The Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa, under the leadership of Minister Fikile Mbalula,is hosting its 10th Annual Indigenous Games Festival (IG 2015).
The 10th IG 2015, sees the department partnering with Limpopo Sport, Arts and Culture and Department of Traditional Affairs, the City of Polokwane hosting the week’s long programme of events from the 20th to the 24th of September 2015.
Underpinning the theme of the year is the translation of Heritage Month 2015’s theme into the sporting space, herein Our indigenous sport, our heritage: Towards the Identification, Promotion and Preservation of South African’s very own sporting codes and heritage.”
In turn, this year, media will be taken through how the theme and in turn the unveiling of the campaign is brought to life through the Indigineous Games’ hashtag mantra of “My games, My Roots, My future”.
South Africa boasts its very own games, herein referring to the 9 sporting codes through which the week’s long Indigenous Games will see the 9 provinces competing under each of those sporting codes.
As Sport and Recreation, we have over the last 9 years, continued to identify the rich heritage of these 9 codes and their interweaving influence into our South African culture.
The Indiginenous Games, offers the opportunity to promote these games to the society at large.
This is a rich, measurable offering responsive to driving the NDP’s vision of 2030 of driving social cohesion and nation building through sporting platforms which drive active citizenry participation in sporting codes whose origins are rooted in South African’s rich history, heritage and culture.
For the first time, this year sees the involvement, participation and endorsement of the Department of Traditional Affairs - affirming the authenticity and cultural rootedness of the Indigenous Games. Again, the launch will unpack the planned activations of DTA in authebnticating the games and vocalising the role of tradition in sport participation.
In line with Heritage month and the cultural background of the Indiginenous games, all invited are asked to ensure that their attire on the day of the media launch showcases the rich diversity of our cultural influences.
Iintonga
This is stick fighting game where two sticks are used, a longer one for attacking and a short one for defending. Age eligibility starts from 5 upwards.
Diketo
Diketo is a game that tests one’s hand to eye coordination. The game is played with 10 small stones or marbles placed in a round shallow (5cm deep) hole and one hand held ghoen or bigger stone. The game can be played by both girls and boys of any age. Only two players can compete at a time.
Dibeke
This is a kick and run ball game pitting two teams of twelve players each against each other. Each team must have an equal representation of male and female players. The team captains have the responsibility of liaising with the match officials. Also required is a scorekeeper from each team to count team and individual player runs during the game. The teams take turns to attack and defend. A player from the defending team is deployed in a central role as a roller of the ball and players from the attacking team take turns as kickers as and when they are called out by the roller to do so.
Morabaraba
This is a board game played with 12 tokens (also known as “cows”) each per player (2 players’ maximum per game). To distinguish between the opposing players, their tokens must be of different shape or of different colour if the shape is the same. Three squares/rectangles are drawn on the board such that there is an outer square containing the middle square which in turn contains the third and smallest square. The squares are then further subdivided into 24 equidistant junctions with straight lines.
Jukskei
This is a target game played by two teams of 4 each with 1 leader each. The players use skeets made of rubber, wood or other composite synthetic materials of between 300mm and 460mm in length, weighing no more than 1.8kg for seniors and 1.1kg for juniors. The aim of the game is to score points by using the skeets to hit targets placed on the field.
Ncuva
A board game played by teams of one to 6 players a side per game. Four rows of four circles/holes each are drawn, dug on flat ground or sculpted onto the board (total of 16 holes. A line is used to divide the board into two rows of 8 holes each. To play, each play uses 32 “cows” (tokens) made of marula fruit kernels or small stones. The stones are placed in sets of 4 in the holes for the game to start.
Kgati
This is a skipping rope game wherein several girls can skip the rope simultaneously or one at a time. The skipping rope should not be longer than 5m. Two players swing the rope while the other players take turns to skip accordingly.
Kho Kho
Two teams of 9 players each compete in this running game. The two teams take turns to be runners or chasers in the game. When the game starts, a player from the running team is nominated as the runner and one from the chasing team is selected to chase.
Drie Stokkies
This is running and jumping game pitting two teams of 5 players a side against each other. The game setting comprises 3 placed on the ground approximately 1m apart. Competing players line up to run and jump over the sticks, stepping only once between the sticks.
