Laamb is far more than sport in Senegal -it is a cultural institution. Wrestlers enter the arena to drumbeats and praise singers (griots), wearing elaborate costumes laden with protective amulets. Matches are preceded by rituals conducted by marabouts, and champions achieve celebrity status rivaling football stars. Competitors train for years; the sport's season draws crowds of tens of thousands in Dakar's arenas.

African Wrestling (Laamb)

A contact sport combining wrestling and tag. A raider crosses into the opponent's half, tags as many defenders as possible, and must return -all on a single breath while chanting 'kabaddi'. One of the world's oldest team sports, originating over 4,000 years ago in ancient India and now played in over 40 countries with professional leagues across South and Southeast Asia.

Kabaddi

Players on horseback compete to place a goat carcass (or calf) in a scoring circle. Practiced in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan for over 1,000 years, Buzkashi is a display of exceptional equestrian mastery, physical courage, and strategic teamwork. The Afghan national sport, it is traditionally played at weddings and major festivals.

Buzkashi

Pencak Silat (Silat) is the generic term for the indigenous martial arts of the Indonesian/Malay archipelago. Silat has played an important role in the history and culture of Indonesian and Malay peoples. Traditionally, Silat formed part of the education of all young men, and was an integral part of a boy's path to manhood. Silat employs natural body movements and develops balance and economy of movement in each individual. It can be practiced purely for sport and fitness, for the aesthetic beauty of the art, or as one of the world's few remaining complete traditional martial arts systems. The Asian Pencak Silat Federation (APSIF) is a member federation of ICTSG. Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2019. Recognized by ICTSG as an Indigenous Sport.

Pencak Silat

Viking Age Icelandic wrestling dating back over 1,000 years, described in the Norse Eddas and Sagas. The distinctive sideways stance and specific grip rules distinguish it from all other wrestling styles. Three main forms exist: Lausatök (loose grip), Hryggspenna (back-hold), and Brokartök (trouser-grip). Iceland's national sport, still competed regularly across Scandinavia at cultural festivals and organized championships.

Glima

Traditional longboat racing in Riau Province, Indonesia. Boats carved from a single tree trunk stretch up to 30 meters and are rowed by 50–60 paddlers in perfect synchrony. The jalur is considered a living cultural object -it is ceremonially blessed before racing. Gained unprecedented global attention in 2025 when Rayyan Arkan Dikha's joyful bow-dance captivated millions worldwide.

Pacu Jalur

A women's-only traditional sand court game from the Maldives. Once the national pastime, played on festive evenings by women and girls on islands across the archipelago. Coconut-leaf balls and carved wooden rackets were historically used. An endangered tradition representing female cultural space in Maldivian society -ICTSG is working with Maldivian authorities on revitalization programs.

Bashi

Traditional Polynesian outrigger canoe paddling, fundamental to Pacific Islander identity, navigation heritage, and ocean relationship. Practiced across Tahiti, Hawai'i, Cook Islands, and throughout the Pacific for over 3,000 years. Modern va'a races cover open-ocean distances up to 130 kilometers, testing teamwork, endurance, and seamanship passed down through generations.

Va'a (Outrigger Canoe)

An ancient form of boxing practiced by the Hausa people of West Africa, historically performed during harvest festivals and tied to military training traditions. The dominant arm ('spear') is wrapped in rope for striking; the lead leg bears a weighted chain for defense kicks. Bouts are fast and intense -a fighter wins by knocking the opponent to the ground. Now experiencing a major revival through modern promotions across Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.

Dambe Boxing

Central to the Naadam Festival, which UNESCO inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010. The oldest documented wrestling tradition in Central Asia, referenced in Mongolian chronicles over 1,000 years old. No weight classes exist -any body part above the knee touching the ground ends the bout. Victory is celebrated by imitating the flight of an eagle, embodying Mongolia's sacred relationship with nature and the sky.

Mongolian Bökh

Georgian traditional wrestling where competitors wear special jackets and attempt to throw each other to the ground. Inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, Chidaoba is inseparable from Georgian national identity. Historical records describe it as practiced in the court of Queen Tamar in the 12th century. Every village traditionally had its champion; the title carried deep communal honor.

