Of 23 traditional games identified by the national Sports Commission, seven were on display last weekend. The commission hopes that traditional games will become a powerful force for social cohesion. There are dreams of pan-African competitions, the Olympics even. We are here to celebrate our culture and to see young people getting back to their roots and enjoying what we, as children, used to love when we were growing up. Against a backdrop of lush green valleys and rust-coloured mountains, participants fought with sticks, skipped rope and tossed missiles into the air.
Some games have more spectator appeal than others.
Diketo is a favourite with girls and their mothers. All good, clean fun. Another favourite girls' game is ntimo , which includes rhythmic skipping to a chant. Men's games tend to be more complicated - like ncuva , a board game which requires all the mental agility and concentration of chess or backgammon. This complex game was particularly popular among the mining communities and is also played in neighbouring African countries.