Mexico vs. Belize in re-creation of the Maya ball game ulama
In April 2017, the Pok Ta Pok Maya team Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk, represented the country and came back victorious from a 'Pre-Hispanic Soccer’ competition/ Maya ball game that was held in the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico City.
Ulama, also known as Ullamaliztli by the Aztecs, is played with a rubber ball weighing about two kilos (4.4lbs), with teams of four players who can only move the ball using their hips. The goal of the game is to keep control of the ball and keep it in the field.
Photograph courtesy Ambergris Today
Hips of God! Pelvises fly at contest for 3,000-yo Mayan ballgame
Teams from Mexico and Belize gathered in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan on Saturday, to play a variation of a pre-historic Mesoamerican ballgame Ulama, where a player’s hips are more important than their feet.
Poc Ta Puk Mexican Tournament
For an animated version of the Maya ball game, click here!
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