Chidaoba

A greased pole climbing competition practiced during festivals across Latin America and the Caribbean -from Colombia to Costa Rica, Cuba to the Philippines. Participants, often working in cooperative teams, attempt to be first to reach prizes tied at the top of a tall greased wooden pole. The game combines individual skill with crowd strategy and teamwork, and is deeply embedded in regional festival cultures.

Palo Encebado

A Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music, created by enslaved Africans in the 16th century as a disguised form of self-defense and cultural resistance. Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014. Capoeira is practiced in a roda (circle) to the rhythm of the berimbau -the 'game' between two players is as much conversation as combat. Now practiced in over 150 countries.

Capoeira

Japan's national sport, with origins as a Shinto ritual performed to pray for good harvests over 1,300 years ago. Wrestlers (rikishi) compete to force each other out of the circular clay ring (dohyō) or touch the ground with any body part other than the soles of the feet. Six major tournaments (honbasho) are held annually in Japan, attracting global audiences. Grand champions (yokozuna) hold lifelong titles.

Sumo

A sport combining football, volleyball, and gymnastics -played using a rattan ball that may never touch the hands. Originating in the Malay kingdoms, it spread across Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and beyond. Players execute extraordinary bicycle kicks and backflip spikes to send the ball over the net. Played competitively in over 30 countries and featured at the Asian Games since 1990.

Sepak Takraw

Argentina's national sport, blending polo-style horsemanship with basketball-like scoring. Players on horseback compete to throw a six-handled leather ball through a basket. Originating in the 17th century among gauchos (Argentine cowboys), Pato embodies the gaucho cultural tradition of horsemanship that defines the Argentine Pampas. Its name means 'duck' -early versions controversially used a live duck inside a basket.

Pato

Samoa's national sport -a joyful, community-centered adaptation of cricket that transformed the British colonial game into a distinctly Samoan tradition. Teams represent entire villages and can number from 10 to 60+ players. The carved hardwood bat has three sides. Matches are festival occasions with music, dancing, food, and taunt-singing -community celebration as much as sport competition.

Kilikiti

Zurkhaneh is a deep-rooted Iranian traditional sport recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. Traditional Iranian wrestling (koshti) dates back to ancient Persia and was said to have been practiced by Rustam, the mythological Iranian hero of the Shahnameh epic. The original purpose of these institutions was to train men as warriors and instill them with a sense of national pride. Zurkhaneh sports are played individually and in groups, divided into accessory-activities (Sang Gereftan, Milgiri, Shena and Kabbadeh Zadan) and non-accessory activities (stretching and warm up, foot tapping, spinning and heroic movements). The International Zurkhaneh Sports and Koshti Pahlavani Federation (IZSF) is a member federation of ICTSG. Recognized by ICTSG as a Traditional Sport.

Varzesh-e Bastani (Zurkhaneh)

Camel racing is a deep-rooted traditional sport that finds its origins in the desert culture of the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, and the Middle East. Camels, commonly referred to as 'ships of the desert,' have for thousands of years played a vital role in the region, influencing every aspect of daily life. Beyond providing transportation, food, and shelter, the camel also served as a means of entertainment and competition at festivals and special occasions. With the oil boom, many aspects of traditional life disappeared, which awakened a sense of urgency when people realized their proud and rich history was fading away. The importance of holding on to those traditions was revived, and camel racing became a very popular pastime, developing into a much more formalized and professional form of racing which includes specialized breeding, intensive training programs, and technique. The sport continues to grow and develop, spreading and gaining recognition in regions where camels are not generally common. Recognized by ICTSG as a Traditional Sport.

Camel Racing

Falconry or hawking is a sport that involves taming and training a bird of prey to hunt for its trainer. This sport was first developed more than three to four thousand years ago. During the Middle Ages falconry was brought to Europe, where it was called the 'sport of kings.' As was mentioned by UNESCO while officially declaring falconry as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, falconry represents one of the oldest relationships between man and bird - an integral part of desert life. Falconry requires extensive experience and personal commitment; it entails long hours, constant devotion, and skill. Falconers also played a significant role in developing our understanding of raptor biology and raptor conservation. Now inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage across 25 countries. Recognized by ICTSG as a Traditional Sport.

