Woodball
Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou meeting members of the medal-winning teams at the 3rd World University Woodball Championship in 2010 | |
| First played | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Type | Lawn game |
| Equipment | Wooden mallet, wooden ball |
| Presence | |
| Country or region | 45 countries and territories[1] |
| Olympic | No |
| World Championships | No |
Woodball (Chinese: 木球) is a sport where a mallet is used to pass a ball through gates. This game can be played on grass, sand or indoors.[2] The sport is in the program of Asian Beach Games and was incorporated in 2008.[3]
History
The sport was invented in Taiwan by Weng Ming-hui and Kuang-chu Young in 1990.[4] Weng wanted to convert a property he owns in Shilin District in Taipei so his retired father could play golf leisurely. However the plan proved to be feasible leading to Weng to develop woodball a sport based on golf but with a mallet, a ball and gates made of wood. He took an additional two years to formalize the rules of the sport.[5]
Weng established the Chinese Taipei Woodball Association (CTWA) in 1993 and began promoting the sports publicly including in schools.[5]
The Asian Woodball Association and International Woodball Federation were established in Taipei.[6]
The 1st World University Championship was held in 2004.[7]
The Olympic Council of Asia made the sport a program of the Asian Beach Games in 2008.[4]
Events
Ahris Surmariyanto attended the Asian Beach Games Danang 2016 with his Indonesian team-mates. He finished first and was awarded the gold medal. He only finished one hit ahead of Thailand's Jetsada Cheenkurd who finished with the silver medal in second. Kim Pyo Hwan from Korea was awarded the bronze medal and finished in third.[8]
World Woodball Championship
World Woodball Championship
Asian Woodball Championship
Asian Woodball Championship
13th Asian Woodball Championship was held in 2025.
FISU World University Championships
2016 FISU World University Championships Woodball Chinese Taipei, Taipei City
2014 FISU World University Championships Woodball Malaysia, Perlis
2010 FISU World University Championships Woodball Uganda, Kampala
2006 FISU World University Championships Woodball Thailand, Bangkok
2004 FISU World University Championships Woodball
SEA Games
Woodball at the 2025 SEA Games[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ "IWbF 國際木球總會International Woodball Federation - 國際木總.會員單位官方網站,IWbF 國際木球總會International Woodball Federation". www.iwbf-woodball.org. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
- ^ USWoodball. "Introduction". Retrieved 28 Aug 2009.
- ^ Olympic Council of Asia. "Woodball". Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 28 Aug 2009.
- ^ a b "MOFA honors inventor of woodball". Taipei Times. July 6, 2007.
- ^ a b "Everyone's Golf". Taiwan Today. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ Huang Chen-hsing. "Dreams Come True: To Fulfill a Mission Impossible" (PDF). News Letter International Woodball Federation (3).
- ^ "Woodball - FISU". www.fisu.net. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
- ^ "Woodball Asian Beach Games 2016". Olympic Council of Asia. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
- ^ Mohan, Matthew (12 December 2025). "Grandfather, 75, clinches woodball bronze on his SEA Games debut for Singapore". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ^ Kutty, Chandran Raman (7 December 2025). "Woodball's long game: From garden pastime to SEA Games". Malaysiakini. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
External links
- Official website of the International Woodball Federation
- Book or rules