During the 2006 Sarawak Traditional Sports Carnival in Mukah, various traditional sports were competed. Here are the backgrounds on some of them:
1. Sepak Raga Bulatan
Sepak raga bulatan is a Malay traditional sport. Historically, visitors, trades people and Malay soldiers whom were stationed in Sarawak introduced it in 1958 during the formation of Malaysia. It quickly became a local favourite when Sarawakians whom furthered their studies in West Malaysia (which was known as ‘Malaya’ at the time) brought back sepak raga balls and rulebooks for the sport. Players of this sport play it by standing in a circle formation. A player can only use his legs and head to kick and hit the sepak raga ball that is made of woven strips of rattan or bamboo. A sepak raga court can essentially be created on any area/space that is flat and wide by outlining a circle that has a radius of 4 metres. A circle with a radius of 1 metre should then be drawn in the middle of the first circle. The players should stand in between both circles during a match. 6 people per team play this sport at all times with 1 replacement player on standby. The replacement player can join the match if the ball is in mid-air or when it has fallen onto the ground.
2. Tug-of-war
Tug-of-war has been a staple of traditional sports in Sarawak for as long as anyone can remember. It started out as a means of testing one’s strength by competing against teams of Malays, Ibans, Melanaus and other races. Teams were also divided based according to their jobs, such as farmers, fishermen and loggers. Today in the 21st Century, this sport has become more sophisticated, attracting the likes of staff members from government bodies, private companies and members of the public. Typically, the minimum length for the rope that is used in tug-of-war has to be at least 33.5 metres. Each team must consist of 12 members, with 8 of them competing whilst the remaining 4 as replacements. For men, the total weight of the team cannot exceed 640 kgs whereas the maximum weight for the women’s team is 560 kgs. Before a match begins, each team must position themselves 4 metres away from the centre of the rope. The side on which the team positions themselves is determined by a coin toss that is carried out by the referee.
3. Blowpipe
The Ibans, Bidayuhs and Orang Ulus typically used the blowpipe for hunting wild animals in the forests of Sarawak. Nowadays, the blowpipe has become popularised and entrants competing in blowpipe competitions come from all races within the state. The Sarawakian blowpipe is made from wood and has a spear at the end of it. In comparison, the blowpipe of the Orang Asli in Peninsula Malaysia is made out of bamboo. The small darts (damak) that are used for the blowpipe can be derived from whatever material that the competitor finds suitable, as well as the length and size of them. In a competition, competitors must stand 90 feet away from the target. To note, the size of the target is determined by the organisers of the competition. Each competitor is only allowed to use 10 darts to hit the target and must use them within 5 minutes. If a competitor takes more than 5 minutes, the darts that were used after the 5-minute mark will not be counted.
4. Batak Lampong
Batak lampong is an Iban traditional sport that has been handed down to the Iban people by their ancestors. Traditionally, the Ibans used this sport as a method of testing one’s physical strength as well as keeping close ties amongst members of the longhouse. It is usually played during the Gawai Antu/Gawai Batu/Gawai Kenyalang celebrations. In Iban, ‘batak’ means pull while ‘lampong’ refers to a stick of medium length and proportions (2 feet in length with a diameter of 2 inches).
In order to play batak lampong, two people are required to sit across from each other on a flat-surfaced floor/area with their legs outstretched and their soles directly facing one another. A wooden board that is 2 feet long and has a height of 6 inches is then placed in between both competitors’ soles as a focal point for their feet. Next, the competitors must use their hands to hold the lampong directly above their feet in a horizontally straight position. Finally, with a signal from the referee, the competitors have to pull the lampong as hard as they can in their direction, with the winner of the match being determined from the best three pulls. If there is a draw after the second pull, a 5-minute break will be allowed before the third pull is commenced.
5. Payu Orang Ulu
Payu is traditional Orang Ulu wrestling that is usually organised and competed by the men during the Do Ledoh harvest festival that is usually celebrated annually in April or May. Either men from the same longhouse or men from various longhouses are traditionally allowed to compete against each other. In the Orang Ulu community, particularly in Belaga, only two types of payu have been identified, these being Payu Telanga/Payu Bah and Payu Pekahep/Payu Hivan.
Payu Pekahep/Payu Hivan is considered to be the more dangerous of the two because the competitors do not use the ‘bah’ (a belt-like piece of cloth that is wrapped around the competitor’s waist) while competing, hence the Payu Telanga/Payu Bah being the sports of choice to be competed or demonstrated during the Sarawak Traditional Sports Carnival. However, the wrestling techniques for both types of payu are still alike. For Payu Telanga/Payu Bah, a wrestling match takes place between two men whose opening stance is to have both hands holding the opponent’s ‘bah’, with one hand holding the front part and the other holding the back part. The objective of the match is to turn, twist, lift or carry the opponent, leading to his fall and ultimate defeat.
6. Gasing
Gasing (spinning top) is a popular sport in Malaysia, as found in other Asian countries as well such as Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand. This sport is extremely popular in the villages of Kelantan and Malacca after the rice-harvest, with villagers challenging each other to test their gasing skills. It is played on the evenly smooth surface of a court that is made from earth or clay.
Firstly, two circles are drawn on the court’s surface, with the first circle having a radius of no more than 2.2 metres and the second circle that has to be drawn in the middle of the first circle with a radius of no more than 0.76 metres. These circles define the areas in which the gasings are allowed to spin in as any area outside these two circles will be considered to be illegal.
Most importantly, one will need a gasing and some string to spin it in order to play. The body of the gasing can only be made out of wood and there must not be additional materials added onto it. The minimum diameter measurement of the gasing must be 36 cm, with a maximum of 46 cm while its height must be a minimum of 9 cm and the maximum being 20 cm. As for the string, it has to be made from thread or the bark of terap wood or similar materials but fine wire is disallowed.
A game can be played either in a one-on-one or group situation (each group should have 3 players and 1 reserve player). The objective of the game is to hit the opponent’s gasing so that it will fall over.
7. Wau
The wau is a traditional kite that is extremely popular in the states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu. Traditionally flown after the rice-harvest season, these kites are typically as large as a man – measuring approximately 3.5 metres from head to tail. The term ‘wau’ refers to the shape of the kite, which is similar to the Arabic letter that is pronounced as ‘wow’.
This year, KPSU divided the wau competition into two categories, namely the ‘National Traditional Wau’ and ‘Freestyle Wau’ categories. For the ‘National Traditional Wau’ category, participants were required to make a wau within two days using only paper and parts of local plants such as bamboo, nibung and rotan. The string must also be made from local plants such as mengkuang and mulung leaves whilst only things of local origin can be used as decorative ornaments.
With the second category, its name ‘Freestyle Wau’ says it all. Participants are allowed to use paper, cloth or other materials that they see fit whereas the designs are dependant upon the participants’ creativity and imagination. However, the one rule that both categories have in common is that the participants must get their waus in-flight within 10 minutes after the referee blows the first whistle. Upon the second whistle, participants must begin to lower their waus.
Placements will thus be given towards the most creative wau, the most beautiful wau and the best airborne wau for both categories.
