|
Although there are almost a hundred types of stick
fighting arts all over the world, the mere mention of arnis among
martial artists automatically brings into mind the Philippines.
In the world of table tennis, the
same can happen if the country succeeds in getting its very own
‘liha ’ or sandpaper racket table tennis into the international
scene.
The propagators of liha in the
Philippines claim that the sports has been played by many Filipinos
all over country, particularly in Visayas and Mindanao, since the
Spanish era.
Based on the research conducted
by University of the Philippines professor and former national
player Oscar Santelices, liha has been played in different provinces
since the Spanish time, with farmers among its afficionados.
The American later introduced
their own hardbat table tennis in the Philippines during the
colonial period. By then, however, the Filipinos were already hooked
on liha.
“Yes there are some proofs and
evidences that table tennis was played here in the country a long
time ago,” said Santelices.
Santelices considers liha
difficult to learn compared to the modern version of table tennis
because of the absence of rubber cushioning on the smaller rackets.
The difficulty of liha makes it
ideal for training the country’s future table tennis stars.
2008 Southeast Asian Table Tennis
Association men’s singles open champ Richard Gonzales, also the
country’s no. 1 ranked table tennis player, started with liha
before pursuing modern table tennis.
“When I was young, I
learned to play liha first and it developed my skills,” said
Gonzales, who settled for silver in the last 2005 Southeast Asian
Games.
Major differences
Liha, a version of hardbat, has
many differences to modern table tennis version that is played
internationally. The modern version use rackets that are covered
with rubber on both sides, while liha rackets are covered with
sandpaper on both sides.
As mentioned earlier, the racket
used in liha is also smaller.
Besides the racket, liha’s ball
measures only 38 centimeters in diameter compared to 40 centimeters
of the modern version.
Liha is also played on tables
made from plywood, while the modern version of table tennis must use
tables approved by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Since the rackets in liha are
smaller and have no rubber cushioning, the game presents a degree of
difficulty compared to modern table tennis.
Hence, control and timing are the
keys to liha because without the rubber, it is very hard to create
spins while taking shots with either the backhand or forehand
techniques.
Since liha presents a degree of
difficulty, it is very hard for those who learned table tennis first
to play liha.
Seeking World recognition
Santelices and former national
table tennis player Peter Cua who
lobbied during the 11th ITTF
congress in Yokohama, Japan to have liha recognized.
Cua told The Manila Times that
liha was banned in the mid 50s by the world governing body of table
tennis but the game’s afficionados continued playing it
“underground.”
“Until now the liha tradition
exists in different provinces. Players and spectators are betting on
liha games sometime,” Cua said.
Santelices and Cua presented
during the ITTF meet held in April the historical background and
historical, traditional, and cultural significance of liha, and its
potential as a competitive variant of table tennis.
The recognition of liha remains
under review by the ITTF.
If it recognized by the ITTF,
liha could end being played in international meets, like the SEA
Games, Asian Games, World Championship and even the Olympics.
--Josef T. Ramos
|
