Theme: Sports and Games Series

Traditional Games in Singapore

Learn on the go. Check out our playlists for collections of short videos, and learning packages for articles, that will give you a slice of history and heritage.

Playlist

A collection of short videos exploring traditional games in Singapore.

Playlist: Traditional Games

Traditional games can serve as a valuable bridge to our past and showcase the values that our society finds important, such as sportsmanship and teamwork. Such traditional games require the players to follow the game rules and try to win against an opponent with skills, knowledge, and a bit of luck!

Check out these resources to help you gain some understanding of traditional games in Singapore.

Capteh, Five Stones & Gasing: Toys of Yesteryear – The Time Travelling Trio #01 (11 mins)

How did kids occupy their time before the advent of smartphones and tablets? “The Time Travelling Trio” stars Sarah, Rina and Rokawa, with the assistance of Liana, the friendly librarian. In a kampong, the trio try their hands (and feet) at "goli", "gasing" and "chapteh". Joining them is special guest Aunty Shirley, a 75-year-old cosplayer, who shares her memories and experiences playing kampong games and toys.

Source: Capteh, Five Stones & Gasing: Toys of Yesteryear – The Time Travelling Trio #01 (2022, May 31). NLB Singapore. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Chapteh Game That’s Not Just For Kids | OGS (2 mins)

“'Chapteh' is a traditional game where one has to keep a feathered shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible by kicking it up. Well-known internationally (as 'da cau' in Vietnam, and 'jianzi' in China), it is associated as a childhood game in Singapore.” This video showcases how it’s being played in Singapore today.

Source: Chapteh Game That’s Not Just For Kids. (2019, 28 Jan). OGS. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

And the Games We Played | Malay Heritage Centre (6 mins)

Using high-speed filming techniques, this short video introduces the game play of five traditional kampung games, played during the early 70s to 80s in Singapore. This includes Batu Seremban (Five Stones), Chapteh (ti jian zi 'kick shuttlecock'), Guli (Marbles), Gasing (Spinning Top) & Ye-ye (Zero-Point).

Source: And the Games We Played (2020, July 9). Malay Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Singapore Traditional Games – Congkak (4 mins)

This video, which was initially made for the Singapore Sports Museum by the Comwerks agency, teaches viewers how congkak, a mancala logic game, is played.

Source: Singapore Traditional Games - Congkak (2017, February 7). Tom Thanachart. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Learning Package: Traditional Games

Traditional games can serve as a valuable bridge to our past and showcase the values that our society finds important, such as sportsmanship and teamwork. Games also provide a way to relieve everyday life tensions.

Did you know...

Congkak was predominantly associated as a woman’s game in South and Southeast Asia, while in Africa, the game was largely played by men.

These curated set of articles and books will help you understand more about these traditional games in Singapore.

Articles

Congkak by Bonny Tan

Known elsewhere as mancala, this is a popular game of logic. The version which is commonly played in the Malay Archipelago requires two players to share a wooden board with one row of seven holes along each side, and one bigger hole at either end.

Source: Bonny Tan. (2016). Congkak. Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Five Stones by Bonny Tan and Damien Wang

Five stones is a traditional game that was popular with children in the kampong days. Few may know about its ancient origins, and its popularity declined with the urbanisation of Singapore. However, it has seen a few revivals through the efforts of schools, community organisations and government agencies.

Source: Tan, Bonny, and Wang, Damien. (2019). "Five Stones." Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14

Capteh by Bonny Tan

Capteh is a traditional game that requires great dexterity and balance in keeping a feathered shuttlecock in the air for as long as possible by kicking it up with the heel of the foot.

Source: Tan, Bonny. (2017). "Capteh". Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Gasing by Stephanie Ho

Gasing is a term that refers to both the Malay spinning top and the game of top spinning. Gasing was a popular game played in the kampongs (“villages” in Malay) of Singapore and Malaysia, especially among members of the Malay community. Competitive gasing is still played in Malaysia today.

Source: Ho, Stephanie. (2013)."Gasing". Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Hopscotch by Bonny Tan

Hopscotch is a traditional children’s game in which one more players hop over a series of squares drawn on the ground.

Source: Tan, Bonny. (2017)."Hopscotch". Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Kuti Kuti by Bonny Tan

Kuti kuti is a traditional children’s game in which two opposing players take turns to deftly flip colourful plastic tokens on top of those of their opponent. If a player’s token lands on top of an opponent’s token, the player then claims the opponent’s token as his own.

Source: Tan, Bonny. (2014)."Kuti kuti". Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, September 14.

Books

Traditional Games

PE Unit, Science Branch, Curriculum Planning & Development Division, Ministry of Education. (1998). Traditional Games. Singapore: Ministry of Education. (Call no.: RSING 796.0959 INV)

This booklet describes traditional games in Singapore such as sepak raga, kabaddi, capteh, big balloon, hopscotch, hantam bola, long rope skipping, rounders, congkak, and five stones.

Have Fun with Traditional Games

People’s Association. (1982). Have Fun with Traditional Games. Singapore: The Association. (Call no.: RCLOS 394.3095957 HAV -[CUS])

This booklet introduces readers to traditional games in Singapore such as gasing (top-spinning), main lereng (bicycle rim), tapak kuda (tin-walking), capteh, goli panjang (marbles), Chinese hopscotch, bola tin, keleret, tick-tock, galah panjang, congkak, and five stones.

