Afghanistan

Thousands gather in Kabul for Afghanistan’s national buzkashi championship

Afghan men enthusiastically cheer during the final match of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament on the outskirts of Kabul. This traditional equestrian sport features skilled riders competing to score points using a fake goat carcass. [AP Photo]

Competitors from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan teams enter the field for the buzkashi tournament match. [AP Photo]

Taliban authorities attend the final match of Afghanistan's annual buzkashi tournament, a traditional equestrian sport. [AP Photo]

Buzkashi, Afghanistan's national sport played for centuries on the northern steppe, stands at the heart of Afghan identity. Over generations, it has transformed from a rugged rural pastime into a professional sporting phenomenon. [AP Photo]

Traditionally, buzkashi was played using a goat's headless carcass. [AP Photo]

Today, a 30kg (66lb) leather sack typically replaces the traditional carcass as riders attempt to extract it from a cluster of horses before depositing it in a "circle of justice". This circle is drawn on the ground, and competitors must complete a full-speed lap around the arena with rivals in close pursuit before reaching it. [AP Photo]

Riders from the Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan provinces face off in the championship match. [AP Photo]

Spectators gathered to witness the thrilling final. [AP Photo]

Buzkashi, a centuries-old national sport, flourishes in Afghanistan and neighbouring Central Asian countries. Afghan teams and their sponsors regularly recruit riders and source horses from these adjacent nations to secure competitive edges. [AP Photo]

According to many Afghans, decades of war, foreign invasions, and civil conflict have deeply fractured the unity of their diverse, multiethnic society. They maintain that organised sporting competitions, particularly buzkashi, can play a vital role in rebuilding and strengthening national cohesion. [AP Photo]

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