colourful costume.
5. Sepak Bola Api or Indonesian fire football
It is basically soccer played with fire ball. To play football with fire is crazy enough. The basic of the sport is you have to play with the bare feet. The sport is played to welcome the month of Ramadan in Indonesia. It is not good idea to play the game in dry and hot weather. The players prepare for the game 21 day before of the finals. They don’t eat hard food, don’t sleep. As a result neither the goalkeeper save the ball nor the striker can shot the ball strong. Goal keeper saves the ball without gloves.
4. Qiang Huopao
Chinese fire work catching game. In this game fireworks launch up in the sky who first catch them and throw them into the basket get the maximum point to win the game. This game traditionally is played during the firework festival of third day of third month of lunar calendar in China. Nowadays due to safety reason this game is usually played with electronic device that launches firework up in the air and stays. It is fun, but, definitely is not safer game to play.
3. Bokh Mongolian Wrestling:
The goal of Mongolian wrestling is to get your opponent to touch his upper body, knee and elbow to the ground in the inner Mongolian version; however, any other parts than the feet gasp. Unlike wrestling in this version there is no age limit, weight limit or classes. So there is always chance for David vs Goliath bout. Another interesting thing about this wrestling competition is wrestlers dance until the competition gets over.
2. Botaoshi
This Japanese game is quite similar to Rugby football.
In this Japanese pole tumbling game two teams with 150 players each try to lower the pole in thirty degree from the ground. One team try to hold the pole straight so their player can rise on the top the pole and keep kicking the opposition players in order to spoil their desire to ground the pole. The opposition team does the opposite; try to jump up and lower the pole so they jump over the barrier. In this game, 75 people do defense and another 75 work on to keep the pole straight.
1. Sepak Takraw
The kick volley ball was invented in South East Asia as an Asian marshal art sport back in the 15th century. Sepak means kick and Takraw refers to volley in Malawi language. In this game, two teams with three players each involve in impressive kick, jump and flip to keep the ball in the air and then smash it down in the opposite court. The game is much about frequent exquisite volleys which we often see in football. This game will surely be included in Olympic Games. Is not it?
May be due to due to exceeding number of players involved in this game and safety reason these games are never included in any mega sporting event of the world.
Here is the video: