A Mayan Ball Player from Chapab team from Mexico paints his face during the first ®Pok Ta Pok® World Cup in Piste, Tinum, Yucatan, Mexico, September 19, 2015. Five teams from Belize, Guatemala and Mexico played again this sacred and ceremonial sport prohibited by European conquerors after the Spanish empire established itself in today¥s Mexico and Central America. The Mayan Ball Game is one of the most important rituals from the Mesoamerican culture. The sacred ®Popol Vuh, ® or ®Book of the Community® written around 1550 by the Mayan Quiche people in today¥s Guatemala, describes the game as a representation of Divine Mayan Twins defeating the ®Ajawab, ® gods of ®Xibalba, ® the underworld. The sacred ®Popol Vuh, ® or ®Book of the Community® written around 1550 by the Mayan Quiche people in today¥s Guatemala, describes the game as a battle between the gods of heaven and the gods of the underworld. Also, that the ball represents the sun. The ball, made from a rubber tree, represents the movements of the sun and other stars, and can weight anywhere between half a kilogram and four kilograms.
