Sar-e-Pul Wins Afghanistan's National Buzkashi Championship as Thousands Gather in Kabul

A 7-0 Final Caps Eleven Days of Competition

Sar-e-Pul defeated Badakhshan 7-0 in the final of Afghanistan's annual national buzkashi championship, bringing an eleven-day tournament in Kabul to a close before thousands of spectators. Eleven provincial teams competed, with eight riders from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan also taking part in the country's most prestigious competition for its national equestrian sport.

The northern province's commanding victory over northeastern Badakhshan ended with the champions taking a celebratory lap around the field, carrying their provincial flag as supporters cheered. Baghlan finished third and Kunduz fourth. A petrol company sponsored the competition, with cars awarded to the top four teams.

The tournament brought together horsemen from across Afghanistan and crowds of men and boys whose enthusiasm spilled beyond the stands. Some climbed trees and electricity pylons to see the action. The championship was described as taking place on the outskirts of Kabul, while its spectator stands were also described as being at a central Kabul venue.

Buzkashi's continued popularity was visible throughout the event, from the provincial rivalries on the field to the crowds following every scoring attempt. The tournament also reflected Afghanistan's changed public life under Taliban rule: senior officials attended a sport their movement prohibited during its earlier government, while women were barred from attending.

The championship combined a tradition dating back centuries with modern sponsorship, international recruitment and valuable prizes. At its centre remained a demanding contest in which riders must control powerful horses, lift a heavy bundle from the ground and carry it to a scoring area while opponents try to take it away.

What Riders Must Do to Score

Buzkashi means "goat pulling" in Persian. Traditionally, riders competed for a beheaded goat carcass, although descriptions of the sport also include the use of a calf carcass. Contemporary tournaments use a substitute made from leather and rope and filled with straw, designed to reproduce the weight of an animal. The bundle typically weighs about 30 kilograms, or 66 pounds.

The competitors, known as chapandaz, must combine strength with exceptional balance and control. They lean far out of their saddles, sometimes at seemingly impossible angles, to collect the bundle while their horses move at full gallop. Once a rider gains possession, opponents pursue him and try to prevent him from completing the scoring route.

The basic objective is to deliver the bundle to a designated goal area. In the classic format described for the sport, two teams each have twelve riders. Competition is physically fierce, with relatively few formal rules compared with many other team sports.

Buzkashi has two main forms. Tudabarai translates as "emerging from a mass," while Qarajai means "black place." The national championship used Qarajai, in which a rider carries the bundle around a marker and then into a scoring circle. Completing that route requires a lap around the arena at speed while rivals give chase.

The marker and scoring circle make possession only the beginning of a successful attempt. A rider must keep hold of a heavy load, guide his horse through the required route and withstand pressure from other competitors. Dust rising from the horses adds to the spectacle as riders converge, break away and race toward the scoring area.

Provincial Teams Compete for National Honours

The eleven provincial teams competed in a league format before the tournament concluded with the final between Sar-e-Pul and Badakhshan. Sar-e-Pul performed strongly throughout the competition and finished with the decisive 7-0 victory that secured its place as the country's leading buzkashi team for the year.

Baghlan's third place and Kunduz's fourth place completed the leading positions. The results gave supporters from several provinces a stake in the championship, even as the final focused attention on the rivalry between the northern and northeastern teams.

Sar-e-Pul's successful carries brought loud cheers from its supporters. Badakhshan's fans became quieter as their team struggled to stop the opposition. The final celebration, with the winning riders circling the field behind their provincial flag, made regional pride a visible part of the national event.

The competition also brought eight international participants from neighbouring Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Their involvement reflected connections that extend beyond Afghanistan's borders, where related forms of the sport have their own names, traditions and organised competitions.

Cars, Sponsors and the Value of a Good Horse

A petrol company provided funding for the championship and automobiles for the four highest finishing teams. Sar-e-Pul received a new car along with trophies, medals and certificates. Those prizes gave the champions tangible rewards alongside the prestige of a national title.

Corporate sponsorship connects an old sporting tradition to the costs of running a modern tournament. Afghanistan's economic difficulties make horses expensive to maintain and competitions difficult to finance without outside support. Sponsorship was crucial to this championship, although such backing remains inconsistent.

Afghan teams and their sponsors regularly recruit riders and obtain horses from neighbouring countries to strengthen their chances of winning. The international dimension therefore involves more than visitors appearing at a tournament: it also shapes the partnerships between owners, riders and animals on which competitive success depends.

Horses undergo extensive training to develop the strength, agility and responsiveness required for buzkashi. A rider may need his horse to turn quickly, hold its position amid other animals and accelerate while he is leaning from the saddle or carrying the bundle. The best chapandaz often develop close working partnerships with particular horses that understand these demands.

The championship's mix of provincial teams, foreign riders, trained horses and sponsored prizes shows how buzkashi has developed from a rugged rural pastime into a professional sporting activity. Its competitive structure has changed while the central test of horsemanship remains closely tied to its cultural roots.

A Tradition Rooted in Afghan Identity

Buzkashi is often called the "sport of kings" in Central Asia. Its origins are traced to nomadic Asian tribes between the 10th and 15th centuries, and it has become a central part of Afghan cultural identity over generations.

Atal Mashwani, spokesman for Afghanistan's General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, described the sport as a link between national history and a shared sense of belonging.

"Buzkashi is not just a sport in Afghanistan; it is a reflection of our history, our strength, and our unity as a people," explained Atal Mashwani.

Many Afghans see organised competitions, particularly buzkashi, as a way to strengthen national cohesion after decades of war, foreign invasions and civil conflict. Provincial teams give people a local side to support, while a national tournament brings different regions and ethnic communities into the same sporting occasion.

