Topic: 2025-Safeguarding and Promoting Traditional Sports and Games
Country: Haiti
Delegate Name: Ayden Fisher
Traditional sports and games are integral to Haiti’s culture and identity. Haiti does participate in major urbanized sporting events such as football (soccer), being the second Caribbean team to make it to the World Cup in 1974. On top of making it to the world cup, they also won the Caribbean Nation Cup in 2007. Haiti also has its own traditional sports that are very important to the culture of the people living there. One such sport, named Pinge Wrestling, is a variation of wrestling that involves two competitors that stand within a large circle. The goal of the game is to force your opponent to touch the ground with the upper part of their body. Both competitors stand and grab each other’s shoulders in an attempt to throw the other onto the ground. Games like these aren’t as prevalent or widespread as other sports such as soccer and football. Overall, they are just as, if not more important than other popular games because of the chance of them being forgotten. Just like pieces of history, cultural games should be preserved and brought to future generations to keep the game alive.
Traditional sports and games are very important to Haiti’s culture. Haiti emphasizes the need to preserve these games by either introducing them to a televised competition like the Olympics, or keeping records of the rules and the way the game is played so as to not let it fade out of existence. Haiti recognizes that traditional games should also be taught to children at schools to keep the game going through multiple generations.
