Zambia is one of the most interesting countries in Africa. Its capital, Lusaka, is among the oldest cities on the continent. The country is rich with tradition and numerous exceptional landscapes you can experience when you visit. At the same time, you will see numerous other important aspects of a certain culture. For instance, you will find it the national cuisine, and you can understand the mentality of the locals.
Those who have visited the country will tell you all about the friendliness of the locals. They do not hesitate to share the history of their country with foreigners. Those who travel know just how important this is since the openness of the locals is not something they can experience in every country in the world. Another interesting thing is that Zambia’s culture is interesting since it comes with many traditional sports and games.
We are not talking just about games that are popular today, which is usually the case with traditional sports. These are widely popular in the country even today. Those who are well-versed in these games can even place a bet on numerous local websites. If you are interested in looking at one of these, you can find more information on this site. Today, we want to talk more about Zambian traditional sports and games.
Nchuba
The first traditional sport in Zambia we want to touch upon is Nchuba. We are talking about the game widely played in the country, mainly in schools. Interestingly enough, it is mostly played by girls. Playing this game is relatively simple, but it does require certain conditions before it is good to go. Before you can play this game, it is mandatory to dig a small hole, which is roughly 25 mm deep. Of course, the deepness doesn’t need to be this precise.
After you dig the hole, the next thing is to place up to ten small rocks around it. Girls will place themselves around the hole and they will throw larger rocks up. While the rock is in the air, they will try to catch as many smaller stones as possible. Naturally, it is important to know that they should gather these stones before the rock touches the ground. Also, the point is to catch the rock with the same hand before it lands.
The player who gathers ten stones without making any mistakes in the process is the winner. You will find many similar games in other parts of the world. A good example is a famous game, jacks, widely played in the United States. While it may not seem like that initially, this is a unique game played in Zambia for generations. It is always nice to see when something survives the test of time.
Sojo
Sojo is a game different from the previous one because boys mainly play it. We can draw a parallel between this one and others in different parts of the world. The best way to describe this one is to say marbles. As you know, marble is trendy in the United States, Canada, and some parts of Europe. There are similar ones we can find in some parts of Asia. Still, Sojo is a unique game that originated in Zambia.
It consists of a few simple moves. The hole is dug, and the players will throw bottle caps into the hole. At the same time, they have the opportunity to mess with other players’ results. What does this mean? Well, it is possible to throw bottle caps at them and find a way to make them as distant from the hole as possible. The one who wins at the particular game is declared a king by other participants, which is a nice touch.
Isolo
The third popular game in Zambia we want to talk about is known as Isolo. We are talking about a board game, which means that it requires a wooden surface. It is mostly in the shape of an egg cartoon. The stones used in the game are the pieces. Sometimes, you will see locals using seeds. There are two main parts of Isolo.
The first one is known as foreplay, and the other is the main part. The winner will be the one who manages to capture all their opponents’ pieces. Some would describe it as a somewhat complicated form of checkers. Still, we need to say that it looks like that on the surface, but this is not the case.
Popular Modern Sports
Now that we’ve covered the traditional sports in the country, we want to talk about modern ones that are widely played today. As is the case with most countries in Africa, the most popular sport is football. Today, you will see that the Zambian national team has a household name to be proud of, Patson Daka. For those who don’t know about this player, we are talking about a forward who currently plays for Leicester City.
Before Leicester, he was a part of Red Bull Salzburg. When you see the names of these clubs, you know that we are talking about an important name. He has already played 35 matches for the team and scored 12 goals so far. Thankfully, he is young, and we can expect his career to be even better in the future. After football, you will see that many locals are interested in basketball. While their national team is not among the most successful in Africa, they produced some great players.
The U.S. Open golf tournament is generating excitement nationwide. With talented local athletes and international stars, the competition promises to be a thrilling fairway frenzy. Golf, along with other beloved sports like volleyball, squash, and rugby, has a dedicated following in the country, making these disciplines household names. The upcoming U.S. Open is set to captivate fans with its storied tradition and unforgettable moments.
In Summation
Zambia is an interesting country to visit since it offers so much. Here you can find all you need to know about the traditional games played here.
