Back in the eighties, one of the local sports i took delight to play in is langa. It was delightful for a teenager like me in the sense that i play it after dinner right into late at night, usually with the moonlight as our source of illumination.
Langa is one of the famous traditional Sport that dates back centuries ago in Northern Nigeria, played mainly by the youths aged between 10 to 20. Langa literally means hopping on one leg in Hausa language. As old as the sport is, it is virtually unknown to most states in the southern part of the country to say nothing of the outside world. The Hausa/Fulanis in Northern Nigeria play the sport more than any other ethnic minorities found in the region, save for a few Yoruba communities in the southwest who have ties with the north play Langa. Although the Yorubas christened it Lakanlaka
Langa is mainly played during the night, precisely after eating dinner, the young will be seen streaming out of their respective homes heading towards the playground or an agreed venue such as a front yard.
HOW THE SPORT IS PLAYED.
langa does not require any specialized sporting gear or equipment of any sort, all that is needed is a venue, a tree or a light pole. There is nothing much in regards to rules and regulations, players are allowed to shove each other but not allowed to hit. Holding of any sort is allowed as long as it will not choke an opponent to death.
For a player to be battle ready, he must adopt the posture of Langa, which is to hold one of his legs from behind with one hand and start jumping with one leg while readying to fight the opponent with the other hand.
Participants are divided into two equal teams. As is the normal custom of most traditional Hausa sports, all participants must be bare chested and usually bare footed (although the modern day Langer players do wear shirts). A particular spot or object would be marked and identified as the scoring point where the scorer (Ruwa) of either team is to touch as a score (Sha) for his team. The touching of the spot will mark the end of a round. Each team has only one scorer who is identified by a particular clothing material tied to any part of his body. It is the duty of every team member to make sure that he protects the scorer from being overpowered by the opponents until he is able to touch the scoring point at the opponents side.
Players can easily be eliminated by simply prying or dislodging the hand holding the leg from behind. Once the hand holding the leg has been pried open by an opponent, it is the duty of the referee to walk such a player out of the battle field until that particular round is over. No player who's hand is pried open can be allowed to continue. In this way, an opposing team may have its players completely eliminated save the scorer remaining while the other team will have its players intact. So a Langa warrior must learn to hold his leg in a vice like grip, failure to do so will ensure a premature elimination from a round. Also a team looses a round when the opponents were able to get to the scorer and dislodge his hands from his leg. Once this has happened, it will mark the end of a round and it will be the turn of the other team to try and score.
For one to be chosen as a scorer, he must possess certain requisite qualities. He has to have speed, strength and be bold, audacious as well as witty enough to elude capture when he finds himself alone and face to face with the opponents or when in pursuit of him. Team members must erect a barrier around the scorer to escort him to the scoring point, at the same time fending off the opponents from getting to him. Also, opposing team must erect a barrier of strong team members to prevent the opponents scorer from touching the scoring point.
Playing Langa is usually tough, as such a player is expected to adopt every strategy, tactics, and subterfuges of battle to ensure that victory is achieved at every round. Considering the tough nature of the sport, it is nearly impossible to have an entire game without any form of injury being inflicted on a player. Naturally fights may ensue when an player feels that an opponent treated him otherwise. But at the end of the day, both teams will depart in a friendly fashion, with a promise to be the winner next day.
Despite the significant role Langa brought in promoting culture and tradition, friendship, entertainment and Sportsmanship among the youths within the society, it is sad to note that the sport has almost gone into extinction. As for me, i can't remember when last i saw the sport being played for more than a decade on the streets like it used to be. Many people i asked claimed that the advent of football sport viewing centre's that can be found in virtually all the streets in Northern Nigeria is responsible for it. While others attributed it to salient reasons such as the advent of the Internet and it's accompanying accouterments, discotheques as well as religious awareness to mention but few.
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