Keonjhar/Bhubaneswar
It is a ‘Chaki’ (a thing of circular shape) cut out of a rejected ‘hawai chappal’. It is ‘Chaki Badi’ chopped out of a bamboo cluster. The ‘Chaki’ is the ball that is hit. The ‘Chaki Badi’ is the bat that hits.
While this game of ‘hit-and-to-be-hit’, played by young tribal young men, mostly in Jajpur, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha, is unknown to even the most sports-savvy, Governments — both State and Central — are also cold and callous to push for this exciting and exhilarating tribal game.
‘Chaki Khela’, the game popularised mostly by Juangas, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), was played for fun and for keeping the sports tradition alive and kicking. It never gauges the superiority or inferiority of players or teams to define or determine the yardstick for victory or defeat.
However, with the passage of time, ‘Chaki Khela’ shaped up into a competition that teams started playing to win and be awarded. Deogaon village under Chingudial Panchayata of Sukinda block of Jajpur district is invariably the epicenter of the competition. Nearly 100 teams from different villages take part in the four-day tournament that is usually organized during summer.
Players and even villagers contribute finance for organizing the tournament. However, no particular amount is fixed for contribution, as it is determined on the basis of number of players/teams taking part in the tournament. If the number of participants increases, the fixed contribution amount decreases. If the number decreases, the contribution amount increases.
“A ‘Chaki Badi’ is a light stick that measures a little higher above a player’s waist. It is also solid and strong enough to withstand the possible wear and tear during a game. A greenish bamboo stalk is collected from the jungle. It is then sunned for a day or two so that it becomes light enough to carry. If the weather is cloudy for some days continuously before the beginning of a tournament, it is warmed in the heat of smouldering embers to make it light,” explained Rajendra Tudu, a resident of Suakathi village in Keonjhar district.
“Then two pieces are cut out of a rejected waste cycle tube. Each tube cut is tightly wrapped round the end-parts of the Chaki Badi. This is done because one end of the Chaki Badi is not damaged after it hits the Chaki. The tube wrap of the other end helps a player hold it tightly,” added Rajendra who has played several games for the ‘Swarna Champa Youth Club’ in his village.
Two teams pitted against each other take part in the game in each match of the tournament. They showcase their skill on the field, the boundary of which is defined by bamboo sticks poked into the ground at its four corners.
A match is flagged off with a coin toss. If a team wins the toss, it starts the game by hitting the Chaki placed at the mid-point of the line drawn at the centre of the field. After being hit, if the Chaki rolls along the ground and crosses the boundary covering the area of the rival team, it fetches four points. If the Chaki swings up and crosses the boundary mid-air, it garners six points for the team of strikers. If one team gets the highest tally of points, it is declared the winner.
“If the Chaki Badi slips off the striking player, four points get into the kitty of the rival party. If the Chaki gets into the area of the rival party, the latter gets two points as a bonus. If the Chaki touches the body of the striker, the opposite group is gifted with a ‘free kick’ against the striking team,” said Furmal Hembram, a resident of Deogaon, explaining the rules of the game.
“Some Chakis are kept in reserve so that one of them can be picked to be used, if the one played in the game is lost,” added Furmal, who has been organizing tournaments in his village for the past few years.
Each match of a tournament is played for 20 minutes with five minutes extra allocated for interval for players to rest and discuss strategies. “However, the time span of a match is increased to 30 minutes in the final,” said Harihara Tudu of Khuntaposi village. Harihara has taken part in several tournaments on behalf of the ‘Young Utkal Club’ in nearby Kumudibahali village under Chingudipal panchayata.
“Villagers of Deogaon not only provide shelter to the visiting teams during a tournament, but also feed them with home-made delicacies. The tribal game not only tones up the player physically and tunes up his mental ability and agility but also instils a sense of ‘bhai chara’ between the guest players and host villagers,” said Kumudibahali villager Ragh Tudu, who had taken part in a number of tournaments as a Chaki player in the past
Earlier, ‘Khassi’ (goats) of different weights were awarded to the first three winners of a tournament and a cock to the fourth. Now animal and bird awards have been replaced with medals and cups, after Tata Steel Foundation (TSF), Jamshedpur, started promoting several years ago.
“We organize one tournament in Jajpur district, and one in Mayurbhanj district. They are mostly organized between February and July every year. About 150 players take part in each tournament that comprises 10 rounds,” Suvra R, who leads the communication section of TSF, told The Indian Tribal. “We felicitate the winners only with medals and cups, as we don’t have any provision of prize money,” she maintained.
Though Santals are said to have evolved this game and Jaungas have popularized it, now both tribals like Mundas, Majhis, Hembrams and Tudus and non-tribals like Dehuris, Mahantas and Pradhans have their fascination for this indigenous tribal game.
“We also organize our own tournament in Suakathi on ‘Vaisakh Purnima’ (Full Moon Day in mid-April) to commemorate the birth anniversary of late Pandit Raghunath Murmu who had created Ol Chiki, the script of Santalis. More than 65 teams take part in the tournament,” said Rajendra.
Unfortunately, despite the tribal indigenous game being still in vogue, defying its slip into the oblivion, it is still to figure on the radar of the State government and sports bigwigs of Odisha.
“More than two years ago, the Union Government sought a list of indigenous games. In response to it, we recommended Chaki Khela and native Kabbadi of Jajpur district. But I am yet to know about the steps taken in this connection by the Union Government,” said District Sports Officer Fakir Mohan Tudu, Jajpur.
