Indonesia
It’s Easy to Play Bocce
Have you heard of bocce? Not yet? Despite being one of the oldest sport on the planet, bocce is relatively rare to play in Indonesia. The sport came from Italy. The word ‘bocce’ was also Italian, ‘boccia’ or ball. The first bocce club was Le Clos Jouve in Lyon, France in 1850. The sport began to be competed in the Pentecote tournament in the same city since 1895. Up until today, it’s still active and thousands of people took part in it. Wow!
If you like bowling and biliard, you might like bocce, Superkids. Like bowling, player must roll the ball to target, with the same throwing pose. Bend the torso about 45 degree, legs move one step forward. Players are not allowed to throw the ball standing up. It is considered a fault and contributes to the opposite player point as the penalty.
But unlike bowling, the target is not 10 lined up pins. It’s one small ball called pallino. Players must roll the ball and hit pallino. The winner is decide by the nearest ball or touching the pallino. The sport is played by two groups, each consists of 2-4 players. It can be both indoor and outdoor.
In Indonesia, bocce is developed for children with tunagrahita. The sport gives exercise for hands and legs and good for focus. The game itself is fun and enjoyable. Children with tunagrahita can learn to socialize while playing. That’s why bocce is also known as picnic sport.
HAFIDA INDRAWATI
PHOTOS: THINKSTOCK PHOTOS
