Stones are seldom used now. The 'stones' that are used now are made of leftover cloth and sewn into pyramids. They are filled with sand or beans.
Guess what I just found out today? People in South East Asia would have thought that this game originated here. But with a bit of searching over the Internet, I found out that this game is also played in India! They are known as Kallangal, Anchangal in the villages of Tamilnadu. (See info here)
Even more surprising is that the Koreans play this game too! They call it Gonggi. (Info from Wiki here, Youtube of it here.) Their rules are the same too!
I got even more surprised to find out that the French plays a similar game too! They call it Osselets. (Wiki in French here / translated to English here) Now are you as surprised as I am? You can watch a YouTube of it here. I guess the only difference is that the French has a points system. Also when they throw the stones (they used bones), they leave it on the floor, the South East Asian and Korean version keep the stones in the hands.
Surprised???
Here's a part of the poster that shows what it is all about. I think it was by the Singapore Sports Council. I would think they will introduce these traditional games at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.
Hmm... It would be so interesting when the young athletes from the different country arrived in Singapore and when it's introduced to them, they would be saying: hey, that's the same game we have in our countries too!
Friends from all over the world, do you all have a same game too? What do you call it?
yes, i know this game. I played it when i was in my primary school...the other is the 'rubber bands' made into a rope and at different heights, the players jumped to 'cross' to the other side of it!
ReplyDeleteit looks similar to a game of Jacks in the US: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacks
ReplyDeletei think my parents played it...but i'm not coordinated enough!
love 5stones! (i think bcoz of muscle memory i can still rmbr what to do next even though i have not played it in ages!)
ReplyDeleteZannnie,
ReplyDeleteThat would be Zero Point! The rubber band ropes! And Zero Lion or something like that for lower ones?
Rikki,
Oooo... It seems this game is played in almost every country! This is getting interesting!
I wonder what other traditional games are also played by everyone everywhere!
C&C,
you played too much when you were young that's why! hehe..
I live in New Zealand now and they call them knucklebones here. I have seen metal knucklebone shapes and heavy plastic shapes. Give me the five stones anytime! These metal ones hurt!
ReplyDeletethe girls play these, but the boys play 5 bottlecaps, remember?
ReplyDeletethose were certainly the good ol' days - now, it's nintendo & gameboy, & they all grow up wearing thick glasses!! ha ha!
SP,
ReplyDeleteOoo.. this game is everywhere!
doc,
oh yes, the bottlecaps. It's hard to get bottlecaps nowadays!
Thick glasses, there are now 'eye docs' which can zap your eyes and give you perfect eye sight. :-p