Amid the onslaught of gadgets and digital games, traditional games are still popular and can be enjoyed. Hundreds of elementary school children in Buleleng were enthusiastic about taking part in traditional game competitions packaged in the 2019 Bali Traditional Sports Festival.
No less than 150 elementary school students from nine schools in Buleleng Regency showed off their dexterity in a traditional game competition held by the Undiksha Singaraja Sports Education Department Student Association – Faculty of Health and Sports (FOK).
The Balinese Traditional Games Festival will take place for two days, 22-23 February at the GOR FOK Undiksha Complex, Jineng Dalem Village, featuring folk games from Gumi Panji Sakti, namely Magoak-goakan and other dexterity fighting games such as the Megala-gala game.
Opened directly by the Deputy Dean III of the Faculty of Sports and Health, I Kadek Happy Kardiawan, the third successful festival held by FOK students received appreciation. Amid developments in the digital world that are taking up children’s playing time, traditional games which are being continuously developed are believed to be able to become an alternative for parents/teachers to encourage children to play more actively.
“The most important thing is that our traditional games do not become extinct amid the current development of modern sports or games. Also, gadget dependence for these children can be reduced. “We need to introduce this from an early age,” said Happy Kardiawan, on Friday (22/2/2019) morning.
The same thing was expressed by the Provincial Trustee of the Indonesian Traditional Sports Committee (KOTI) Bali, Agus Wijaya. The 2019 Bali Traditional Sports Festival is also a means of socialization and support in the development of traditional sports in Bali.
“We at KOTI Bali appreciate this activity, especially since we have previously carried out outreach to several schools in Singaraja. “The hope is that this game will touch levels of society because playing knows no age,” said the KOTI Bali Provincial Trustee.
With the increasing existence of traditional sports, the Bali KOTI Province Trustees hope that traditional games will again be accepted by all levels of society.
