His research also led him to the Netherlands, where he found photographs, documents and books by Dutch colonial officials and scientists referencing not only games which still exist today but those which had been forgotten.
He also went to the Vatican to study documents kept by Catholic priests and to the United Kingdom to look for archives compiled by the British.
There were records and references on traditional games compiled under the command of Stamford Raffles, when he was British lieutenant-governor in Java between 1811 to 1816 and in Bencoolen, now Indonesia’s Bengkulu province, between 1818 and 1824.
Alif said that his study shows that between 30 to 40 per cent of the traditional games mentioned in those books and manuscripts have been lost.
“We can only guess how they are played,” he said.
GETTING PEOPLE INVOLVED
After researching traditional games as Indonesian heritage for close to two decades, Alif who is now a designer and lecturer, is more determined to reintroduce these games to the general public.
He started it off by teaching children from his neighbourhood how to play these games.
“Because they were used to playing with modern toys and video games, these games were something new and exciting for them and they had fun,” he said.
But Alif said getting the parents involved – which he thought was critical in ensuring that the games and their values are preserved and passed down – was not as easy.
“It was difficult. They asked: ‘why should a grown man play these children’s games?’ It took quite a long time to convince them,” he continued.