The European Association of Traditional Games and Sports (AEJeST) is holding its General Assembly in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, gathering delegations from more than twenty countries. The objective is to strengthen cooperation, share experiences on the conservation of traditional sports heritage, and bring these disciplines closer to the public.
The Minister of Education, Vocational Training, Physical Activity and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands, Poli Suárez, inaugurated the event at the Elder Museum of Science and Technology. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of transmitting identity through play and sport, noting that the disappearance of a traditional game means the loss of a way of being and understanding the world.
Suárez detailed the department's actions to promote these games, including the creation of a specific general directorate and the promotion of educational activities and exhibitions. The meeting, coordinated by the Vice-Ministry of Physical Activity and Sport, with the participation of Ángel Sabroso and Lorena Hernández, addresses the present and future of traditional games and sports as intangible cultural heritage.
Parallel to the assembly, activities open to the public have been held, such as the international symposium "Educating through Play" and a gathering of traditional sports and games from the archipelago on Las Canteras beach. Exhibitions included a demonstration of ssireum from South Korea, declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.
Activities continued with masterclasses in Canarian stick fighting (lucha del garrote canario) and Canarian stick game (juego del palo canario), as well as a Canarian boat sailing event (vela latina canaria). The event will culminate this afternoon with an international challenge between the Canarian wrestling team and the South Korean national ssireum team, a sporting and cultural exchange that will allow the public to learn about the similarities and differences between these two modalities.
