MAYA´S SPORTS

Usually Maya’s people hadn’t many sports because they dedicated most of the time for working, but they had an especial sport, this was called ball game, looked to soccer; although they took it as a ritual, because this game represented de universe’s origin. This was a ritual of origin, died and rebirth.

In the game, people used a ball made of rubber that was hit with the waist, the knees, the shoulders and the elbows, and the objective of the game was that the ball went in a thin ring that was placed in one of the walls of the game field, and if the player achieved that objective, a point for that player’s team was added, was like a goal of the soccer nowadays. The winner group was who avoided the competitor and made points, and the losers were not killed or tortured, in comparison with other ancient cultures, except the prisons of war that were forced to play, because they believed that this way the prisons went to paradise.

Furthermore, before to start the game, players, almost in all the games, betted anything, for example, clothes, food, money, beers, etc., in consequence when the game finished the bet was paid. Also, in some places, such as Guatemala and Honduras, the winners could chase the losers, and remove their personal things if the winners liked these objects.

The members of the group, were different depending of situation, in some games, the players used rackets o canes; besides, they used armor for protecting their chest and the head, avoiding the strong hits of the ball. The game could last all day, morning and night.

People ended very exhausted, but they loved this game, because they enjoyed and praised, at the same time, for this reason this game was their favorite sport, although they, also, in the king's palace made juggling and dancing, like a situation where they could enjoy and do sports.

WRITTEN BY: PAULA FERNANDA FORTOUL R