Baiga Sports
Health and Wellness in Nature and Culture
Keywords:
Traditional sports, Baiga, PVTGs, Health and Wellness, Culture PreservationAbstract
Universally, sport is a very ancient practice. Tribal sports are deeply rooted in the traditions, customs, rituals, and history of indigenous communities. Through traditional sports, native people learn the importance of nature and culture and vice versa. Around the world, tribes play various sports. Sports activities also serve many purposes, including preparation for hunting, skill development, and the interpretation of their culture. The traditional sports of Baiga reflect not only the physical abilities but also their social structures, natural beliefs, spiritual power, and community values. These sports are associated with their habitats, agriculture, land, water, mountains, trees, and ecology. The sport is associated with their health and wellbeing. It requires rigorous training, discipline, rules and regulations, continuity, practice, sportsmanship, and teamwork. Different sports have different grounds, different social surroundings. Through traditional sports, the community learns social values such as respect, teamwork, honesty, sportsmanship, empathy, discipline, leadership, environmental connection, cultural exchange, recognition, and a sense of indigenous identity. Traditional sports are essential to the physical and mental health of the tribal community, a community whose membership is determined by shared immediate locale. Through conventional sports, one can understand their physical and social criteria.
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