México 🇲🇽 Pok-Ta-Pok performance by Mayans in Mérida.

This performance of Mayan people playing a game of Pok Ta Pok was held in front of the Cathedral next to Plaza Grande in Mérida on a Saturday night in December 2024.
Pok-ta-Pok, also known as the Mesoamerican ballgame, was an ancient sport played by several cultures, most notably the Maya and Aztecs. The game was played on a large, I-shaped ball court with a rubber ball. Teams, typically consisting of two to four players, used their hips, elbows, and knees to pass the ball through a stone ring positioned high on the sidewalls of the court. The objective was to get the ball through the ring, which was a challenging feat due to the ball’s weight and the physical skill required.
Pok-ta-Pok had strong ritual and symbolic significance, often associated with themes of life, death, and the cosmos. In some cases, the game was played as part of religious ceremonies, and the outcome could involve sacrifices, with the captain of the losing team sometimes offered to the gods. The game required skill, endurance, and teamwork, and it was not only a form of entertainment but also a political and spiritual event within Mesoamerican cultures.