Jasko de Gama invented Coccoball - a new sport which is a mixture of all team sports played with ball; for this innovation he received several international awards
Jasko de Gama
Jasko de Gama is a journalist and a freelance writer, born in 1960 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegowina. Since early age he lives and works in Ploče at Croatian coast. He is the founder and has been the manager of Theater 'Mariani', he is also author of five plays for children and adults: «Gospođa i drug» ('Madam and a friend'), «Profesore, ajmo se zamijeniti» ('Hey professor, let's swap!'), «Mali prognanik» ('Little Castaway'), «Bajka o znakovima» ('Ferrytale of Signs') and «Ciplić iz Neretve» ('Trouty from Neretva River'). He directed four children's performances and three plays. He is the author of four books: «Koncert za violinu» ('Violin concerto', «Jer ste vi to tražili» ('Because You Asked for It'), «Bile zvizde» ('White Stars') and «Coccoball». He received several Croatian and international innovation awards for the new sports game coccoball (www.coccoball.hr).
He finished Technical Engineering High School, studed law, worked as a precision drawer, manager in an asbestos factory, seaman, construction and harbor worker, travelling salesman and he was participating in the war in Croatia as a volunteer. Today he works as a professional journalist.
BOOKS
'Coccoball' (Split, 2005)
'Profesore, ajmo se zamijeniti' ('Hey professor, let's swap!') - play for adolescents
About 'Coccoball'//
The coccoball is book written on motives of well known book «Roots» of American author Alex Haley. The only similarity with the «Roots» is that the story is happening in the same place and time. The rest is a fiction comedy of reversed situations in which the blacks, tired of been slaves to the whites, caught the white slave-traders and pirates and made, in the that time, the first colony of white slaves in the Africa. Contrary to expectation, they have not revenged to the whites in ways of hard slavery, but instead, they have frightened them and have had their reveng in a funny way. The blacks would gladly get rid of them, because they have disturbed their every day life. Therefore, there is now coccoball, the sport which was accidentally invented by the black young man Pim-Pec, the main hero of the story. The Coccoball is mixture of many land sports and it is the impression that it is the precursor of all major sports of today. Coccoball then became widespread hit throughout West Africa and thus replaced the wars between the tribes. The inventors – blacks and white slaves equally participated in playing of this game. The new sport represents the basis of the whole story. The end is unexpected and original, and the message is that only when everyone is free and equal, they can play the true match of coccoball. Therefore, after the African part of the story, logical sequel is coccoball wins over the World.
It is important to point out that the story of the «Coccoball» does not stand for revenge of black man to the whites, but for the cheerful and funny epilogue in which the human nonsense and egoism are the subject of laughter. On the other side stand unity, humanity, and equality regardless of sex, race and religion.
REMARK: Based on the book «Coccoball» the new sport has emerged in Croatia bearing the same name as the book. It has become very popular and tends to expand throughout Europe. Therefore, Jasko da Gama as author has copyrighted the book, the book of regulations of sport and equipment, and coccoball was accepted and confirmed as the invention for which he was rewarded at the Contest for the best invention...