Buzkashi translates roughly as “goat pulling” in Dari. The name tells you most of what you need to know: players on horseback compete to grab a headless goat or calf carcass from the ground, carry it around a marker, and drop it into a target circle. It is loud, violent, and takes years to master. It is also Afghanistan’s national sport.
The sport is ancient — estimates put its origins somewhere between the 10th and 15th centuries, connected to nomadic Turkic and Mongol cultures of Central Asia. The Russian word for the sport is “kokpar,” and versions of it are played in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan’s version is the most well-known internationally and the most prestigious domestically.
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How buzkashi works
A buzkashi match involves two formats. Tudabarai is the simpler version: a player grabs the carcass from a pile in the centre of the field and carries it in any direction clear of the opposing riders. Qarajai is the more demanding version: the rider must carry the carcass around a distant marker and drop it into a scoring circle called the “circle of justice.”
There are no fixed team sizes in traditional buzkashi. Matches can involve dozens of riders per side. The playing field has no fixed dimensions either — it can stretch across open countryside. A game has no fixed duration; it ends when a player completes a scoring run.
The horses are as important as the riders. A trained buzkashi horse, called a “buzkashi horse” in common parlance, is worth far more than a standard working horse. These animals learn to stand steady while their riders bend completely off the saddle to grab a 50-kilogram carcass from the ground. They must not panic in close-contact situations with other horses. A well-trained buzkashi horse is a years-long investment.
The chapandaz: Afghanistan’s elite riders
The skilled buzkashi rider is called a chapandaz. In Afghanistan’s buzkashi culture, a great chapandaz has a status roughly comparable to a top athlete in any western sport. They are sought after by wealthy patrons (called khans) who sponsor riders, provide horses, and fund tournaments.
A chapandaz typically does not reach peak performance until their 40s. The skills required — reading the movements of 20 or 30 horses simultaneously, maintaining grip on a carcass while riders slash at your hands and arms, controlling a horse with your knees while both hands are occupied — take decades to develop fully. Young riders start training in childhood and spend years as support riders before competing seriously.
A chapandaz who wins consistently earns gifts — cash, horses, fabrics, carpets — from his patron. The most successful ones become wealthy men by Afghan standards. They are also recognisable public figures. In provincial cities, a famous chapandaz can draw crowds the way a professional footballer draws them in Europe.
Buzkashi in Afghan culture
Matches are traditionally held on Fridays and on major occasions: weddings, the celebration of Nowruz (Persian New Year), and official state events. The Afghan Olympic Committee ran a formal buzkashi competition from the 1950s onward, with structured rules, referees, and seasonal leagues in major cities including Kabul, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kunduz.
The Taliban banned buzkashi during their first rule (1996-2001), viewing public entertainment as forbidden. After the US-led intervention in 2001, the sport was one of the first cultural activities revived publicly. Matches in Kabul attracted thousands within months of the Taliban’s ouster. When the Taliban returned to power in 2021, the status of public buzkashi became uncertain again, though matches continued in some northern provinces.
The sport has its own literary tradition in Afghanistan. The 1965 novel “The Horsemen” by French author Joseph Kessel — later made into a film — introduced buzkashi to western audiences. It remains one of the most widely read fictional accounts of Afghan rural life outside Afghanistan.
What is buzkashi in Afghanistan: key facts
The carcass used is typically a calf or goat, headless and with the lower legs removed. It weighs around 40-50 kg. The carcass is soaked in cold water overnight before a match to toughen it — the physical demands of the game would otherwise shred it within minutes.
Players can legally push, grab, and wrestle opposing riders. There are restrictions on striking opponents with whips (chapandaz carry short whips as riding tools) though the line between legal contact and foul is somewhat fluid in traditional matches. In formalised competitions, referees enforce more structured rules.
FAQ: buzkashi, Afghanistan’s national sport
What is buzkashi in Afghanistan?
Buzkashi is Afghanistan’s national sport. Players on horseback compete to grab a headless animal carcass from the ground, carry it around a marker, and deposit it in a scoring circle. The sport has origins in Central Asian nomadic culture and has been played in Afghanistan for at least several centuries.
What is the national sport of Afghanistan?
Buzkashi. The sport was formally recognised as the national sport and has been played competitively in Afghanistan since at least the 1950s through organised regional leagues.
Is buzkashi played only in Afghanistan?
No. Related versions are played in Kyrgyzstan (kokboru), Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan’s version is the most internationally recognised and has the most developed competitive structure.
How dangerous is buzkashi?
It is a high-contact sport with significant injury risk. Falls from horses, collisions between horses, and the physical struggle for the carcass all create danger. Serious injuries — broken bones, concussions — occur regularly. Deaths, while rare, have happened in competitive play.
What animal is used in buzkashi?
Traditionally a goat or calf carcass, headless and with the lower legs removed. The carcass is soaked in water overnight before the match to toughen it. It weighs approximately 40-50 kg.
Buzkashi’s global profile
Outside Central Asia, buzkashi is little-known as a sport rather than a cultural curiosity. That may be changing slowly — international media coverage of Afghanistan over the past two decades has included more serious treatment of the sport, and documentary films have brought the chapandaz tradition to western audiences. Whether buzkashi ever achieves the organised international profile of other traditional sports (like sumo or Mongolian wrestling) depends largely on Afghanistan’s political stability, which has been the sport’s biggest constraint since the 1970s.
For other national sports with similarly deep cultural roots, the national sports of all countries article covers the full picture across 100+ nations. Kabaddi, another ancient South Asian sport with a rich competitive culture, is explored in depth on Sportycious.
