For perhaps the first time, an interschool competition was conducted on traditional Indian games. This was sponsored by The Hindu - Young World as part of its Newspaper in Education
Programme. Held on March 1, 2002 at the Amethyst in Chennai, nine schools participated in the competition. Workshops had been conducted at these schools earlier in the year. The competition was based on three games selected to challenge a variety of skills in the children.
- The first game was Aadu Puli Aatam. This is a strategy game requiring concentration, thinking and planning.
- The second game was a version of Pallanguzhi called Seethaipandi. This is a speed game and tests the child's reflexes and nimbleness.
- The third game involved blowing and picking tamarind seeds. While the other two games required some prior practice this could be picked up immediately.
The enthusiasm of the children was infectious and it was greatly rewarding to watch the teachers and children play the games while awaiting their turn.
What Kreeda had to do in addition to organizing the event was to formulate certain tournament rules regarding duration, draw etc. A lot of research and effort went into this and the event was a success.
The success of the event has made us at Kreeda anxious to conduct more such programmes in an effort to revive traditional games.
Would you be interested in contacting us for workshops, click
here.
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