Buzkashi

Buzkashi is a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players (Pahlawan) attempt to drag a calf carcass toward a goal or circle after making a circling the flag on the opposite side of the goal. Its history dates back to the nomadic Turkic-Mongol peoples of 10th century. It is the national sport of Afghanistan, but for me its far more than a sport. Our family has been traditionally playing this game for generations and my grandfather was a champion player of his time, winning gold medals from the king. The game is brutal, dangerous, and incredibly tough, but its a game of honor, respect, and passion. People play it once to twice a week in winter, but its the irresistible of wedding celebrations which lasts for several days. People gather from many different states, towns or villages, depending on the size of the game which extends to 500 horses in a game.

The only rule that matters is not to intentionally harm a horse or a player, but for professional games rules are strict and detailed. The most important reward for each score is the honorable respect the player gets from people, beside that, the value of reward in money is always set by the organizers of the game. Best part of the game is, when a player scores the last round, he earns the calf but always shares the delightful meat with all the other players.