In exploring the role of sports in Afghanistan, I thought it would be best to start my exploration and research with learning more about the national sport of Afghanistan, buzkashi (بزکشی), which translates to "goat grabbing." The sport has a long history that dates as far back to the time of Genghis Khan. Buzkashi is a game that pits two teams of ten players - all riding on horseback - against one another battling for a carcass (usually, it is either a calf or goat) that must then be returned to a designated scoring area. The sport is very unique, and, besides polo, it is difficult to find anything else to compare it to.
The sport is tremendously difficult for both the players and horses. The players have to be strong due to the physicality of the sport, while also being excellent horseman. Likewise, the horses undergo extensive training; for instance, horses are trained to wait in the event that riders falls off of it. As a result, due to the nature of the game, it may take years for an individual to properly train his horse and himself for the sport.
Some vocabulary related to the sport are listed below:
horse لسپ
horseman اسب سوار
experience تجربه
carcass لاشه
goat بز
calf گوساله
To get a better understanding of the game, spend some time taking a look at the links below:
Comments