Traditional sports regain popularity amid Covid pandemic in Punjab

People avail opportunity to indulge in games they played in childhood

MULTAN:

Traditional rural sports have gained the attention of the people during the coronavirus-related restrictions in Punjab.

Amid limited recreational opportunities, the people took it as an opportunity to peep into their past and indulge in games they used to play in their childhood.

During the early wave of the deadly virus, people remained stuck inside their homes with restricted outdoor activities. But before the start of the second wave, Muhammad Suleman from Chak 345WB started playing traditional games of his childhood like ‘Gulli Danda’, ‘Wanju’, Kabbadi, arm wrestling, volleyball, street cricket, Ludo, marbles’, ‘Stoliya’ and many other games which he played with his elders years ago.

“The experience was an unforgettable joy,” he said and added that it also made his son Noman have the taste of the traditional games he had never heard of.

Noman Ali said he played the games for the first time ever in his life and found them different and more entertaining than games on a smartphone.

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The healthy activities were on decline in rural areas as people had left activities that they and their elders were once fond of.

The lockdown forced countless people to move to their rural hometowns, either due to monetary problems after losing jobs, or, in case of affluent class, to spend some quiet quality time enjoying nature’s beauty and most importantly to be away from the virus risk in urban areas. Ali said, “Playing marbles with age fellows was more entertaining than online games.”

An old landlord from the same village, Ashfaq Hussain, said the lockdown had affected life adversely but it did one big favour as it brought the scattered family members back home again to enjoy gossip with one another and play games they had almost forgotten. He said that his two sons were living in different cities for their jobs and they seldom came home due to official responsibilities.

“Now my two sons and their families were back home and enjoying family reunion after seven long years under one roof as they used to enjoy over a decade ago.

On the other hand, a large number of youngsters could be seen playing different traditional games in the villages while elders played cards, Ludo and other games on the other side.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2021.