Traditional Games Family Picnic Sarawak Unity Foundation (YPS) and Sarawak Development Institute in collaboration with Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) are organizing a Traditional Games Family Picnic on 25 August 2013 at the Kuching Amphitheatre from 4:00p.m – 6:30p.m. This will be the first ever mass family picnic that incorporates traditional cultural games for the public. Among the traditional games that will be featured are ‘batak lampong’, ‘tating lawi’, ‘sumpit’ and ‘bowling kelapa’. Besides that, other games such as rope skipping, bamboo stilt walking and Chinese yoyo would be demonstrated. The aim is to raise awareness and involvement in our traditional cultural games.

The picnic is organised to provide an opportunity for members of the public to interact and have fun whilst learning about local culture. It is also to foster and enhance good relations among members of the community, which is a prerequisite for social harmony and unity in the state.

The games are open for public participation in group or by family. Family members and friends are encouraged to sign up early to participate in the games. Attractive prizes would be up for grabs. To register for the picnic and games, please kindly download the form from the YPS and SDI websites, complete it and email it back to the organiser at SDI. You can also call us to register. Come and join us for the picnic for fun and to learn more about the games. Demonstrations on how to play the games would be conducted as well.

The Games Tating Lawi (Sepak Bulu Ayam) Originated from China, this is a simple game of kicking a feathered soft ball as many times as possible to prevent it from falling to the ground. It can be played in a group or on individual basis. It was a popular means of relaxation and exercise for the ancient Chinese generals.

SumpitSumpit is a blowpipe used by the indigenous ethnic groups in Sarawak in the past to hunt for animals in the jungle. The sumpit and the darts are made from different materials such as wood and bamboo as well as fiber glass. Sumpit has become one of the traditional games for competitions in Sarawak and is enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Batak LampongBatak Lampong is a traditional sport of the Iban in Sarawak. Batak means pull in the Iban language while Lampong refers to a light and medium length piece of wood. It is a traditional sport for two persons to test their strength by pulling a piece of wood while sitting on the floor/ground. The aim is to unbalance the opponent.

This traditional sport was always held at the “Pemetong” or door divider if it is held in a house. Traditionally, the loser needs to drink tuak if this sport is held in the longhouse. The purpose of this sport is to test the strength of players and to strengthen the community relationship in a longhouse. This sport is usually held during the Gawai Festival.

Boling Kelapa (Coconut Bowling)

Bowling kelapa is a modified version of the real bowling game, using a coconut as the ball and plastic bottles as pins. Traditionally in Sarawak, this game has been played by those who have no access to the real bowl and pins as it cost a penny to enter those establishments. Compared to the real bowling ball, the coconut poses a challenge when it rolls as it is not totally round. Join this game and be challenged by the coconut!