Sports of Indonesia
Asia
Originating in Indonesia
Sports whose history and codification began here.
Pencak Silat
From Indonesia
Umbrella term for hundreds of traditional Southeast Asian fighting arts — strikes, joint locks and blade work.
Surakarta
From Indonesia
Indonesian strategy game with looping corner tracks that let pieces spiral around to capture on the far side.
Widely played in Indonesia
Badminton
From India
The fastest racket sport in the world — hit a feathered shuttlecock over a 1.55 m net using a light racket; win by driving the shuttle to the floor of your opponent's court.
Jianzi
From China
Chinese traditional sport of kicking a heavy shuttlecock (jianzi) with feet + body. Origins Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Individual freestyle or team net games (like volleyball with feet). International Shuttlecock Federation (ISF) formed 1999. Popular in China + SE Asia + international competition.
Keno
From China
Lottery-style casino game — players pick 1-20 numbers from 1-80; casino randomly draws 20 winning numbers; payouts based on how many of your picks match. Simple, fast-paced, high house edge (25-30%).
Ludo
From India
Beloved family race game — 2-4 players race 4 tokens each around cross-shaped board from home to center goal. Derived from ancient Indian PACHISI (~6th c). British 'Ludo' patented 1896; global adaptations: Parcheesi (USA), Parchís (Spain), Mensch ärgere Dich nicht (Germany), Ludo King mobile app (2016) reignited global craze during COVID-19.
Mancala
From Egypt
Ancient African + Middle Eastern family of 'sowing' or 'counting' board games — players scoop seeds/stones from cups and 'sow' them one-by-one around the board, trying to capture opponent's pieces; oldest known board game family (~5000 years).
Minecraft
From Sweden
Sandbox video game in which players explore a procedurally-generated 3D world of textured cubes, mine resources, craft items, build structures, and survive against mobs in a variety of game modes.
MotoGP
From United Kingdom
Premier class of motorcycle road racing — 1,000 cc four-stroke prototype bikes race on closed circuits worldwide at speeds exceeding 350 km/h.
Overwatch
From United States
5-vs-5 team-based hero shooter by Blizzard — 40+ unique heroes with distinct abilities across 3 roles (Tank, Damage, Support); map-based objective modes (control, escort, hybrid, push, flashpoint). Overwatch League 2018-2023; now OWCS competitive circuit.
PUBG: Battlegrounds
From South Korea
The battle royale that started the genre — 100 players parachute onto shrinking island; scavenge weapons + gear; last player/squad standing wins. Brendan 'PlayerUnknown' Greene created it 2017 based on Battle Royale novel/film. Spawned Fortnite, Warzone, Apex Legends. PUBG Global Championship + PUBG Mobile Global.
Roblox
From United States
Massively multiplayer online game creation and gameplay platform where users build, share, and play millions of user-generated 3D 'experiences' — from social hangouts to obstacle courses to full RPGs.
Rock Paper Scissors
From China
World's most-played hand game — 2+ players simultaneously make 1 of 3 hand shapes (Rock, Paper, or Scissors). Rock crushes Scissors; Scissors cuts Paper; Paper covers Rock. Origins in ancient China (~200 BC 'shoushiling'); modernized Japan Edo era (jan-ken); global dispute-resolution tool. World RPS Society championships since 2002; $10K+ prizes.
Sepak Takraw
From Malaysia
Southeast Asia's answer to volleyball — three players per side vault into acrobatic scissor-kicks over a badminton-height net, using only their feet, knees, chest and head.
Sic Bo
From China
Ancient Chinese dice casino game — three dice shaken in a covered container; players bet on possible outcomes (specific numbers, sums 4-17, small/big totals, triples, doubles). Payouts range 1:1 to 180:1 based on outcome probability.
Snakes and Ladders
From India
Universal children's board game — 2-4 players race tokens from square 1 to 100 by rolling dice; ladders shortcut up, snakes drop you down. Originally ancient Indian MOKSHA PATAM (~2nd c BC) with SPIRITUAL/KARMA themes teaching virtue vs vice. British Victorian adaptation 1892; Milton Bradley 'Chutes and Ladders' 1943.
Superbike Racing
From United Kingdom
Motorcycle road racing on production-based sportbikes (1000cc superbikes). WorldSBK series founded 1988 by FIM as alternative to prototype MotoGP. Iconic manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda. Top riders: Carl Fogarty (4×), Troy Bayliss (3×), Jonathan Rea (6× consecutive 2015-20), Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (2021, 2024).
Surfing
From United States
Surface water sport in which a rider stands on a floating board and rides the face of an unbroken breaking ocean wave toward shore, performing manoeuvres for judged scores.
Valorant
From United States
5-vs-5 tactical first-person shooter esport by Riot Games — combines CS-style bomb defusal with hero-shooter abilities (23 unique 'Agents' with signature powers), on maps designed for precise gunplay + tactical utility use.
Xiangqi
From China
Ancient Chinese strategy board game played on a 9×10 grid with a central 'river' — pieces move on line intersections; goal is to checkmate the enemy General.