"... If you have spent any time in Myanmar, you would probably have seen the usual looking combination of sport and dance known locally as Chinlone, which means ?rounded basket”. The sport is said to be over 1,500-years old and was once played by Burmese kings. Known as ?caneball” in English, this essentially non competitive game with no opposing team has no focus on winning or losing, but simply on the manner in which the game is played. You don?t hear that very often in the world of professional sport. Over 200 different methods of contacting the ball have been developed since the game was first invented, some of the most difficult of which are performed ?blind” with the ball behind your back. The game consists of one team of six players who play a version of ?keepy uppy” as they pass a woven rattan ball (the distinctive sound made by the ball as it is passed around adds to the aesthetic of the game) around in a circle (typically 22 feet in diameter) using their heads, knees and feet. One player stands in the middle of the circle to perform a solo; various moves reminiscent of dance are combined as the soloist is supported by those in the outer circle. Play stops once the ball has touched the ground before starting again as a new round. Played barefoot or in specialised shoes on dry, hard dirt (ideally, but any surface will suffice), players use six main points of contact with the ball: the top of the toes; the sole of the foot; the instep and outstep of the foot; the heel; and the knee. Of primary importance in chinlone isform, referring to the correct manner in which the hands, arms, upper body and head should be positioned. The intensely focused state of mind, said to be similar to that achieved in a Zen state of meditation and which is referred to as ?jhana”, is known to be key to a successful performance..."