PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Rancasari District, Bandung City, held a Traditional Sports Festival as an effort to introduce and preserve traditional games to the younger generation, especially elementary school children.

This activity also received support from a number of elements of the Bandung City Government, including the Youth and Sports Agency (Dispora), the Culture and Tourism Agency (Disbudpar), the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Agency (DP3A), and the head of the Bandung City DPRD, Dr. H. Edwin Senjaya, SE, MM

This activity, which has entered its fourth year, provides a space for children to re-acquaint themselves with various traditional games that are part of the cultural richness of the city of Bandung.

In addition to exercising, participants are also invited to interact, be creative, and fill their free time through positive and fun activities.

Rancasari Sub-district Head, Shinta Parmawati, said that introducing traditional sports to children is important amidst the development of modern games and the increasing proximity of gadget use to everyday life.

"The main thing is to introduce traditional games to children, especially those in elementary school. This way, children will learn that Bandung is rich in traditional games. They can also be creative, express themselves, and spend their free time with activities like this," he said.

According to him, traditional games are not only a means of entertainment, but also part of an effort to ensure that the current generation remains familiar with the culture that has developed in society since ancient times.

The festival attracted participants from approximately 14 elementary schools (SD/MI) in Rancasari District. Traditional sports included hurdles, clogs, blocks, stilts, blowpipes, and dagongan.

Besides reintroducing traditional sports, this activity also provides an opportunity for children from various schools to socialize and build togetherness.

"The benefits are numerous. Besides allowing children to socialize and get to know friends from different schools and ages, this activity also strengthens togetherness and broadens the next generation's understanding of the importance of traditional games and sports," he said.

In the future, the Rancasari Sub-district Head hopes that traditional sports festivals can be developed to the Bandung City level so that children from various sub-districts have a wider space to learn about, play, and preserve traditional games.

"Hopefully, there will be a city-level festival so children can express themselves not only at the sub-district level, but also in Bandung City, and other sub-districts can participate. I'm sure that if they were given traditional games like this, children would be very enthusiastic," he said.

Meanwhile, the organizing committee, Apep Wahid, stated that the festival is part of an effort to revive traditional sports to prevent them from being eroded by modern developments. Traditional games are also considered an alternative activity for children to reduce the amount of time they spend on their devices.

"The goal is to enliven and revitalize traditional sports. We must ensure they don't become eroded by time or even disappear. Now, we're exploring ways to prevent elementary school children from playing with their phones so much," he said.

He assessed that public enthusiasm for the festival was quite high. Participants enthusiastically participated in each game, while also experiencing exercise in a fun atmosphere.

"The benefits are excellent for school children because they exercise while playing. So, it's not just about exercise; there's also a playful element. Children can have fun and excel in sports," he said.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/rka)