The AKADi Magazine team attended the launch of a newly inaugurated association that is on a mission in the UK to rekindle interest in indigenous African and Caribbean games and sports. Magazine editor KAmo reports on the event.
The London-based Cultural Games Association (CGA) UK has mapped out plans to promote the health and cultural benefits of traditional African and Caribbean games and sports to the next generation.
Activities such as Ampe, Chaskele and Push Boxing were among the games highlighted during the launch at Frederick Bremer School, in Walthamstow, East London.
Ampe is a strategic game which requires participants to rhythmically hop, jump and kick their leg to outsmart their opponent. Chaskele is a bat and ball game that
Push Boxing is a contest where participants, hop on one leg while trying to push their opponent off balance. The first person to have both feet touch the ground loses.
Dr Richard Eghan, CGA-UK's advisory board member, explained that these games offer health, motor and cognitive benefits.
Project Zero, an organisation that works with disenfranchised young people welcomed CGA-UK’s launch as an opportunity to promote culture and identity among the young and help curb anti-social behaviour.
Stephen Barnabis, founder and operations director of Project Zero, was inspired to create the organisation after losing two relatives to knife crime. The organisation promotes youth engagement through youth clubs, engagement by working with young people that have been excluded from school and encourages employment.
"The principles, areas and objectives in steering young people away from criminal activities, keeping them fit and healthy, promoting the positive mental health is very important is what we do at Project Zero and is what the games is also about," he said.
"And we are finding out our young black men they don't know about their heritage, they don't know about their culture, they are losing their identity, and this is one of the key reasons they might get involved in criminal activities or may carry a knife. So this project and working together with is very important to us."
Other organisations keen to work with CGA-UK, that were present at the launch, included a local police organisation, and the Guyana UK Social Development Association (GUSDA), and PC Shaik Umar Arshad, Metropolitan Police Service representative of the Borough Commander and one of the youth engagement and diversion officers for Waltham Forest and Newham Borough.
According to Mariama Grant, CGA-UK’s secretary, traditional games offer cultural grounding, a way to connect with communities, and promote community bonding.
She also highlighted how Ghana is ensuring sports and games remains on the agenda with the promotion of African sports and games between 8 and 23 March. The 13th African Games will launch across three Ghanaian cities (Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast).
The value of indigenous games has not gone unnoticed and there is a global push driven by UNESCO, Mariama highlighted.
According to a report by UNESCO’s Traditional Sports and Games (TSG) chairman in August 2018: “the importance of traditional sports and games for their intrinsic cultural values and their ability to increase participation in physical activity and sport for almost two decades.”
UNESCO established the TSG committee which includes representation coming from countries including some from Africa and the Caribbean.
The CGA-UK has identified over 20 African and Caribbean cultural games including: Kalooki (Jamaica; Trinidad &Tobago), Caribbean Stud Poker (Aruba), Fanorona (Madagascar)
- Hyena (Sudan), Morabaraba (South Africa; Botswana), and Ampe (Ghana).
The organisation aims to focus on the following cultural games in its first phase:
- Ampe (Ghana)
- Chaskele (Ghana)
- Nte (Ghana)
- Push Boxing (Ghana)
- Skyball (Ghana)
CGA-UK Chairman Vincent M John, highlighted that cultural games are the traditions playful manifestations or games that are generally transmitted from generation to generation.
They generally refer to childhood games, but represent an inter-general recreational space that contributes towards psychomotor and socio-affective development of the participants. And are an important part of the identity of the people and gives an insight into cultural and social phenomenon.
The occasion attracted distinguished guests, including: Reverend Kofi Anokye Ababio, Methodist Church UK, representatives from the Ghana High Commission, Her Excellency Rita Tani Iddi, deputy High Commissioner, UK Adonten Hene I Nana Amoako Okokobriko, and Queen Mother Nana Akua Agyeman Opambour Apenkrahemaa I, Ejisu District; Helen Verrier, chairperson of Ghana Union Harlow, and London Borough of Redbridge Mayor Councillor Jyotsha Islam.
CGA-UK had planned for performers in Ghana, skilled in playing traditional games, to attend the event. However, these plans were scuppered by immigration challenges. And technical difficulties on the day meant that a live feed that would connect the UK event to CGA Ghana's National President Nana Ernest Boateng Gyimah and performers in Ghana had to be abandoned.
Despite the challenges, guests had the chance to see examples of ampe, and pushboxing played by young people in Ghana through video footage.
And Mariama shared her interview with UK-based rower Louron Pratt on the benefits of being part of the sport.
The event succeeded in evoking nostalgia and strengthened commitments from stakeholders in attendance to support CGA-UK’s mission, Daniel Kwasi Owiredu Oppong, CGA-UK’s vice chair said.
The event was hosted by MC Dr Eric Morton. Attendees were serenaded by a steel pan player and drummer Tony Toussaint, the drumming from Omowale La Pointe, and the royalty guests dancing Adowa.
During the event, guests were invited to complemented to visit stalls selling a range of goods including books, clothes, and personal care products. Traditional Ghanaian food and complimentary refreshments.
As the formal proceedings drew to a close, attendees were treated to Adowa and classic Highlife by DJ Orin, complemented by commentary from DJ Mafia.
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