Exploring the Ancient Ballgame “Ulama”
Walking around downtown Cancun, Mexico, we came upon a ballfield
on which a group of men and boys with painted bodies and leather loincloths
were playing a very odd game of ball. They hit a heavy rubber ball by bumping
it with their hips.
We learned from a knowledgeable spectator that the game was
Ulama, a descendant of a 3,500-year-old pre-Colombian game
called Ullamaliztli that was popular among the Maya and the Aztec people.
Today, Ulama is only practiced in four small towns of the state of Sinaloa in
Mexico. But it’s making a comeback!
It was fascinating!
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