Ancient sport of hip ball - 23rd July 2021

The cultural identity of young Maya people in Guatemala is being strengthened by the revival of an ancient sport, hip ball. The pre-colonial game, played with the hip as opposed to hands or feet, takes place on a concrete court and uses a rubber ball.

Teams made up of four members compete against each other, and the action occurs over two 13 minute halves. One team member, Otto Jacobo, outlines the main principles of the sport.

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 are only allowed to make contact with the ball once before it’s the opposing team’s turn. The referee rewards a successful shot over the line with four points.

Maya spiritual guide Carlos Zabala offers blessings of harmony to ensure an incident and injury free match. Mentioned in religious teachings in the Maya K’iche’ culture, the sport carries a lot of significance, as hip ball player Javier Mendez explains.

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

Women make up one of Guatemala’s 11 hip ball teams. The next Mesoamerican championship, held in December, will see teams from Guatemala taking on their counterparts in Mexico.