Fill out your data to get our latest news and publications








    Colombia’s most beloved sports: Tejo and Chaza

    Football isn’t the only sport that Colombians go mad for. Across the country, local sports that have been played for […]

    Football isn’t the only sport that Colombians go mad for. Across the country, local sports that have been played for centuries conjure up fierce competition and a lot of fun. Two of the most beloved date back to the 15th century: Tejo and Chaza. Here’s what you need to know about these traditional games, and where you can expect to see (or play) them while you’re in Colombia.

    Tejo

    It’s widely believed that over 500 years ago, indigenous inhabitants of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá, called Muiscas, enjoyed playing a game that involved launching a disc to hit a target. They called it “Turmeque,” and though there’s no official history of the game, it’s rumored that the disc they used at the time was made of gold.

    With the arrival of the Spanish to Colombia, the game evolved, and the golden disc become a metal disc, with which the game is now played. In the game’s modern version, Tejo, the target is a raised clay-filled box with gunpowder in the center, to produce an explosive sound. In June 2000, Tejo was declared a national sport by the Congress of the Republic. Today it’s played across the Andean highland area of Colombia, notably around Tunja, the capital of Boyacá department.

    To play the game, players throw a metal disc, the “tejo,” across a 20 meter protected alley to the target box. At the center of the box, a metal pipe is equipped with small exploding targets, or “mechas,” that contain gunpowder. On impact with the tejo, the mechas explode loudly, which signals a successful toss.

    You can catch tejo tournaments across the country, and if you’re interested in playing, your hotel or hostel may be able to point you in the direction of a local tejo pitch.

    Chaza

    In the 15th century, Spanish settlers arrived in southwestern Colombia to find people playing a game that involved hitting a small, animal hide-covered ball back and forth. It was much like the game of tennis that had been brought to Spain by the French years earlier. In South America, the Spanish named it chaza, from the French verb chasser, which means “to throw.” Five hundred years later, the name chaza still stands, and the game is played in southern Colombia, around Nariño, and in parts of northern Ecuador.

    The Chaza, also called pelota nacional, or “national ball,” is now played throughout Nariño, in the southwest of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean. It is played on a rectangular area (110 meters long x 10 meters wide) between two teams of five players each. The object of the game is to hit a rubber ball weighing 60 grams so that it bounces into the opponent’s field and is not hit back, earning points.

    This game can be performed by hand, with a wooden racket, called a “bombo,” or with a tablet. Styles of play vary throughout the department.

    Related articles:

    12 reasons why sports make colombians extremely proud

    Colombia: Craddle of great cyclists

    Colombia, a golf destination of international stature

    4.5/5 - (21 votes)
    Artículos recomendados
    Colombian football

    The Colombian football team’s World Cup journey

    Colombia’s football team first played in a World Cup in Chile in 1962 and the national side has competed for...

    The Greatest Cultural Blend

    Beyond it’s unquestionable natural beauty, Colombia has a rich culture that represents Latin America through our own outstanding character.
    colombian nature

    Why are Colombian flowers the best in the world?

    Colombia is famous for many things; coffee, gold, landscapes and the charm of its people but few things create as...
    Holidays in Colombia, Holidays, Vacations, Rest

    Holidays in Colombia

    Colombia knows how to celebrate. Boasting 18 national holidays per year, Colombia is among the countries with the most official...
    Colombian birds, Animals, Ecologism, Fauna, Tropical

    Fabulous Colombian Birds

    Colombia is the best place in the world to see birds, with almost 2,000 species.
    molecular gastronomy, gastronomic tour, gastronomy tourism, Traditional Food, culinary tourism

    Why is Bogota a gastronomic capital?

    With the inclusion of four Bogotá eateries in the list of Latin America’s 50 top restaurants published by the British...
    Imagen: Shadowxfox (Wikimedia Commons), colombia-information

    How does the political and administrative organization work in Colombia?

    Colombia is organized in 1123 municipalities, 32 departments and 5 districts.
    street art Bogotá

    A tour of Bogotá’s world famous graffiti art

    Bogotá is the “Athens of Latin America” rich in museums and art galleries, universities, theaters and libraries and, when it...
    Cartagena Film Festival

    Cartagena Film Festival: Films, culture and magical sabrosura

    The walled city of Cartagena is the warm and tropical setting of the International Cartagena Film Festival. This annual film...
    colombian paraglide, colombian adventure, street art colombia, unique experiences, Tourism, Vacations

    10 Colombian experiences to seek in 2016

    New Year is a time for hopes, dreams and goals and the making of New Year’s Resolutions to motivate you...