Unusual sports in Singapore

Bossaball

Think of this as volleyball but on a bouncy castle, with a trampoline thrown in for extra boing – it’s basically a kids’ party gone grown up. Teams of three to five players bounce their way through the game on an inflatable volleyball court, hitting and kicking the ball onto their opponent’s side of the net. The player at the foremost part of the court gets to utilise the trampoline built into the court, and wins extra points if he/she scores. For added fun, the game is played to a samba beat, and some competitions line up a DJ who spins tunes for the players to jump to. Truly insane. Public sessions held on 5 & 6 Jun. From $10 for a session with Bossaball Singapore. 40C Hong Kong St (6100 6292, www.bossaball.com.sg).

Paramotoring

This is about the closest you’ll ever come to flying like a superhero. Paramotoring combines paragliding with a motorised propeller that’s strapped onto your back. Give Skyads $1,200 and you can spend three to five days (depending on the weather) learning how to take off, land and control the motor in flight. They provide all the equipment and the course includes a tandem flight with an instructor. At the end of the course you’ll have a licence to fly, with a wing and a chair. (9127 5969, www.skyads.info).

Pétanque

Right, so it may be a bit better known, but this French sport is still quite the oddity. The game requires six metal balls and a piglet – no, not Winnie-the-Pooh’s best friend, but a wooden ball called a cochonnet. The aim of the game is to throw your balls as close to the piglet as you can. There are nearly 100 pitches in Singapore, so just pay a $29 membership fee and $1 to hire the court for two hours, and away you throw. Sports Boules Singapore, #01-02 Toa Payoh Swimming Complex, 301 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 (9824 4239, www.sportsboules.org.sg).

Pushball

Two teams each consisting of 11 players compete to push a giant 6ft-high ball between two upright posts joined by a crossbar. The rules are pretty simple. Shove, nudge or even coax the giant ball over your opponent’s goal line and you’ve got five points; fire it over the crossbar, and you’ve scored eight points. To get involved, contact your local sports centre (www.ssc.gov.sg) and ask about their next session, or buy a $250 pushball from Backcare Resources Ltd and herd up a group of mates to play. #03-19 Entrepreneur Business Centre, 18 Kaki Bukit Rd 3 (6749 6509, www.backcare.com.sg).

This story first appeared as 'Game for something new' in our Jun 2010 issue.