Wiser, which originates from America, was introduced  to Vietnam in 2012. The sport has now become a favourite  in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The rules of the sport are quite simple with two teams, each including from three to seven players  who obey their team captain.

A match is divided into two phases: the beginning and the contest. At the beginning, the two teams stand on the two short sides of the court facing each other. The two teams will take turn throwing balls into the court, until all the balls are on the court. The balls can be positioned anywhere on the court. 

Every Saturday afternoon, members of the Hanoi Wiserball Club gather at No.73 Van Bao Street to play.  Players are guided with some basic command gestures of the coach before a match.  It is quite easy to play the sport and it takes about 15 minutes to learn how to play.  Many children are interested in the sport.  Members of the two teams shake hands before a match. The sport requires the solidarity of all members during each match. If it successfully hits the opposition’s ball, a yellow flag is placed next to it. This player is stopped in the next turn and must wait to be rescued by his/her teammates.  The coach records every throw of players during the match.  Each throw must be calculated exactly.  A skillful throw of the Hanoi team in a match.  My Van, a senior wiserball player of the Hanoi Wiserball Club.  When all of the balls of one team are either locked or removed, the game ends. Although introduced to  Vietnam several years, the sport has drawn a large number of players of all ages.  Vuong Vu Thang, Chairman of the Vietnam Wiser Association, presents a gold medal to the winning team  of the year.

During the contest, a player of a team picks up his or her ball and throws it. He or she can aim at an opposition’s ball for an attack.  If it successfully hits the opposition’s ball, that ball is frozen.  The first time a ball is frozen, it is called a first lock, and a yellow flag is placed next to it.  If it is hit again, it is called a second lockand the yellow flag is replaced by a red flag.  A third hit permanently removes that “struck” ball from the game.

However, a locked ball can be rescued if a teammate of the locked ball in turn hits the opposition’s ball which originally struck it. Therefore, the teams need to discuss and calculate carefully their strategies to get the highest result.

When all of the balls of one team are either locked or removed, the game ends and the other team, who still has one or more balls, wins the match.

Playing wiser not only improves the health of players, but also helps them develop strategic thought and team working skills.
 

By Khanh Long