Making sports more accessible and encouraging disabled and able-bodied young people to play sports together are the goals of the Australian Sports Commission's Sports Ability program. In a newly modified version of the program, there is now an expanded focus to include traditional Indigenous games.
Resource materials, equipment and training programs are all part of the Sports Ability program with boccia, goalball, sitting volleyball, polybat and table cricket the standard sports. The traditional games version includes five traditional Indigenous games adapted and modified to suite all abilities:
- Bourinjin has modern-day links to the game of touch football and gridiron and is one of the most popular Indigenous games played in schools.
- Koolchee is a traditional Aboriginal bowling game where two teams attempt to bowl the most balls to the opposite side of the field while preventing the opposing team from doing the same.
- Kai is a traditional game of the Torres Strait and is very similar to 'jkeep ups' in soccer only played with the hand instead of the foot.
- Kolap also originates from the Torres Strait. It refers to a seed or bean that is used in a game similar to marbles.
- Gorri, perhaps the most recognisable Indigenous game used to develop hunting skills, is a moving target game where spears were thrown at a moving wooden disk. Tennis balls and soft fitness balls now make the activity safe for the classroom
For more information on Sports Ability and the traditional games version, email Sports Ability (saf@ausport.gov.au).
