Hip ball - 23rd July 2021

This is an old sport. Its name is hip ball. People play it with their hip. They don’t use their hands or feet.

Each team has four players. The game has two parts. One game is 26 minutes long. It’s a traditional Maya sport in South America.

Otto Jacobo talks about the rules.

Otto Jacobo: "In this version of the Mayan ball game, only the hip can be used and each team can only hit the ball once."

Players can hit the ball once. Then the other team can hit it. The players hit the ball over a line. They get points.

Carlos Zabala says special Maya prayers before the game. He doesn’t want any accidents.

Hip ball is important. It’s in a special book from the Maya culture. Player Javier Mendez talks about its history.

Javier Mendez: "Our objective is to promote ancestral sport as narrated in the Popol Vuh."

Guatemala has 11 hip ball teams. There’s one women’s team. The teams will play in a competition in Mexico.