Falconry

Kowat Alrami is a traditional martial art that includes the training of self defence. It is an important part of the Arabian heritage and culture. Kowat Alrami literally means 'power of throw.' The sport is considered a matter of pride in the Arab nation and heritage. It is a comprehensive and unique style featuring methods of boxing, kicking, holding, throwing, and submitting, covering light, medium, and full contact levels. Throughout exercises in this Arab style of martial arts - which is spreading worldwide swiftly - the World Federation of Kowat Alrami also trains athletes on the Arab Sword and Gear, considered the oldest and most capable among various traditional swords. The WFKA was established in 2007 and affiliated with ICTSG in 2019. Recognized by ICTSG as a Traditional Sport.

Kowat Al-Rami

A grappling martial art with deep roots in Japanese Jujutsu, refined through Brazilian adaptations into a globally practiced sport. ICTSG recognizes Sport Jiu-Jitsu through its member federation SJJIF (Sport Jiu-Jitsu International Federation) as a bridge between traditional martial heritage and contemporary sporting competition. Practitioners compete in gi (jacket) and no-gi categories across points and submission formats.

Sport Jiu-Jitsu

Korea's national traditional wrestling, where two competitors grip each other's cloth belt (satba) and attempt to throw the opponent to the ground. Depicted in Goguryeo tomb murals dating back over 1,500 years, Ssireum was historically practiced at major festivals including Dano and Chuseok. The sport combines strength, balance, and technique — a champion earns the title of Cheonha Jangsa (strongest under heaven).

Ssireum

One of the world's oldest and fastest field sports, played in Ireland for over 3,000 years. Players use a curved ash stick (hurley) to strike a small leather ball (sliotar) along the ground or through the air to score. Managed by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1884, hurling remains the defining expression of Irish cultural identity and community life, drawing hundreds of thousands to All-Ireland Finals at Croke Park.

Hurling

South Asia's traditional tag sport, played between two teams on a rectangular field. The chasing team kneels in a row with alternating directions; the active chaser passes the tag by touching a teammate and calling 'Kho.' Defenders sprint and dodge to survive their turn. One of the fastest non-contact sports in the world, Kho Kho is played in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and across South Asia at school and national level competitions.

Kho Kho

Scotland's historic athletic and cultural celebration rooted in medieval clan culture. Events include the Caber Toss (balancing and tossing a large wooden pole), Stone Put, Scottish Hammer Throw, Weight Over the Bar, and Sheaf Toss. Highland Games festivals also incorporate traditional Highland dancing, bagpipes, and clan gatherings. Held across Scotland and in diaspora communities from Nova Scotia to New Zealand.

Highland Games

A traditional wrestling style practiced across Azerbaijan and Iran, promoting cultural unity across national borders. Ashirma blends belt-grip techniques with throws and sweeps, emphasizing technique over raw strength. Practiced at festivals, weddings, and community gatherings across the South Caucasus and northwestern Iran, the sport serves as a living bridge between the shared cultural heritage of Azerbaijani and Persian civilisations.

Ashirma

Cambodia's ancient martial art inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2022. Depicted on the bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat, Kun Lbokator combines striking, grappling, and weapons techniques into a comprehensive combat system tied to Khmer royal courts. The art was nearly extinguished under the Khmer Rouge regime; its revival is now a cornerstone of Cambodia's cultural renaissance and national identity.

Kun Lbokator

Korea's living traditional martial art inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011. Taekkyeon is distinguished by its fluid, rhythmic footwork — practitioners flow and dance between attacks and defenses, targeting the legs and feet to trip or unbalance opponents. Unlike most martial arts, Taekkyeon discourages hard strikes to the face, reflecting its roots as a social practice and cultural expression rather than pure combat.

Taekkyeon

Kyrgyzstan's traditional belt wrestling, practiced by nomadic peoples of the Tien Shan mountains for centuries. Competitors grip each other's belt and attempt to throw the opponent to the ground — the first to touch down loses. Alysh is performed at Nowruz celebrations and national games, and is a cornerstone of Kyrgyz national identity. A variant, Qazaq Küresh, is shared across Kazakhstan, binding nomadic cultural heritage across Central Asia.

