Traditional Sports and Games as an Element of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Abstract

Traditional sports and games have been recognized in modern times as an important segment of cultural heritage and local identity. They are an expression of creativity in the field of sports and recreation of the inhabitants in the regions where they originated. The role and importance of traditional sports and games have been especially emphasized in the last 30 years through various announcements, declarations, executive plans, and since 2010 they have been inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. They are seen as special performance skills that are preserved, as an example of good practice, a list of knowledge, a list of living guardians of heritage and a list of festivals and customs. Also, they found their place on the national lists of the former republics of SFRY. On the territory of Serbia, traditional sports and games are still not on the national list of intangible cultural heritage, although practice shows that some need to be preserved and revitalized. The paper analyses process of recognizing traditional sports and games in the world and in the former Yugoslavia as an intangible cultural heritage. Also, using survey research, it will be investigated to what extent the awareness and present knowledge on this topic is developed among visitors to various competitions in traditional sports and games in Serbia, and what are the attitudes of respondents regarding their preservation and authenticity.