Brazil sinks teeth into mango-inspired game

Fun pastime that tests reflexes to the max is all the rage on Rio's beaches

RIO DE JANEIRO — A childhood pastime of kids tossing mangoes to each other in the Amazon has transformed into a proper sport in Brazil, even finding a place among the vaunted beach games played in Rio de Janeiro.

On the hot, golden sands of Copacabana, players simultaneously toss two mango-shaped balls across a net in a fast, fun and tiring test of their reflexes.

Dubbed "manbol" — a mashup of the words for mango and ball — the new game is slowly spreading across Rio's beaches, where sports-loving Brazilians indulge in activities like footvolley, beach tennis, and volleyball.