Major League Keepy Uppy

Remember as a child (or an adult but we will keep that between us) when you tried to keep a balloon up in the air?  Believe it or not, we could have gone pro with that "talent".  Yep, there is actually an organized competition for keeping a balloon in the air.

The "Balloon World Cup" was organized and first played in Spain in 2021 and again in 2022.

The rules of the "sport" is pretty simple.  The player receives a point if the balloon reaches the ground after touching it. To do this, you can take advantage of obstacles to make it difficult for your opponent to prevent the ball from falling.

The matches last for two minutes, except for the final, which lasts for five.Whoever scores the most points in that time wins. Players are only allowed to touch the balloon with their hand, because if another part of the body intervenes, they will lose the point.

The balloon cannot be hit from the top down, only from its lower half. If the tie persists after two minutes, a definitive point is disputed that is called the Golden Globe. As mentioned, there is a referee who will define each action and ensure compliance with the rules. 

Just as we had to do when we played it, the arena is set up with all kinds of random furniture and other obstacles to get in the way of the competitors.

Miguel Imbroda from Spain won the Gold Medal in the 2022 competition.  He defeated Claudio Lassance from Brazil by a score of 4-2 in the Gold Medal game.    The top player from the United States was Keem Kim who lost to Clement Dumais from France 4-1 in the Round of 16.

Watch the 2022 Balloon World Cup here.

There have been no announcements yet for the 2023 Balloon World Cup.