A combination of brutish horsemanship and iron-clad nerves, buzkashi, a time-honoured Afghan sporting contest, is a chaotic test of life and limb, a pepped-up polo for the masses.
There is little subtlety or refinement in the modern traditions of Afghan sport. Take the Afghan Olympic squad, a five-person team inclusive of a boxer, a wrestler and an exponent of judo. From a country moulded through the defence of the homeland and the absolute defeat of opponents, these Olympians come ably qualified in the skills of engagement, resistance and the blunt use of force.
A combination of brutish horsemanship and iron-clad nerves, buzkashi, a time-honoured Afghan sporting contest, is a chaotic test of life and limb, a pepped-up polo for the masses. The game, a staple fixture on the events calendar, pays homage to the marauding Mongol armies and their mastery of man over beast and is likely derived from the tradition of the hunt. Buzkashi, literally ‘goat grabbing’, is in essence, barely legitimised combat fought by only the most hardened and courageous riders.
Teams from Afghanistan’s northern provinces are regarded as the countries finest, riders feted with the same passion usually reserved for fallen military and political leaders. Arriving in the stadium atop male stud horses, cloaked in heavy quilted coats, fox-fur hats, leather whip clenched tightly between their teeth, they appear impervious to fear or the notion of defeat.
While historically played on vast open plains with small cavalries for teams, matches are now frequently held in the provincial capitals, and are contested with at least a semblance of restraint and order. Two teams attempt to score points by carrying the ‘boz’—the leaden weight of a dismembered goat or calf—the length of the field, looping a wooden marker then attempting to drop it in a chalk circle at the opposite end of the pitch. The primary impediment is of course the opposing team who have licence to stifle the run of the ‘chapandaz’ (master rider) by any and all means available. The game therefore pits the smaller, speedier
horses against the massive frames of the larger breeds, with the riders skilfully pulling the reins.
As the game progresses, the rules become secondary to the grinding scrimmages and the dash of open play. Crowds are appreciative and knowledgeable; the intricacies of stirrup work, strenuous turns and blinding bursts of speed are not lost on even the youngest potential apprentice. The spectacle can continue for hours, though