This summer, the JDE introduces you to four lesser-known sports. Individual or collective, on land or in the water, we cast a wide net. The second is Indiaca, a tennis game that borrows most of its rules from volleyball but is not played with a ball. It is an indiaca, a kind of feathered shuttlecock, that the teams send back over the net.
Indiaca is a sport that borrows most of its rules from volleyball. Palm sport, it is played with a shuttlecock, the indiaca, from which it took its name. – StockAdobe.com
Indiaca is a collective sport that comes from Brazil (South America). “Its rules are largely inspired by volleyball, with a few adaptations”, explains Arnaud Clerx, the president of the two (only) official Belgian clubs, which are located in Basècles and Slogan (province of Hainaut).
The object of the game is to pass a giant shuttlecock, the Indiaca, across the net, within the bounds of the field, in a maximum of three passes. When Indiaca touches the ground on one side of the field, the point goes to the opposing team. The match ends when a team has won two sets of 25 points.
Unlike volleyball, only one hand is played at a time. And it is forbidden to use the feet. Players don’t wear gloves (as is the case for ball-pelota) and they can return the shuttlecock (which reminds us of badminton) with their wrists and forearms. Also, Indiaca is played 5 against 5 because the field is smaller than a volleyball court. Each time a team wins the serve, its players perform a rotation (change places).
In 2017, journalism students produced a great report, here it is:
What qualities to practice Indiaca?
“You have to have good reflexes, explains Arnaud Clerx. We must be able to play with both hands, but separately. You have to have a good vision of the game, return the Indiaca to the holes on the other side, be mobile and able to jump to reach the top of the net. The game requires team spirit. It is important to pay attention to the placement of your teammates at all times to help them in the game and not to hinder them.
For this enthusiast, the advantage of this sport is that it is very accessible. “It allows you to exercise but without being too physical, and you can progress quickly,” he explains.
Son inconvenience is that there is no championship in Belgium. “And so you have to stay motivated to train without a goal. We lack regular confrontations. If we want to meet teams with a correct level to be able to train, we have to travel. We take part in championships in Luxembourg or Germany, …”
If the sport is little known and therefore little practiced in Belgium, this does not prevent the Hainaut clubs from organizing the Indiaca World Championships, from July 31 to August 5, 2023, at LeuzArena. “We are expecting 8 different nations, 50 teams and 350 players, enthuses Arnaud Clerx. A first, in Belgium. » The ideal moment to discover the discipline which has recently been recognized by the Palm Games Federation.
Indiaca, sport in pictures
Here are some images from a World Cup match:
A series to discover lesser known sports
This article on Indiaca is part of a series of four topics that span the summer and aim to introduce you to lesser-known sports. In the first article, published two weeks ago, we told you about discgolf, a sport inspired by golf but in which you throw discs and not balls. If it’s not done yet, go find out!
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2023-07-20 11:04:38
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