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Ancient Chinese Field Hockey
The Field Hockey Game of the Daur Minority
According to historical records, in the Tang Dynasty, there was a popular game called "ball game on foot" quite similar to modern-day field hockey. But as time went on, the game was almost lost among other ethnic groups of China than the Daur minority, in which it was carried on and further developed.
The hockey stick of the traditional Daur game is made of fine oak tree wood from trees with crooked roots and straight trunks after grinding and polishing processes. The ball is as big as a baseball. There are usually three ball types: wooden ones, hairy ones and fiery ones. And bone balls are occasionally used. Wooden balls are made of polished oak tree wood; hairy balls are made of twisted threads of domestic and wild animal hair; and fiery balls are made of hardened white fungi on birch trees. The ball is hollow inside, with several holes on the hard shell and a pine torch is placed within. The ball remains lighted after the torch is ignited. Such balls are ideal for nighttime games.
The traditional Daur field hockey is usually held among clans and villages during grand festivals, gatherings or slack seasons. A piece of plain grassland or an open area in a village is often chosen as the competition arena, with no set rules for the size of the ground. A goal is set up on both ends of the ground. The two opposing teams are supposed to have the same number of players. The team scored more goals is the winner.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Today, the traditional field hockey is mainly practiced in the Daur minority-settled area of Molidawa Daur Autonomous Banner in Inner Mongolia. In 1989, the Autonomous Banner was named "the Home of Field Hockey" by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission.
Chasing tomorrow's Horizons with yesterday's legs !
(thank you, Brian Woolcott (LX)
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Life begins at 40 so they say! But did any of us celebrate! Did we tell anyone at work?
Did we say that we were the most elite. fittest, most skilled sportsmen anywhere, anytime? NO WAY! But we thought it!
What
we did say was mainly aimed at reassurance from our loved ones "how do
my knees look today dear?` or "how many strands of hair are there on my
brush, dear?"
How
did the reassurance work? Well, not too good I`m afraid. Lots of
hysterical laughter and derision, with wives, children and relatives
all gasping in disbelief - "you`re not still playing hockey are you,
surely you will need oxygen!" "Are you playing on a quarter field?
Which leg are you going to limp on?"
But we fooled `em all, didn`t we - armed with linament, bandages,
plaster, elastics, bike pants and lots of different hats and sunburn
cream. WE BECAME VETERANS AND WE ARE PROUD OF IT (once we got over the
shock of 40 (50/60 ?!) and grew an extra layer of skin)!
Notice there has been no mention of drinking, parties, fun times. WOMEN or the smokes . . YET!
The
truth is we elite athletes don`t need any of these "inducements" - you
see we are perfect, we have no vices, no bad women and no addictions.
All we need is plenty. . . plenty of lovely young physiotherapists to
organise the linament, plenty of large bottles of well brewed water
(with just a little yeast in it, for flavouring. of course) and plenty
of competition.
So,
the qualified Veteran is a personality, that is - fit (always), loves
his sport, loves his social bit after a game, is slightly bald, has
long arms when reading and walks funny.
The
end result is that we all qualify and should all have a great
Tournament in the true spirit of veterans. We have lots in common -
lots of comradeship and happy memories and a good game every now and
then.
Welcome to Sydney and good luck in your event.
Author : Ken Vaughan (Sydney, NSW, World Vets Tournament, 1994).
Samuel Butler (apologies!)
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