Tejo (sport)

Tejo is a traditional sport in Colombia. This sport consists of throwing a metallic plate that weighs around 2 kg through the air and making it hit the "mechas" (gunpowder) in the middle of the target. Whoever makes the most number "mechas" explode wins.

The target is a box filled with clay. Gunpowder is placed in the center in order to make a noise when the disk falls into the center. In June 2000, tejo, the modern version of the indigenous "Turmequé", was declared a national sport of Colombia by the Congress of the Republic. This sport has been played for over 500 years by the indigenous groups that lived in the regions of Cundinamarca and Boyacá.

The ancient sport called "Turmeque" consisted of throwing a golden disk which evolved into a stone disk and now into a metal disk. In Colombia it is very common to find professional tejo teams around the major cities and small towns. Most of these teams are sponsored by beer companies which causes the teams to profit greatly due to the strong bond between the team and company. In the past, Tejo was played along with "Chicha" (an indigenous alcoholic drink made from corn). Now players refresh themselves with beer. [ [http://www.educar.org/Educacionfisicaydeportiva/historia/tejo.asp Historia del Tejo ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.educar.org/Educacionfisicaydeportiva/historia/tejo.asp History of Tejo]