Representatives of different associations linked to the traditional games and sports of the Balearic Islands participated last weekend, on December 19, in an informative meeting held in Palma de Mallorca, in one of the rooms of the headquarters of the Direcció General de Cultura. The meeting served to officially present the working group of the Associació Balear de Jocs i Esports Tradicionals, an entity registered for years at the Conselleria de Presidència del Govern balear.
The meeting aroused considerable interest among the invited individuals and groups, many of whom expressed their commitment to the preservation and dissemination of the islands’ own traditions. Although some associations were unable to attend due to prior commitments, they expressed their willingness to stay informed and participate in future meetings.
Among the attendees were representatives of various traditional disciplines, such as Guiem Vizcaíno, from Inca, linked to the game of baldufa or peonza; Joan Llodrà, from Palma, a specialist in tir de fona and a teacher and writer; Biel Pons, also from Palma, representing the card game truc; Esteve Barceló and Pep Nicolau, from Montuïri, linked to the joc de la tella; journalist Juanjo Machado; Miquel Sagreras, from Porreres, from ASBATRA; and Pep Ribas Ribas, from Eivissa, president of Jocs Tradicionals de Balears.
During the meeting, the close collaboration that the Balearic association maintains with entities throughout Spain was highlighted, especially with the Canary Islands, noted for its extensive catalog of traditional customs and its outreach work. It was also recalled the existence of contacts and shared projects with associations from different European and Asian countries and, very significantly, from Latin America.
Participants agreed on the need to preserve and publicize their own traditions, as well as to strengthen the union between groups to gain presence in the media, improve the exchange of information on activities and take a more vindictive stance towards public administrations. In this sense, the usefulness of the Facebook profile “Jocs Tradicionals de Balears” was highlighted as a platform for sharing workshops, festivals, conferences, competitions, exhibitions and meetings, both in the Balearic Islands and in other territories.
It was also reported that the Balearic Parliament has recently unanimously approved a Proposition Not of Law (PNL) on the traditional games and sports of the islands, an institutional support that the attendees valued as an important step for the recognition of this cultural heritage.
Among future projects, it was announced the intention to organize in 2026 a major international event of traditional games and sports in one of the islands, with the participation of autonomous communities and foreign countries, following the model of the meeting held seven years ago in the Parc de la Mar, in front of the Cathedral of Palma.
The meeting concluded with the commitment to maintain contact between the associations present and those interested in joining future calls, which is expected to expand to other areas such as lateen sailing, history, publications, the ball de bot, traditional music, ancient crafts and handicrafts. The meeting ended with an exchange of good wishes for Christmas and New Year 2026, and with the shared feeling that there is still a long way to go in the defense and projection of Balearic traditions.
