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Nomadic horse games
Kokpar is an old team game played on horseback across Central Asia. Riders try to grab a heavy object called the ulak from the ground at a gallop and score it in the other team's goal.
| Group | Nomadic horse games |
|---|---|
| Also called | kok-boru, ulak tartysh, buzkashi, kupkari, kokpar tartu, goat pulling |
| Olympic | no |
| Governing body | World Kokpar Association |
| Where it is popular | Kokpar is popular in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, where it is called buzkashi. It is also played in Mongolia, Turkey and western China. |
Two teams play, each usually with 12 riders, but only four per team are on the field at once and the rest are substitutes. The field is about 200 metres long, and the goal is a raised ring called the tai kazan or a circle marked on the ground. The ulak is traditionally a goat carcass, and in modern games it is more and more often a dummy. Under the international kokpar rules adopted in 2019, a match has two 20-minute halves. The team that scores more goals wins.
The game needs strong, brave and obedient horses that do not mind close contact and can accelerate quickly. Horses go through long, special training.
Players wear helmets and thick protective clothing, plus heeled boots that keep the foot secure in the stirrup. Each player carries a whip.
The main international tournament is the World Nomad Games. Kazakhstan has held an adult national kokpar championship since 2001.
Kokpar is a full-contact game for experienced riders, so the first step is regular riding lessons at a riding club. Kazakhstan has held youth kokpar championships since 2005, but only well-trained riders with protective gear take part.
In Kyrgyz, the name kok-boru means grey wolf. In 2017, the Kyrgyz game kok-boru was added to UNESCO's list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, ich.unesco.org, newtimes.kz, globalvoices.org