Inventory of ASEAN Traditional Games and Sports

Inon Shaharuddin Abdul Rahman (ed.). (1998). Inventory of ASEAN Traditional Games and Sports. Malaysia: ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information. (Call no.: RSING 796.0959 INV)

This book covers the various traditional games and sports from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
Sports in Singapore

Learn on the go. Check out our playlists for collections of short videos, and learning packages for articles, that will give you a slice of history and heritage.

Playlist

A collection of short videos or selected podcasts, exploring sports in Singapore.

Playlist: Sports in Singapore

Sports in Singapore have evolved in significant ways to reflect the nation’s journey of building a healthy nation with a vibrant sporting landscape. Sports infrastructure and programmes are developed to encourage citizens to lead healthy lifestyles and world-class sporting facilities constructed to support major sporting events.

Singapore has also hosted multiple international games and produced notable sportsmen and women. The sporting scene continues to evolve with new forms of sport, such as esports.

Check out the videos below to learn more about some aspect of sports in Singapore.

A Portrait of Singapore’s Sporting History | A Frame In Time 2 | Full Episode | CNA Insider (48 mins)

This documentary explores the sporting lives of Singapore’s pioneer athletes, and sportswomen in particular. It also includes interviews with veteran sports observers who recollect momentous sporting events in Singapore between the 1950s and 1970s.

Source: A Portrait of Singapore’s Sporting History | A Frame In Time 2 | Full Episode | CNA Insider (2021, December 31). CNA Insider. Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Building Singapore's Unbelievable Multi-Sport National Stadium | Singapore's Field Of Dreams | Spark (46 mins)

This documentary follows the construction team behind the Singapore Sports Hub – a 55,000-seat national stadium with a retractable domed roof. Watch to find out the engineering feats and procedures that went into creating this unique structure.

Source: Building Singapore's Unbelievable Multi-Sport National Stadium | Singapore's Field Of Dreams | Spark (2021, June 15). Spark. Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Legacy and impact of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (7 mins)

This video describes the impact that the 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) had on organisers, volunteers, and young athletes in Singapore. Includes footage from when it was announced that Singapore won the bid to host the first YOG and clips from the sporting events.

Source: Legacy and impact of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (2020, August 26). Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC). Retrieved 2023, June 15.

Game Nation: Enter The World Of Professional eSports In Singapore | CNA Documentary (46 mins)

This documentary follows six Singaporeans in the local eSports scene, including male and female eSports competitors, a game commentator, a game designer, Singapore’s youngest Pokémon champion, and researchers working on exploring the future potential of eSports. It offers a behind-the-scenes look into the new and growing industry.

Source: Game Nation: Enter The World Of Professional eSports In Singapore | CNA Documentary (2021, January 16). CNA Insider. Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Learning Package: Sports in Singapore

From exclusive colonial sports clubs to public sporting facilities for the masses, the experience of sports in Singapore has evolved significantly in the last two centuries.

Today, Singapore not only supports and promotes an active and healthy lifestyle amongst citizens, but also boasts world-class sporting facilities and has achieved notable sporting successes in international competitions.

Did you know...

Singapore’s first Olympic medallist is Tan Howe Liang, a weightlifter who bagged a silver medal at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.

Check out this set of articles and books to gain a better understanding of sports in Singapore.

Articles

Singapore Sports Council by Lim, Tin Seng

The Singapore Sports Council was established on 1 October 1973. It aimed to promote sports to the masses as well as to nurture and develop sports talents. The council was renamed Sport Singapore in 2014.

Source: Singapore Sports Council. (2015). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games by Tan, Joanna Hwang Soo

The inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was hosted by Singapore between 14 and 26 August 2010. Athletes from 205 countries participated in the games and the event gave Singapore considerable international exposure.

Source: Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. (2010). Singapore Infopedia. Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Singapore's Sporting Greats by Chua, Chong Jin

This article covers the sporting feats achieved by some of Singapore’s athletes, from the pioneer sportsmen and women from the 1940s to household names today.

Source: Singapore's Sporting Greats. BiblioAsia. 11(2) (July-September 2015). Retrieved 2023, July 10.

Books

Sport in Singapore: The colonial legacy

Aplin, Nick. (2019). Sport in Singapore: The colonial legacy. Singapore: Straits Times Press. (Call no.: RSING 796.095957 APL)

This book provides a wide survey of sports, sporting clubs, and sporting events that existed in colonial Singapore. Beyond sports enjoyed by the European population, the author also discusses sports that were significant to the Eurasian, Malay, Chinese and Indian communities.

Sports

Robert, Godfrey. (2017). Sports. Singapore: Institute of Policy Studies & Straits Times Press Pte Ltd. (Call no. RSING 796.095957 ROB)

Written by veteran sports journalist Godfrey Robert, this book charts the development of organised sports in Singapore from the pre-war to post-independence years. It also discusses how the previously egalitarian mindset surrounding sports has evolved since Singapore’s early post-independence years.

On track: 21 years of the Singapore Sports Council

Chua, Chong Jin. (1994). On track: 21 years of the Singapore Sports Council. Singapore: Published for the Singapore Sports Council by Times Editions. (Call no.: RSING 796.42 CHU)

This is the Singapore Sports Council’s 21st anniversary commemorative publication. It looks back on its origins, growth, achievements, and future plans. It also covers efforts to promote the “Sports for All” policy among Singaporeans.