A ball of a time

The objective is clear You throw or roll a heavy ball called boule as close as possible to a small target ball called cochonnet If you get the most number of boules closest to the cochonnet you win Sounds familiar to our own desi game of kanche or marbles Halfway across the globe the French call the ball or boule sport peacutetanque And much like marbles this game mdash a form of which dates back to ancient Rome mdash was first a social activity perhaps born in town squares before it also acquired a professional competitive side through national and international tournamentsA still from the film La cuisine au beurre 1963On September 22 after the visarjan revelries fade out Girgaum Chowpattys seafront will come alive once again with a community spirit thanks to Alliance Franccedilaise de Bombays Peacutetanque by the Beach an event that aims to introduce Mumbaikars to the muchloved French game Peacutetanque is a tradition in a large part of France It is a game of precision What makes it special is that it is not so common to come across a game that anyone and everyone can play together says the institutes executive director Freacutedeacuteric Simon This element of inclusivity in fact is what led to the modification of the rules of one of the boules sports which came to be known as peacutetanqueFreacutedeacuteric SimonIt all began in 1910 in the small town of La Ciotat in southern France where a game called jeu provenccedilal was popular among the residents Its rules were such that they required a player to gain momentum by running for a couple of steps One day it so happened that a local star of jeu provenccedilal got confined to the wheelchair as a result of severe rheumatism The prospect of never being able to play the game again left him heartbroken which his fellow residents couldnt bear to see So they tweaked the rules eliminating the requirement to run A player now had to aim at the cochonnet while being stationary And this is how peacutetanque came into existenceThe boules are usually metallic spheres the size of an orangeSimon helps us further visualise the social setting in which peacutetanque developed It is played during aperitif time which is just before dinner It is an engagement between working hours and family time he says which perhaps explains the rule that when it is not their turn players must be a little away from the spot of action with a glass of cold pastis an aniseflavoured liqueur in their handThough born in southern France it didnt take long for peacutetanque to become a beloved sport across the country In fact the game enjoys a special place in French popular culture where actors are often seen playing peacutetanque in films Today peacutetanque championships are held not just in France but also in Algeria Morocco Italy and even Malaysia and VietnamWhat led to the idea of giving Mumbaikars a taste of peacutetanque we ask Simon Apart from the fact that it is good for practising French it is an intergenerational game that brings people of all age groups together he says A simple game with inexpensive equipment which acts as a unifier mdash thats a recipe for communal bonding that was as successful in 1910 as it is in 2019The rulesPetanque is played between two individuals or two teams where the number of boules per team should not exceed 12The play area should be ideally rectangular and the game must be played on a reasonably flat and hard surfaceThe boule should be thrown from a distance of 6 to 10 metres from the cachonnetWhile the target score is not a fixed number a peacutetanque match is usually played for 13 pointsOther French games you can tryJacquet is a game from the backgammon family where the board is marked with thin triangles across which pieces are movedLe jeu de sept familles is a card game featuring fictional families of different occupations where the aim is to collect complete familiesON September 22 6 pmAT Girgaum ChowpattyREGISTER communicationmumbaiafindiaorg limited seatsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates