Woodball

Lore & Background

Woodball was invented in Taiwan by Weng Ming-hui and Kuang-chu Young in 1990. Weng originally wanted to convert a property he owned in Shilin District, Taipei, so his retired father could play golf leisurely, but the plan proved unfeasible, leading him to develop woodball—a sport based on golf but using a mallet, a ball, and gates made of wood. He spent an additional two years formalizing the rules. Weng established the Chinese Taipei Woodball Association (CTWA) in 1993 and began promoting the sport publicly, including in schools. The Asian Woodball Association and International Woodball Federation were established in Taipei. The 1st World University Championship was held in 2004. The Olympic Council of Asia made woodball a program of the Asian Beach Games in 2008.

Reader's Guide

Woodball's significance lies in its origin as a Taiwanese adaptation of golf, designed for accessibility and leisure. Its inclusion in the Asian Beach Games in 2008 marked a milestone in international recognition. The sport has developed a competitive structure with world and Asian championships, as well as FISU World University Championships held in various countries including Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Uganda, Thailand, and others. The 13th Asian Woodball Championship was held in 2025. At the Asian Beach Games Danang 2016, Indonesian player Ahris Surmariyanto won the gold medal, one hit ahead of Thailand's Jetsada Cheenkurd (silver) and Korea's Kim Pyo Hwan (bronze). Woodball continues to expand, with events like the 2025 SEA Games featuring the sport. Its legacy includes fostering international competition and providing a golf-like experience on diverse surfaces.

Did You Know?

• Woodball was invented in Taiwan by Weng Ming-hui and Kuang-chu Young in 1990.
• The sport was incorporated into the Asian Beach Games in 2008.
• The 1st World University Championship was held in 2004.
• At the 2016 Asian Beach Games, the gold medal was decided by a single hit.

From a Father's Golf Dream to a New Sport

Woodball was born out of a personal, almost domestic impulse. In 1990, Weng Ming-hui, together with Kuang-chu Young, conceived the sport in Taiwan. The initial spark was practical: Weng owned a property in Shilin District, Taipei, and wanted to transform it into a space where his retired father could enjoy a leisurely game of golf. That plan, however, proved feasible in a way that pushed Weng beyond simply adapting golf. Instead, he reimagined the game around a mallet, a ball, and gates crafted from wood—elements that gave the sport its name and its distinctive character. After the initial concept took shape, Weng devoted another two years to codifying the rules, ensuring the game had a clear, playable structure. What began as a father-son recreation project in a single Taipei neighborhood thus evolved into a fully defined sport with its own identity, distinct from croquet or golf, ready to be shared with a wider audience.

Building the Institutional Backbone

Woodball's journey from a local pastime to an internationally recognized sport was driven by deliberate institutional building. In 1993, Weng Ming-hui founded the Chinese Taipei Woodball Association (CTWA), which became the engine for public promotion, including introducing the game into school programs. The sport's governance then expanded well beyond one island. Both the Asian Woodball Association and the International Woodball Federation were established in Taipei, anchoring the sport's administrative heart in the very city where it was invented. This infrastructure set the stage for competitive milestones: the first World University Championship took place in 2004, and in 2008 the Olympic Council of Asia officially incorporated woodball into the program of the Asian Beach Games. That 2008 inclusion marked a watershed, elevating woodball from a niche regional activity to a sanctioned event on a major multi-sport stage, with the flexibility to be played on grass, sand, or indoor surfaces.

A Layered Calendar of Championships

Over the years, woodball has built a layered competitive calendar spanning multiple continents and levels of play. At the university level, the FISU World University Championships have hosted woodball events in a rotating set of host cities: the inaugural edition in 2004, followed by Bangkok in 2006, Kampala in 2010, Perlis in Malaysia in 2014, and Taipei City in 2016. On the senior international stage, the World Woodball Championship and the Asian Woodball Championship provide recurring opportunities for national teams to compete; the 13th edition of the Asian Woodball Championship is scheduled for 2025. The sport has also found a place in the Southeast Asian Games, with woodball featured at the 2025 SEA Games. Together, these events create a pipeline from campus-level competition to continental and world championships, giving athletes at every stage a clear path to test their skill with mallet, ball, and wooden gates.

One Hit Apart in Danang

Few moments capture the razor-thin margins of woodball better than the Asian Beach Games in Danang, Vietnam, in 2016. Representing Indonesia, Ahris Surmariyanto stepped onto the sand alongside his national teammates and delivered a performance that edged out the field by the narrowest of margins. He claimed the gold medal, finishing just one hit ahead of Thailand's Jetsada Cheenkurd, who settled for silver in second place. Rounding out the podium was Kim Pyo Hwan of Korea, who took the bronze in third. That single-stroke separation between first and second underscored how demanding the sport can be, even on a beach surface where sand adds its own layer of difficulty to mallet control and ball trajectory. For Indonesia, the gold was a statement on the global stage; for the sport, it was proof that woodball could deliver the kind of close, dramatic finishes that keep audiences at the edge of their seats.