In an alternate universe, Larong Pinoy such as dayon-dayon, sipa, pukpok palayok, jolens, and palo sebo would have the national spotlight.
A few days ago, a video popped up in the Reddit sub aptly called r/interestingasf***.
It was a volleyball game held somewhere in the Philippines.
Well, it wasn't really volleyball. You only hit the ball once to send it to the other side.
In a country like the Philippines, where basketball is king and volleyball is becoming well... the queen, it's difficult to imagine extremely niche games will be brought up as national interest.
But imagine this: You wake up, turn on your TV, and you watch the sports news saying that San Miguel Beermen star June Mar Fajardo is running for an eight-time MVP … for Palo Sebo.
Is it absolutely ridiculous? Yes.
But in the spirit of April Fools, Marvel's celebration of the multiverse, the craze that is qualifying for the Olympics, and the love of all things local, let's try to explore the "what ifs" of sports. What if the games we used to love as 90s kids became national sporting events?
Dayon Dayon
Dayon Dayon is a one-hit volleyball game that originated in the Visayas region. In Bisaya, it means to continue. The sport is basically a combination of volleyball and badminton. The volleyball can't touch the ground and you can only hit it once to send it to the other side.
What if...?: It's 6:00 in the morning and fans of the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans are trooping to the sands of Subic. Creamline is used to an early morning session... it's the Cool Smashers' training time after all. It's going to be an intense showdown between the much-awaited teams at the PDL aka the Premier Dayon-Dayon League.
There will be no blockers, setters, and liberos though. In this scenario (a 3x3 version of volleyball if you will), it's all about receiving while sending the most powerful hit--all in one shot. Now, imagine a showdown with Sisi Rondina and Tots Carlos in this kind of setting.
Sipa
Sipa is literally, kick. The "ball" is a washer attached with plastic straws. The game is simple. Kick the sipa upwards as many times as possible without having it fall to the ground. The person with the most counts of "sipa" wins.
What if...?: In the year 3033, the Philippine sepak takraw team will be fielding its second team for the sipa gold medal event in the Southeast Asian Games held in Cebu.
Sipa is actually a local variant of sepak takraw--a sport played all over Southeast Asia. It's regularly being played in the SEA Games. It's glorious to behold. Imagine what it would be like to have a televised league for it, the replays, the slow motions! How do you even count the stats? Who will make 25 excellent flips as a career-high?Pukpok Palayok
Pukpok Palayok is a Larong Pinoy often played during birthday parties and fiestas. While blindfolded, the participant has to hit a pot with a stick to release the goodies inside.
What if...?: Pinoy baseball players from the UAAP were recruited for the Pukpok Palayok 2053 Invitational Cup.
Baseball players would be really good at this, since the main act is to swing the bat. And we've got plenty of world-class baseball athletes from the juniors to the senior level. Imagine the extra level of difficulty having to regain your balance after being spun around. And then you would have to rely on your teammates' instructions on when to hit, while at the same time, drowning out other noise.
It's actually a pretty tough thing to do.
Jolens + Tumbang Preso
Alexa, play Chuva Choo Choo.
Kidding!
Jolens or marbles, is a Filipino game where children use small glass or clay marbles to shoot or roll across the ground in an attempt to hit other marbles and win them.
Meanwhile, tumbang preso is a game that uses slippers for throwing. A player must use the slipper to knock an empty tin can, placed some distance away. When the can is knocked down, a "prisoner" must put the tin back in upright position before attempting to tag any of the players trying to recover their slipper.
The tagged player then becomes the next "prisoner."
Gen Z example: Aquaflask to replace the tin can. Nasampal po tayo ng kahirapan.
What if...?: The great bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno becomes a mentor for the next Philippine Jolens Champion.
Why are we pairing jolens and tumbang preso? Allow us to cook.
There's actually plenty of skill required for jolens and tumbang preso. Hand-eye coordination, for one. Whether it's a flick of the finger or a flick of the wrist, any kind of spin would drastically change a jolen or a slipper's trajectory.
Funny thing, it's kinda sorta similar to one sport constantly featured in the Winter Olympics--curling. Filipinos could actually be good in this kind of thing.
Palo Sebo
Just like Pukpok Palayok, Palo Sebo is also a traditional Filipino game played during fiestas. Participants will race to climb to the top of the pole and retrieve the prize to be called as the winner.
What if...?: The Big Dome of Araneta Coliseum will be filled with Ginebra fans, cheering for Scottie Thompson, Justin Brownlee, and Japeth Aguilar, as the team plays for the championship round of the Philippine Palo Sebo Association Season 49.
June Mar Fajardo, on the other hand, used his height to clinch the Palo Sebo grand slam for the San Miguel Beermen.
If EJ Obiena has a shot of making it as the world champion in pole vaulting, what's stopping other Pinoys from utilizing their skills of quickly climbing poles? Maybe even veteran sport climbers can lend their aid and knowledge.
Think about it: would height become a crucial factor in climbing the pole quicker? Or will a shorter, more agile athlete be better in reaching the top faster?
Are these all ridiculous sentiments? Yes, yes they are. But it's all in good fun.
It's hard to imagine little kids now in Metro Manila playing tumbang preso, flicking jolens, and leaping high for a game of ten-twenty. TikTok made sure of that.
But it's good to look back now and then at Larong Pinoy. It's easy to see why these games can be a foundation for the future. Chinese garter and ten-twenty? Easy learning grounds for budding gymnasts.
Luksong-baka? That's vault training. Luksong-tinik? Makings of a high jump athlete.
It's really a love letter, from batang 90s kids to Gen Zers, in the next 10 to 20 years. It's fun to play outside once in a while.