Ringo – another, Polish sport
I have already presented two Polish, traditional sports:
- the Ringnetball – you can read about it HERE
- the Chapel – availabe HERE
The third example is POLISH RINGO
The origins of Ringo
Ringo is a fairly well-known sport in Poland. There are also similar games in other countries. In Poland, it dates back to the 1950s. Initially, it was a part of a training of Polish fencer – Włodzimierz Strzyżewski.
In 1968, this sport was presented during the Olympic Games in Mexico as Polish Ringo (the name is derived from an English word: “ring”).
How to play Ringo?
Ringo consists in throwing a rubber ring over a tape, rope, string or net so that it falls onto the opponent’s field. This ring can be bought cheaply in many stores. You can also use other items to play at home or in the garden, e.g. tennis balls or even boxes, rolled-up newspapers etc.
You hang a string, net, rope or net at a height depending on the age and the height of the players. You can play one-to-one or in teams of two or three participants each side (or even bigger).
In one-to-one version, one player starts the game with a serve from behind the end line – he or she has to throw the ring over a net or a tape with one hand to the other half of the pitch. The opponent tries to catch it (also with one hand) and flip it again with the same hand over the string/net/tape.
Players only move around the pitch without a ring in their hands. When they catch it, they must stop and flip the ring. When the ring hits the ground on the opponent’s field of play, the game is interrupted and the team which managed to force its counterpart not to catch the ring, gets a point.
If the ring flies under the net or falls to the ground off the pitch, the team which committed this mistake, loses a point.
In team version, you play with one ring in teams of 2 or 3 participants a side or you can try a more professional type of ringo – playing with two rings, flying simultaneously!
The values of Polish Ringo
Ringo is an example of a dynamic game for everyone. It’s very simple and easy to organize. You can play both outdoors and indoors.
It has been proven that this sport has a positive effect on health of children and adults.
Besides, it simply gives a lot of joy to its players!
Ringo at the I European Week of Sport
Ringo is so easy to organize that you can even play it in theoretically bad conditions. I have checked it during the I European Week of Sport in Brussels (2015). I did not have good conditions for conducting practical classes for children there – the square with trees at my disposal was charming, but it was difficult even to set up the pitch for playing there (too little space).
However, Ringo turned out to be great even in these conditions – I just hung the string between the trees and local children were having a great time!
Where can you play ringo?
Polish Association of Ringo and International Ringo Federation organizes many, regular competitions in Ringo at various levels.
You can play Polish Ringo also during my practical activities for children and adults. I hang the net for Ringnetball and we play this game and Ringo in turns or I just hang a string/a tape and we play only Ringo.
Ringo is more and more popular in Poland
Ringo is a sport similar to the elder, throwing games, such as German Ringtennis or some English games, played on boards of the ships, which were enjoyed during long-lasting cruises.
It is possible that the inventor of Polish game borrowed the main assumptions of Ringo from these sports. Today, however, Ringo is an independent, traditional Polish sport, gaining in popularity.
