Tang sport a crowd magnet in Chengdu

A Chinese stick-and-ball sport, which was popular 1,300 years ago, has staged a spectacular comeback in the present time, captivating international athletes at the ongoing 2025 World Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, with its unique cultural appeal.

The game of buda ball, played during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), shares many similarities with modern-day floorball, which is one of the 34 official sports at the Chengdu games.

Last week, before the opening match of the women's floorball competition, performers in Tang-style costumes demonstrated how to play buda ball.

At TWG Plaza, a hub for cultural and sports exhibitions and interactions in Chengdu, buda gear was also displayed along with costumes and accessories to allow visitors to experience the sport.

Tobias Koller, a tug-of-war athlete from Switzerland, who tried playing buda ball with his teammates on Sunday night, said it was great fun. "I play a little unihockey, or floorball, but this feels different. The ball and stick are so special. I like it!" he said.

Sun Yuxin, a junior student at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu and a volunteer at the games village, said the rules of buda ball are simple and the sport is interesting to play. "I think it has huge development potential," he said.

Sun noted that the sport's deep cultural connection enhances its appeal. "It integrates so many intangible cultural heritage elements, such as bamboo weaving. I was fascinated by the handmade ball."

Traditionally, the stick for buda is made of wood or bamboo, and it has a rattan hoop to facilitate dribbling. Shu brocade, a national intangible cultural heritage item produced in Sichuan, is wrapped around the stick for better grip.

Wang Zhenfang, an inheritor of the ancient sport, which was listed as an intangible cultural heritage item in Chengdu last year, said that many foreign athletes and visitors, including John Liljelund, secretary-general of the International Floorball Federation, have experienced the Tang sport in recent days. "The games have proved that niche sports can also shine on the global stage. We hope to take the opportunity to introduce the ancient sport to more people around the world, in order to help it regain vitality," she said.

Wang's journey to revive the sport began several years ago, when she accidentally discovered that her family's traditional game, which was called dagan by her great-grandfather, was the historically popular buda ball. She led a team of volunteers to rediscover the sport's equipment, rules, and accompanying costumes, accessories and rituals based on historical records. Together, they also established a base in Wufengxi ancient town in Chengdu's Jintang county to reconstruct the traditional settings for the sport.

Yang Cheng, a core member of Wang's team, said that around 50 volunteers are now part of the group trying to revive the ancient sport. Most of them are university students, while others include teachers, entrepreneurs and office workers.

Wang said they are planning to establish an international development center along with four other countries to make buda ball a globally recognized competitive sport.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn