Individuals react after the yak racing competitors on the Lhasa Farmers and Herdsmen Video games in Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Area, June 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jia)
The inaugural Lhasa Farmers and Herdsmen Video games has not solely set stage for Tibetian sports activities lovers to flex their muscle groups but in addition a strategy to perserve conventional Tibetian sports activities cultures and enrich folks’s lives on the roof of the world.
By sportswriter Li Jia and Huang Yaoman
LHASA, June 24 (Xinhua) — Seventy-six-year-old herder Migmar spent your complete morning transferring between a number of competitors areas within the Lhasa Sports activities and Cultural Middle on Sunday and believed that his day-long hitchhiking journey was fully worthwhile.
The aged man lives in Bangoin County, Nagqu Metropolis, about 360 kilometers away from Lhasa, the capital of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Area. He enjoys taking part in Xiuzi, a strategic Tibetan cube recreation, and Jiren, a conventional Tibetan board recreation.
“I’m superb at these video games and have been taking part in them since I used to be younger,” stated Migmar. “Once I discovered that Lhasa was internet hosting the Farmers and Herders Video games with my favourite occasions included, I made a decision to return and watch. The Video games supply our herders an opportunity to take part in sports activities and compete. My two sons will deal with our cattle in my absence.”
Each Xiuzi and Jiren had been featured as a part of the primary Lhasa Farmers and Herders Video games, a brand new try at mass health actions on the roof of the world. The Video games kicked off on June 22 and can run for 5 days.
The Video games characteristic 19 occasions divided into two predominant classes: aggressive and conventional ethnic occasions. The standard ethnic occasions embody Guduo (a conventional Tibetan sport the place members throw stones tied to ropes), yak racing, Xiuji, Jiren, Tibetan chess, and extra. The aggressive occasions embody desk tennis and varied monitor and discipline occasions. Over 500 athletes from throughout Lhasa are taking part.
Thirty-seven-year-old farmer Losang Chosphel, from Dagze District, participated within the Jiren competitors, which has a historical past spanning a number of hundred years. The sport is performed in a fashion much like snooker.
“The Video games give our farmers and herders a platform to showcase our ethnic conventional sports activities. The competitions was held solely inside villages with out formal platforms. I’m very completely happy to participate within the Video games,” he stated.
Losang Chosphel’s fellow villager, Lhapa Drolma, shared her pleasure in taking part within the tug-of-war competitors throughout the agricultural low season. She stated with the ability to take part in such an necessary occasion proper at her doorstep fills her coronary heart with delight. She appears ahead to collaborating in additional comparable actions sooner or later.
Sonam Dekyi labored as a referee for Yajia on the Video games. Yajia, often known as “elephant tug-of-war,” is a conventional ethnic sport among the many Tibetan folks. The occasion options 5 classes and attracted 42 members on the Video games.
“Yajia is a recreation that farmers and herders typically play throughout village festivals, however their methods should not very skilled, and they do not know the best way to defend themselves. Earlier than the competitors, the referees defined the foundations to the members to forestall fouls. The competitors is way more standardized in comparison with those they’ve of their villages,” stated Sonam Dekyi.
Individuals prepare for the yak racing competitors on the Lhasa Farmers and Herdsmen Video games in Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Area, June 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Jia)
Migmar Qungda, Director of the Lhasa Sports activities Bureau, stated conventional Tibetan actions resembling yak racing, stone lifting, and Tibetan chess are generally practised by native farmers and herders. The Video games intention to supply them a platform to showcase their sporting spirit and supply a higher-level platform for aggressive change.
“These occasions are extremely attribute of Xizang,” she stated. “These days, the residing requirements of our farmers and herders have tremendously improved, and their demand for non secular and cultural actions has elevated. We held the Video games to fulfill their non secular and sports activities wants, and we additionally hope the Video games will showcase the spirit of our rural Tibetans.”
China’s rural sports activities have skilled a surge in reputation lately. An newbie soccer match in Rongjiang County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province has gained sudden reputation. It was dubbed “Cun Chao” by Chinese language netizens, translating to “Village Tremendous League.” As well as, village basketball and volleyball tournaments have additionally thrived throughout China, infusing ethnic cultural traits into sports activities occasions. The success of those rural sports activities tournaments has sparked a tourism increase and introduced substantial financial advantages.
Migmar Qungda additionally expects the ethnically attribute Farmers and Herders Video games to attract extra consideration and promote sports activities consumption.
“Through the Video games, we organized complementary actions resembling a meals carnival, an exhibition of specialty agricultural merchandise, and a sports activities expertise zone. This initiative goals to foster the built-in growth of sports activities with agricultural, pastoral tradition, and tourism.” ■
