November 21, 2025 - Athletics, Arts and Activities Blog

This week's highlights:

🗓️ Upcoming events for the next week
🌏 Sports from Around the Globe
🏁 Recent Match Highlights: Middle School Football
🏢 Facilities Schedule

Upcoming events for next week

As we celebrate International Day tomorrow, it's the perfect time to recognize that the spirit of Athletics, Arts, and Activities connects us all, no matter where we are on the map. Beyond the familiar fields of soccer and basketball, the world is home to incredible, unique sports that showcase human creativity, history, and athleticism.

Here are four fascinating sports that prove the global playing field is truly diverse:

🇲🇲 The Grace of Rattan: Chinlone

Right here in Myanmar, we celebrate one of the most unique and graceful sports in the world. Chinlone (or cane ball) is a stunning blend of athletics and performance art.

Unlike most team sports, Chinlone is traditionally non-competitive. There are no opposing teams, no scores, and no winner.
Teams pass a woven rattan ball using their feet, knees, and heads, focusing on performing complex tricks and acrobatic dance moves to keep the ball from touching the ground. The goal is grace, style, and teamwork—a beautiful display of movement and culture!
While the region also plays the competitive Sepak Takraw net-game, Chinlone is our traditional artistic gem!

🇮🇪 The World's Fastest Field Game: Hurling

Considered one of the world’s oldest field games, with roots stretching back over 3,000 years in Ireland, Hurling is often cited as the fastest game on grass.

Players use an ash wood stick, called a hurley, to hit a small ball, the sliotar, sometimes achieving speeds up to 100 miles (160 km) per hour!
The game is a chaotic, high-energy mix of lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball, demanding incredible speed, hand-eye coordination, and bravery.

🇯🇵 300 Players, One Goal: Bo-taoshi

If you thought sports were about small teams, think again! In Japan, particularly at military academies, they play Bo-taoshi (Pole Toppling), which features two opposing teams of 150 players each—300 people fighting over a single wooden pole.

One team defends a large pole planted vertically in the ground, while the other team attacks, attempting to lower the pole to a 30-degree angle.
The game is a whirlwind of organized chaos and brute force, requiring strategic layers of defense and offense. It is a powerful illustration of disciplined, large-scale teamwork.

🇬🇧 The Underwater Ice-Breaker: Octopush (Underwater Hockey)

Invented in the UK in the 1950s to keep navy divers fit in the winter, Underwater Hockey, or Octopush, is exactly what it sounds like.

Players wear snorkels, masks, and fins, using small sticks to push a weighted puck along the bottom of a swimming pool.
Since you can’t hold your breath forever, the game relies heavily on strategy, brief bursts of energy, and perfectly timed substitutions, making teamwork crucial in the silent, submerged arena.

Recent Match Highlights

MIDDLE SCHOOL

⚽ Football (Boys) | ISY: 1 - ILBC: 3

The ISY football team faced off against ILBC in a match split into two halves, each played by a separate team. The first half was marked by determination and strong defensive efforts, resulting in a 0-0 draw. The second half saw a fresh team step up, playing with energy and resilience. Despite their hard work, the game ended with a 3-1 loss for ISY.

Notable performances came from Franco, the goalkeeper, who made several critical saves to keep the team in the game. Thurain was a defensive powerhouse with a rock-solid performance in the backline. Win stood out for his tireless effort and relentless work rate across the pitch.

While the final result wasn’t ideal, the team showed great promise and teamwork. Let's continue to build on this performance for future games. Well done, ISY!

⚽ Football (Girls) | ISY: 1 - ILBC: 4

The ISY Middle School Girls' Football Team played their first game of the season against last year’s champions, ILBC. Despite a challenging 1-4 loss, the team showcased resilience, focus, and determination throughout the match.

ISY’s goal came from a brilliant long throw-in opportunity, with Anna finding the back of the net. The team hit the post twice, showing their potential in attack and creating good goal-scoring chances. With strong control in midfield, ISY moved the ball well but found themselves up against a tough opponent. Remarkably, the team played without any substitutions and maintained their energy from start to finish.

All players contributed to the effort. Maya was fearless in goal, making some key saves to keep the team in the game. Anna stood out for her tireless work across the pitch and scored ISY’s only goal. Angel had an impressive game, assisting the goal and hitting the post twice. Naya and Luisa performed strongly as side backs, keeping the team organized and pushing forward. Thit, playing in her first match, delivered a confident performance in defense with solid clearances.

The team displayed great teamwork and effort in their season opener, laying a strong foundation to build upon. Well done, ISY! Keep growing and pushing forward!

Facility Usage Schedule