Alysh

Traditional archery of the Tibetan Plateau using distinctive whistling arrows (da) whose sound is believed to carry prayers and ward off spirits. Deeply embedded in Bon and Buddhist ritual culture, Tibetan archery is performed at seasonal festivals, horse festivals (Losar, Saga Dawa), and community celebrations across Tibet, Ladakh, Bhutan, and Nepal. The ceremonial and competitive aspects are inseparable — each shot is both a sporting act and a spiritual expression.

Tibetan Archery

Tamil Nadu's ancient bull-taming tradition performed during the Pongal harvest festival. Participants attempt to hold onto the hump of a charging bull for a set distance or time. Dating back over 2,000 years to the Sangam era, Jallikattu is inseparable from Tamil cultural identity, cattle-breed preservation, and the social life of rural Tamil Nadu. The sport has been the subject of significant cultural and legal debate, reflecting the tension between heritage and modern regulatory frameworks.

Jallikattu

The national martial art and sport of the Philippines, declared so by law in 2009. Also known as Eskrima or Kali, Arnis is notable for teaching weapons-based combat before empty-hand techniques — reflecting a fighting philosophy that real-world defense requires tool mastery. Practitioners work with rattan sticks, knives, and empty hands in three categories. Arnis survived Spanish and American colonisation as a disguised dance form, and is now practiced in over 60 countries.

Arnis (Eskrima / Kali)

The ancient Persian equestrian sport that gave rise to modern polo, played for over 2,500 years. Inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (Iran, 2017; Azerbaijan, 2013), Chovgan is as much ceremony as sport — matches are accompanied by music, poetry recitation, and elaborate horsemanship displays. Historically played by Persian royalty and court nobles, the game spread along the Silk Road to the Byzantine Empire, Mughal India, and eventually to British India where it became polo.

Chovgan

One of the world's oldest living sports — a direct descendant of the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame played by the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilisations for over 3,500 years. Players use their hips, forearms, or knees (never hands or feet) to keep a heavy rubber ball in play along a narrow stone court. The game survives today in Sinaloa, Mexico, among small communities of players preserving an unbroken chain of practice reaching back to pre-Columbian civilisation.

Ulama

A family of ancient strategy board games played across Africa for centuries, involving redistribution of seeds or stones among a series of pits. With hundreds of regional variants — Oware (Ghana), Bao (East Africa), Awele, Sowing — Mancala is one of the world's most widespread traditional game families. Recognized as a vehicle for mathematical thinking, social interaction, and intergenerational knowledge transfer across African cultures from Egypt to South Africa.

Mancala

A traditional Maori team sport rooted in the story of Rahi and Tiarakurapakewai, combining tag, ball, and territorial strategy on a circular field. Two teams — kioma (defenders) and taniwha (attackers) — play simultaneously under different scoring rules, creating a game of layered strategy. Ki-o-Rahi is now taught in New Zealand schools as part of the national curriculum and recognized as a taonga (treasure) of Maori cultural heritage.

Ki-o-Rahi

Ireland's iconic field game combining elements of soccer, rugby, and basketball — played with a round ball that may be kicked, hand-passed, or solo-run (bouncing alternately). Managed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) since 1884, Gaelic football is the most-attended sport in Ireland, with county rivalries defining community identity across the island and Irish diaspora worldwide. The All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final regularly fills 82,000-seat Croke Park.

Gaelic Football

Kazakhstan's enduring long-distance horse racing tradition, central to nomadic culture and the Nauryz spring celebrations. Bayga races cover distances of 10–100 km across open steppe — jockeys are traditionally young children aged 7–12, whose light weight and fearlessness make them ideal riders. The sport reflects the Kazakh relationship with horses that has defined life on the steppe for millennia, and remains a key feature of national Nauryz celebrations.

Bayga

The Basque tradition of competitive log-chopping, a defining symbol of rural Basque strength and cultural identity. Competitors race to chop through a series of logs as quickly as possible, alternating footing positions for each cut. Aizkolaritza is a highlight of Basque rural sports festivals (Herri Kirolak) alongside stone-lifting, tug-of-war, and bale-carrying, collectively expressing Basque agricultural heritage and the values of communal labour and physical prowess.

