Chin Lone

Chinlone is a cane ball composed of wicker-work. Myanmar people have made chinlon balls from cane or rattan, a wild creeper which grows profusely in many forests of Myanmar, since time immemorial because of its resilient, fibrous nature. Strips of cane or rattan are interwoven in bands into a ball four inches in diameter, leaving twelve pentagonal holes. Chinlons thus woven are not only very light but also resilient, cheap and long lasting.

Traditionally, chinlon was strictly a man's past time for exercising the body after long, strenuous periods of sitting, standing or working. However, since post-war times, some women have adopted this game and entered the arena to display their chinlon talents. Basically, chinlon is played with the feet and other parts of the body such as the head, shoulders, elbows, knees, heels, and soles. But the hands cannot be used. Unlike football, however, there is no goal to shoot in playing chinlon and no fixed number of players needed to play it. The main object of chinlon is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible by tossing it with all parts of the body except the hands. The number of players can range from a single person playing by himself to a team formed into a circle.

In a solo performance, skillful players can play with four to eight chinlons using all possible tactics to keep them on or around their body.