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West Papua may be located in the eastern of Indonesia. Yet, this eastern province is famous for its traditions, local cultures, traditional games, tribes, and wonderful nature. Imagine more than 250 tribes residing in the area of this province, you will find many differences yet unique traditions. One of the local cultures that the natives still hold tight is the traditional game, Tok Asya. 

The children find it fun to play with their friends. The game will be more exciting when they have more than 2 players. What is Tok Asya? How to play it? What are the uniqueness and values of this local game? You will find out the explanation in this article.

What is Tok Asya?

Have you ever heard of this traditional game from the eastern province of Indonesia, Tok Asya or Nsya Asya? This local game is popular not only among children in West Papua but also among the children in Indonesia. Nsya Asya is a game where the players roll a rattan circle or a rubber tire to the finish line. When the rattan or tire rolls, the other players throw a spear.

The players

As this game is quite fun, the more players more exciting the game will be. The game requires a minimum of two players. On the other hand, if the players are more than 10 people, they need to find a field or a heath. Many passersby come to watch when the players play it in an empty heath.

Tools or equipment

If the players want to play this traditional game, they need to prepare some tools or equipment. Some tools are:

• A rattan circle or a rubber tire
• A spear

How to Play

Playing this local game is quite entertaining, especially if you carry out this game as a team. Here are the instructions for playing this local game from West Papua.

1. The players need to get ready with their tools in the start line.
2. When the game is started, the players need to roll a rattan circle or a rubber tire from one direction to another direction to the finish line by using a spear.
3. Then, the players need to throw a spear to a rubber tire or a rattan circle.
4. The fastest player who could reach the finish line will be the winner.

The Uniquenesses

This game has some unique facts that you need to figure out.

• The players of Tok Asya are only male kids or male adults. As one of the dangerous local games, female kids are not allowed to play this game. The reason behind this is one of the tools used is a spear. The players will throw a spear to a rubber tire or a circle rattan.
• The locals play this game on a special day, mostly when they celebrate a big day or occasion. They usually conduct this game in the morning.
• Nowadays, the children in Indonesia still play this game, but they play without using a spear. 

The Values

In the era of modern technology, kids prefer to play more modern games than traditional ones. Many kids don’t know traditional games as they are not exposed to playing them. If the children play this local game from West Papua, the children’s intelligence, creativity, and dexterity will improve. It also exposes the meaningful values of traditions and local cultures.

• Teamwork

Children will experience the value of teamwork. Performed as a team, the children will figure out how to work together to reach the goal in playing Tok Asya. They will find the best strategy for a circle rattan to get to the finish line fastest. 

• Friendship

The moment of childhood is the best memory. The children will play together with their friends and create a joyful moment with this game. The friendship moment becomes the meaningful value the children will get.

• Sportsmanship

When the children play a game, win or lose happens. Nsya Asya teaches the children to value good sportsmanship and make sure they have a fun and safe game experience. The children will be able to respect the winning of another team and concede defeat gracefully. 

• Self-control

One of the best values that this local game from West Papua offers is how to control emotion. When the children play, they love to win. Yet, they need to manage their actions, thoughts, sayings, and emotions when they lose. This recreational game is not only for winning but also for creating fun experiences with friends.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the local game from West Papua, Tok Asya, needs to be preserved. As this game trains accuracy, dexterity, and hand muscles, the children also can experience meaningful values. Therefore, all stakeholders need to find the best strategies to expose this local game to children in Indonesia. Don’t let the local traditions and cultural heritage missing and unrecognizable by the kids.