Aizkolaritza

A traditional Turkish horseback javelin game recognized on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, in which riders hurl blunt wooden javelins at galloping opponents. Two teams alternate chasing and fleeing at full gallop, with points scored for accurate throws. Originating among Central Asian Turkic cavalry traditions and refined in the Ottoman court, Cirit is still practiced regularly in eastern Turkey — especially in Erzurum, its heartland — at festivals and official competitions.

Atlı Cirit (Jereed)

The indigenous grappling tradition of the Selk'nam (Onas) people of Tierra del Fuego — one of the world's southernmost traditional sports. Practiced as part of the Hain initiation ceremony, Selk'nam wrestling was nearly lost following the near-extinction of the Selk'nam people through colonial violence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its revival today is an act of cultural resistance and identity reclamation by indigenous communities of Patagonia.

Selk'nam Wrestling

The Caribbean's ancient Taino ballgame played in specially constructed stone courts (also called batey). Documented by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to the Americas, Batey was a central social and ritual practice of Taino society across the Greater Antilles. The rubber ball — a material technology unknown in Europe at the time — was struck using the hips, knees, and elbows but never the hands. Revival efforts in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba are reconnecting indigenous heritage with contemporary Caribbean identity.

Batey

A ceremonial combat tradition of the Bolivian Andes performed annually to honor Pachamama (Mother Earth), involving ritualized fighting between communities. Tinku ('encounter' in Quechua) is practiced during the feast of the Holy Cross in Macha and other Bolivian highland communities. Participants fight with bare fists in pairs, with blood offerings believed to ensure good harvests. The Tinku festival is also known for its vibrant textile costumes and communal drinking of chicha.

Tinku

The magnificent traditional snake boat racing of Kerala, with ornate 30-meter longboats crewed by over 100 paddlers racing in synchrony to the rhythm of the Vanchipattu (boatman's song). The Nehru Trophy Boat Race on Punnamada Lake is the most celebrated event, drawing massive crowds during the Onam harvest season. The boats — built from kadamb and anjili wood — take up to a year to construct and are considered sacred objects. Vallam Kali embodies Kerala's relationship with its backwaters as a cradle of life, commerce, and cultural expression.

Vallam Kali

Known as the 'Little Brother of War,' Stickball is an Indigenous North American ball game practiced by the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and other Southeastern nations for over a thousand years. Games were played between villages, sometimes spanning miles, with hundreds of players — historically serving diplomatic and military functions as alternatives to warfare. The direct ancestor of modern lacrosse, Stickball remains a living cultural practice tied to Indigenous identity, healing ceremonies, and community solidarity.

Stickball

Sri Lanka's ancient martial art combining unarmed combat, weapons techniques, and pressure-point manipulation (marma adi). Practiced by Sinhalese warriors for over 2,000 years, Angampora was banned by British colonial authorities in 1817 on pain of death, driving it underground for over a century. Its revival since the 1970s is a potent act of cultural reclamation — practitioners preserve training lineages that survived in secret across three generations of suppression.

Angampora

Kazakhstan's traditional horseback wrestling game where riders attempt to unseat their opponent while both gallop on horseback. A core Kazakh nomadic sport alongside Bayga, Kokpar, and Kyz Kuu, Audaryspak tests exceptional horsemanship, core strength, and competitive instinct. Performed at Nauryz spring festivals and nomadic games, it embodies the Kazakh steppe tradition of horsemanship as the highest physical and cultural achievement.

Audaryspak

Myanmar's traditional martial art system encompassing striking, grappling, and weapons techniques, recognized as a pillar of Burmese intangible cultural heritage. Bando integrates both unarmed combat (thaing) and weapons training (a-thanh thaing), and was historically practiced in the royal court and by military forces. Its philosophical foundation draws on Theravada Buddhist principles of mindfulness and discipline. Bando's revival is central to Myanmar's efforts to document and preserve its pre-colonial cultural heritage.

Bando

The ancient martial art of Tamil Nadu combining empty-hand strikes, kicks, and pressure-point (varma) techniques rooted in Dravidian warrior tradition. Adimurai — literally 'original method' — is among the oldest codified Indian martial arts, documented in Sangam-era poetry and considered a precursor to Kalaripayattu. Closely linked to Siddha medicine through its varma kalai (vital-points) system, Adimurai practitioners train in both combat application and therapeutic pressure-point healing.

Traditional Sports & Games

Six Stages from Village to World Stage