INDONESIA’S TRADITIONAL GAMES
Indonesia’s Traditional Games
Indonesia is an archipelagic country that stretches from Sabang to Merauke, with more than 1340 ethnic groups, 718 regional languages, and 13 cultural heritages officially recognized worldwide. Traditional games became a part of Indonesia’s local wealth; traditional games such as Enggrang, Dampu Kapal, and Congklak must sound familiar to us. Furthermore, did you know that Indonesia has a lot of traditional games? According to Zaini Alif, Researcher of Traditional Games in Indonesia, in 2016, there were 2600 traditional games, but only 60% of them still survive today. Now, we’re going to discover together three of Indonesia’s unique traditional games that maybe you haven’t heard of before. Let’s take a look below!
- Boi-Boian from North Kalimantan
Pic source: https://www.boombastis.com/permainan-boi-boian/127085
The Boi-Boian game is quite simple and played in teams divided into two groups with 4 to 5 members. The first team is tasked with compiling tile shards into a tower, while the second team must knock down the tower of tiles using a ball. If the ball hits any member from the first team, the member is declared disqualified from the game. If the second team cannot destroy the tower of tiles, they’ll be disqualified. The game is declared over if one team loses all the members, and each group will switch roles once the game is over. This game is pretty much the Indonesian version of bowling but much more simple and intimate.
2. Cado from West Papua
Pic source: TVRI Sport Channel
This traditional game also counts as a traditional sport from West Papua. At first glance, the traditional game of Cado looks similar to a modern sport originating from Canada, namely Hockey. The equipment needed in this game is a ball made of bamboo roots or a Cedo, a bat made from sticks of bamboo or commonly called a Yerpur, and foot protectors for players made of fiber. In this game, players often wear accessories that symbolize position in the Yeinan tribe. One example is a headband called Kekenap, which is only worn by Yeinan tribe members who are young/teenagers. In addition, this traditional game is accompanied by traditional musical instruments such as Tifa (Drum), Fuu/Yi (Flute), Guitar, and Okolele so that the game will look more festive.
3. Rangku Alu from East Nusa Tenggara
Pic source: https://www.eastjourneymagz.com/2017/03/rangkuk-alu-permainan-tradisional.html
Rangku Alu comes from the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara. This traditional game is also often adapted into a traditional dance because this game is usually combined with the beautiful strains of traditional NTT music. In addition, this game is also played during the full moon as an expression of gratitude during harvest season. In practice, players need concentration and fast movement. This game is divided into two groups: the guarding group and the playing group. The guarding group must move the bamboo while squatting and holding two bamboo sticks to form a square. The playing group must jump according to the rhythm of opening and closing between the bamboo so the bamboo won’t capture them. As time goes on, the rhythm of the bamboo will be made faster, and if there are players whose legs are caught, the group on guard will take turns playing.
There you go for three of Indonesia’s unique traditional games. What you saw in this article is just a small example of thousands of other Indonesian traditional games. Are you familiar with one of these traditional games? We have to admit that local wealth owned by Indonesia is threatened with extinction. This happens due to several factors, such as people tend to have a westernized nature and prefer to play mobile or online games rather than traditional games. But we hope you will gain more interest in Indonesia’s traditional games when you read this article. As a young generation, let’s preserve the cultural wealth we currently have so that it can be passed down to the next generation.
References:
Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa. (n.d.). Boi-Boian. https://dapobas.kemdikbud.go.id/home?show=isidata&id=914
CADO OLAHRAGA TRADISIONAL DARI PAPUA | PART 3 MENGENAL PERALATAN PERMAINAN. (2019, February 5). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSelN6vyKW4
Kusumawati, A. (2021, October 26). Permainan Rangku Alu: Filosofi, Sisi Edukasi, dan Cara Bermain. theAsianparent: Situs Parenting Terbaik di Indonesia. https://id.theasianparent.com/permainan-rangku-alu