South Kalimantan Revives Bagasing Game to Save Youth Heritage

RRI.CO.ID, Banjarbaru - Surrounded by online games that increasingly dominate young people’s daily lives, the Lambung Mangkurat Museum Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) in South Kalimantan is moving quickly to rescue the traditional game bagasing. To break the threat of a regeneration crisis, the museum plans to introduce a dedicated children’s category in next year’s competition to spark cultural interest from an early age.

Bagasing is a traditional Banjar and Dayak spinning-top game from South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan. It is played with a wooden top and a string, and players aim to make the top spin as long as possible or compete by striking an opponent’s top.

Head of the UPTD Lambung Mangkurat Museum at the South Kalimantan Education and Culture Agency, Ady Surya, said this year’s bagasing contest carried the theme Adu Pukul (Hit Contest). The competition was staged as part of the museum’s commitment to revive regional cultural values so they remain vibrant amid societal change.

“We are holding the bagasing competition again this year. We hope this event can revive cultural values in South Kalimantan and serve to strengthen ties among bagasing communities,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

This year's competition featured 12 teams from six regencies and cities in South Kalimantan. Among them were Barito Kuala with five teams, Tapin with three teams, and Banjarmasin, Banjar, Balangan, and Tabalong with one team each.

Ady said all participants competed in an open category that brought together players from childhood through adulthood. Besides being a contest, the event serves as a regeneration platform for practitioners of the traditional game.

“We plan to introduce a special children’s category next year so bagasing becomes better known and more appealing from an early age, allowing people of all ages to play it,” he said.

The Lambung Mangkurat Museum also organized a seminar on the history and development of bagasing in South Kalimantan, presented by a bagasing maestro from Tapin Regency. The seminar aimed to give participants and the public an understanding of the game’s historical value, philosophy, and the importance of preserving it as a regional cultural heritage.

“We hope bagasing can be reintroduced to local children. Today they are more familiar with technology‑based games, so traditional games like bagasing need ongoing promotion and preservation,” said Ady. ***