The chapandaz themselves often enjoy respected positions in their communities. Their standing rests on courage, skill and dedication to preserving the tradition. Buzkashi also appears in books and film adaptations, extending its place in Afghan identity beyond the field.

A Sporting Network Across Central Asia

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan's eight participants placed the Kabul championship within a wider regional tradition. Related games are known across Central Asia by names including kokpar, kupkari and ulak tartysh, with local variations in how they are played.

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan promote versions known as kokpar or kokboru through national associations and championships. Their organised competitions share the central attraction of riders contesting possession on horseback, even where the name or format differs.

Tajikistan's buzkashi season generally runs from November to April. Matches often accompany weddings and other communal events, connecting sporting competition with gatherings that bring families and communities together.

In Pakistan, buzkashi is played mainly in areas bordering Afghanistan by Wakhi and Pashtun communities. Together, these regional traditions help explain why Afghan teams can recruit riders and source horses beyond their own country, and why competitors from neighbouring states took part in the national championship.

Taliban Officials Attend a Once Prohibited Sport

The Taliban prohibited buzkashi during their earlier period of government in the 1990s, alongside many other forms of entertainment and public gathering. The sport revived after they were removed from power and has continued since their return in 2021.

Senior Taliban officials attended this year's championship, signalling government approval. Mashwani said officials now regularly attend competitions, providing state endorsement that helps events proceed smoothly.

A regional analyst who has studied Afghanistan's sporting traditions described the decision to permit buzkashi as recognition of its cultural importance. The analyst was not named.

"The Taliban's decision to allow buzkashi represents a pragmatic approach to governance that acknowledges the sport's deep cultural roots," explained the regional analyst.

The changes described in the sport's relationship with the authorities span several periods:

• During the Taliban's government in the 1990s, buzkashi was prohibited alongside other entertainment and public gatherings.
• After the Taliban were removed from power, the sport experienced a revival.
• Since the Taliban returned in 2021, buzkashi has continued.
• At this year's national championship, senior Taliban officials attended and the tournament proceeded with full government approval.

The authorities' presence at the final was a public expression of their acceptance of this traditional sport. Other areas of cultural and public life remain subject to strict restrictions, including women's access to sporting events.

A Passionate Crowd Without Women

Thousands of men and boys filled the spectator stands, cheering their provincial teams. Fans who climbed trees and electricity pylons sought a better view of a contest whose speed and crowded clashes can make possession difficult to follow.

Experienced spectators explained the game's details to younger fans. Those exchanges helped pass knowledge of the sport between generations, alongside the skills learned by riders and horse trainers.

Women were absent because current restrictions prohibit them from attending such sporting events. Female attendance at buzkashi had historically been frowned upon in Afghanistan's conservative society, even during periods without formal restrictions on women's movements. The current prohibition adds a legal and political barrier to those older social pressures.

The crowd consisting entirely of men and boys recalled the traditional atmosphere of matches played for centuries on Afghanistan's northern steppes. Its enthusiasm showed the sport's continuing appeal among those able to attend, while the exclusion of women shaped who could share in the public celebration.

Physical Risks and the Cost of Keeping the Sport Alive

Buzkashi demands strength, balance and courage from its riders, and its physical intensity creates risks for both people and horses. Injuries occur in the sport, prompting concerns among animal welfare advocates and health officials.

Morning Star Online described the championship as a "controversial buzkashi tournament," citing dangers to players and horses and the sport's connections to local politics and violence. The tournament nevertheless proceeded with government approval.

International observers have also raised concerns about horse training methods and veterinary care. The demands placed on the animals have brought greater attention to how traditional practices can be maintained while providing appropriate care.

Riders face a long route to mastery. A skilled chapandaz is often thought of as being in his forties, reflecting the experience needed to handle the game's physical and tactical demands. Young people may find the effort and resources required to become professional competitors difficult to obtain.

The cost of keeping horses and financing tournaments adds another challenge. This year's petrol company sponsorship helped meet those needs, but inconsistent corporate support makes the future funding of competitions less dependable.

Tradition Meets a More Professional Competition

The participation of riders from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan enriched the championship and demonstrated buzkashi's regional connections. International recruitment also adds to debate about the professional development and possible commercialisation of a pastime traditionally regarded as amateur.

Cars, trophies, medals and certificates now sit alongside the older rewards of provincial pride and community standing. Success depends on skilled riders and well trained horses, making sponsorship and access to resources part of the competition as well as athletic ability.

The Kabul tournament brought those elements together over eleven days: a league competition involving eleven provincial teams, international participants, enthusiastic crowds and an emphatic final. Sar-e-Pul's 7-0 win supplied the sporting conclusion, while the event itself reaffirmed buzkashi's central place in Afghan cultural life.

The championship also displayed the conditions under which that tradition now continues. Government approval supports public competition, corporate money helps pay for it, and restrictions determine who may attend. Buzkashi remains a shared cultural reference in Afghanistan's diverse society, with its national tournament carrying both sporting prestige and a strong sense of identity.

The Essentials

• Sar-e-Pul defeated Badakhshan 7-0 in the national championship final in Kabul.
• Eleven provincial teams competed over eleven days, with Baghlan third and Kunduz fourth.
• Eight riders from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan participated.
• The championship used Qarajai, requiring riders to carry the bundle around a marker and into a scoring circle.
• Contemporary tournaments use a leather and rope bundle filled with straw, typically weighing 30 kilograms, or 66 pounds.
• A petrol company sponsored the tournament, and cars were awarded to the top four teams.
• Senior Taliban officials attended a sport prohibited during the movement's government in the 1990s.
• Thousands of men and boys watched; women were prohibited from attending.
• Funding, rider development and the welfare of horses remain challenges for the sport.