The inaugural Lhasa Farmer-Pastoralist Games not only provided a platform for Tibetan sports enthusiasts to show off their skills, but also provided a way to preserve Tibet’s traditional sports culture and enrich the lives of people on the roof of the world.
Sports writers Li Jia and Huang Yaoman
LHASA, June 24 (Xinhua) — Migmar, a 76-year-old herder, spent the entire morning on Sunday navigating several stadiums at the Lhasa Sports and Cultural Center, believing his day-long hitchhiking journey was totally worth it.
The elderly man lives in Bangoying county, Nagqu city, about 360 kilometers from Lhasa, the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region in southwest China. He enjoys playing Shuzi, a Tibetan strategic dice game, and Jiren, a traditional Tibetan board game.
“I am very good at these games and have been playing them since I was a child,” Migmah said. “When I found out that the Farmer-Pastoralist Games were being held in Lhasa and that my favourite games were being included, I decided to go and watch. The games give our herders an opportunity to take part in sports and compete. My two sons take care of the cattle while I’m away.”
Both Hideko and Yoshihito participated in the first Lhasa Agricultural and Pastoral Games, a new venture in mass fitness activities on the Roof of the World. The games began on June 22 and will run for five days.
The Games will feature 19 sports divided into two main categories: athletics and traditional ethnic sports. Traditional ethnic sports include Guduo (a traditional Tibetan sport of throwing stones tied to a rope), Yak racing, Shuzi, Jiren and Tibetan chess. Sports include table tennis and various athletics events. More than 500 athletes from all over Lhasa will participate.
Rosan Chosfer, a 37-year-old farmer from Daguze district, took part in the centuries-old game of jiren, which is played in a similar way to snooker.
“This tournament gives farmers and herders a platform to showcase their traditional ethnic sports. Until now, there was no official stage and competitions were only held within villages. I am very happy to take part in this tournament,” he said.
Lapa Dolorma, a villager from Losang Chosfer, expressed her joy at being able to take part in the tug-of-war competition during the off-season. She said her heart was filled with joy to be able to take part in such an important event so close to her home. She looks forward to taking part in more similar activities in the future.
Sonam Dekhi was the judge for the Yazia event, also known as “elephant tug of war,” a traditional Tibetan folk sport. There were five categories in the event, with 42 participants.
“Yazia is a game that farmers and nomads often play during village festivals, but their skills are not very professional and they do not know how to protect themselves. Before the competition, a referee explained the rules to the participants to prevent foul play. The game is much more standardized compared to the games played in their villages,” said Sonam Dekhi.
Migmar Kunda, head of Lhasa Municipal Sports Department, said that traditional Tibetan sports such as yak racing, stone raising and Tibetan chess are popular among local farmers and nomads. The tournament aims to give them a platform to display their sports spirit and provide a higher level platform for competitive exchange.
“These events very much represent the characteristics of Tibet,” she said. “Today, the living standard of farmers and herders has improved greatly, and there is a growing demand for spiritual and cultural activities. We held the tournament to meet their spiritual and sporting needs, and we also hope that the tournament will showcase the spirit of Tibetan rural people.”
Rural sports in China have recently seen a surge in popularity. An amateur football tournament held in Rongjiang county, Guizhou province in southwest China, gained unexpected popularity and was dubbed the “village super league” by Chinese netizens. In addition, village basketball and volleyball tournaments have also become popular across China, infusing sporting events with ethnic cultural characteristics. The success of these rural sports tournaments has sparked a tourism boom and brought huge economic benefits.
Migmar Kunda also hopes that ethnically-specific agro-pastoral competitions will attract more attention and boost sports consumption.
“During the Games, we have organized complementary activities such as a food carnival, a specialty agricultural product exhibition and a sports experience zone. This initiative aims to promote the integrated development of sports, agriculture, pastoral culture and tourism.” ■
