Buzkashi: Afghanistan’s Bloody National Sport

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Buzkashi is Afghanistan’s national sport: it involves whips, horses, and a dead calf.

The calf itself has been beheaded, cut off the knees, soaked in cold water for twenty-four hours to make it tough, and occasionally filled with sand. It is placed into a shallow hole, and a circle of quicklime is drawn nearby: this circle is the hallal, or ‘circle of justice.’ At the signal, players grab the calf and sprint off into the distance on horseback. Their goal is to round two posts, set on either side of the starting point, and return to toss the calf into the hallal.

For centuries, this land of steppes has been populated by men who were born and raised in the saddle. In the old days – which is to say, back when Genghis Khan walked the earth – games could last for many days, countless miles, and through the occasional death of a player. Today, modern ‘rules’ keep the goal posts about a mile or so apart, but injured players still don’t stop the game. Injury is part of the game, actually: the players continually whip each other.

You cannot tie the calf to your saddle, hit another player on the hand in order to snatch the calf, or trip the players with a rope. These rules may or may not be observed.

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