Chapteh is a traditional Asian game probably best remembered by young boys who spent hours kicking this usually colourful feathered appendage. Using only the feet and other parts of the body (except the hands), players had to keep this heavily weight shuttlecock in the air. The game may be played in a court similar to badminton or volleyball, or among a circle of players.

Considered a national sport in Vietnam, the Chapteh’s origins is believed to date back to the 5th century B.C in China. The Chinese fondly called it “ti jian zi” or “kick little shuttlecock”. The earlier version of the game had a football-like nature and was used in military training. Over the centuries, the game gained popularity around Asia, and soon, the world.

In 1936, the game travelled to Europe. It was during the Summer Olympics that year when a Chinese athlete from Jiangsu performed at a demonstration. The simple yet addictive game was soon played by Germany and other European countries and named it “shuttlecock”.

Since then, a film about this sport was created by a Chinese movie company; titled The Flying Feather, it won a gold award at an international film festival. Chapteh was also included as a sport in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games.