As we continue to celebrate the triumphs of our Southeast Asian athletes at the Paris Olympics, it seems a good time to reflect on some of the games we used to play.
Traditional games have been one of the cornerstones of our rich Southeast Asian culture since ancient times, providing entertainment, fun, and relaxation while also fostering strong relationships between people.
They also held significant cultural values and built camaraderie. Indigenous elements added to these traditional games helped create a distinct cultural dimension unique to the region.
Some of these games may have changed over time, but reliving the fun and excitement can offer insights into the region’s history, traditions, and distinctive forms of social interaction.
“As technology advances fast, most of our traditional games are already being forgotten,” said Pam Martinez, who holds a degree in Sports Science and Human Kinetics.
“Sadly today, very few people know how to play these games that are important components of our regional identity, history, and values.”
Positive values
In Thailand, Thai traditional games have been an integral part of culture and traditions. The Sukhothai period marked the earliest known games in Thailand, with records found in the stone inscriptions of King Ramkhamhaeng.
“These Thai traditional games, designed to foster good relationships between adults and young people, were played with a set of rules and often featured music or songs, while incorporating locally sourced items such as sand, bamboo, rattan, and banana stems,” said Jom, a university professor, adding that in addition to promoting social and physical activities, these games also instilled positive values and community spirit.
“The significance of these games was beyond mere entertainment; they helped in passing down values, customs, and traditions from one generation to the next.”
Shared commonalities
It is interesting to note some commonalities between Thai games and those of other Southeast Asian countries.
“Sepak takraw, for instance, is a traditional Thai ball game also played in other Southeast Asian countries and included in some of our regional games,” noted Pam Martinez.
This traditional Thai ball game was played without a net and involved passing a rattan ball to another person using only the feet, knees, chest, and head.
“In the 1940s, the introduction of the net gave rise to a new form of the game,” she added.
While takraw is still popular, other traditional games now face oblivion like nak phaen din, sometimes called tang te or jong te. It is played by taking turns hopping among the squares drawn on the ground.
In the Philippines, it is called piko. A variation of this game is also played in Vietnam.
There is the koh kaeo, which is a Thai term for “marbles”. Also called deed luk kaew, this game is called guli in Malaysia and holen in the Philippines.
“Different countries have variations of the game; the most common involves taking turns knocking marbles out of a circle drawn on the ground,” Jom recalled.
Flying kites and spinning tops are also Thai traditional games shared by neighboring countries. Called len wao in Thailand, kite flying is known as wau in Malaysia and saranggola in the Philippines.
Luk khang (spinning tops) is called gasing in Malaysia and trumpo in the Philippines.
Congkak, a traditional game in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and some parts of Sumatra and Borneo, has its counterpart called sungka in the Philippines and o an quan or mandarin box in Vietnam.
It is a mental arithmetic game played by two players on a wooden board with 16 to 18 holes carved out in two rows.
Early versions of chess and other strategy board games called makruk, makyek and makhos in Thailand are similar to dama in the Philippines.
Preservation efforts
“Traditional games are culturally significant to every country in Southeast Asia. Many of these are nearly forgotten so efforts are being made to preserve their legacies,” Jom said.
“The khee ma kan kluay, a classic Thai traditional game with toy horses made from banana stalks, for instance, is being preserved.
There are concerted efforts, performances, and re-enactments at traditional events and festivals to help ensure future generations experience this aspect of Thai heritage.”
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, a group of senior citizens led by Pepe Rivera and Linda Ganias, recently held a “Senior Olympics” where seniors participated in playing traditional games.
In an interview with Thai PBS World, Linda Ganias expressed hope that their Senior Olympics project will continue yearly.
Linda Ganias (3rd from left) gathers participants for the Senior Olympics.
“Apart from working on our older adults’ physical, mental, emotional, and social enhancement, we also want to highlight the games that we played during childhood, to continuously instill the core values of sportsmanship, teamwork, and perseverance, while also preserving the rich culture and heritage represented by these traditional sports and games,” she stated.
Our traditional games of yesteryear may lack the luster of the present Olympic Games, but surely their contributions and significance to humanity should not be pushed aside.
*This story is part of a series about the vanishing cultural traditions in Southeast Asia*
