(17 Jan 2024)
AFGHANISTAN BUZKASHI
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 3:31
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kabul, Afghanistan - 5 January 2024
1. Various of horse riders, known as Chapandaz, waiting for the start of the Buzkashi game
2. Wide of playground
3. Various of Buzkashi fans
4. Rear of a man carrying a Buzkashi carcass, a fake body of a headless animal used in the game
5. Buzkashi carcass in the field inside a drawn circle
6. Horsemen entering playground
7. Various of horsemen trying to grab the Buzkashi carcass during the game
8. A horseman picking up the Buzkashi carcass from the ground
9. Horsemen trying to drop Buzkashi carcass into the drawn circle
10. Horseman from Sar-e Pol team dropping Buzkashi carcass into the drawn circle
11. Sar-e Pol team fans cheering
12. Sar-e Pol team players celebrating with fans
13. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Dawood, Buzkashi expert:
"Buzkashi has a history of hundreds of years in Afghanistan and has many fans, especially in the north. Until recent years, it was not as popular in the south. Buzkashi was played a lot in the north."
14. Horseman falling down from horse
15. Other horsemen and people helping injured player
16. Various of ambulance arriving, carrying injured horseman
17. Various of horsemen trying to pick up Buzkashi carcass from the ground
18. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Dawood, Buzkashi expert:
"Buzkashi is a tough sport; it must be developed and strengthened. It is a symbol of our culture. It should not be lost but supported more to become a global game, like cricket and football, which are global sports."
19. Player Mohammad Muhajir on his Horse
20. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Mohammad Muhajir, horseman:
"Good horses and good horsemen should come and compete; the best should be selected. We should have the opportunity to travel inside and outside the country to achieve success for this nation."
21. Sar-e Pol team captain Ahmad Jawid receiving Kabul Tournament Champion’s Cup
22. Sar-e Pol team fans cheering
23. Sar-e Pol team horsemen and fans celebrating
24. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Ahmad Jawid, Sar-e Pol team’s captain:
"I am extremely happy, beyond words. We are very happy. We won the Mazar Champion Cup last year, and I became the best player. Thank God, I became the best player this year as well."
25. Various of fans cheering Sar-e Pol’s team
STORYLINE:
Afghan horse riders on the outskirts of Kabul charged into the fray as they vied for control of the prized carcass in the fiercely competitive game of Buzkashi.
They battled to maneuver a fake body of a headless animal towards a designated spot on the field, showcasing remarkable agility and strength.
Buzkashi has been played for centuries in Afghanistan and across Central Asia.
Although it was banned during the first period of Taliban rule in the late 1990s, it has survived the Taliban takeover of 2021.
The game continues to attract hundreds of spectators to the matches.
Experts and players say they want greater international exposure for Buzkashi, which is the country's national sport.
"It is a symbol of our culture. It should not be lost but supported more to become a global game, like cricket and football, which are global sports," says Mohammad Dawood, a Buzkashi expert.
But the game faces stiff competition for attention and participation from cricket, especially after the impressive successes of the Afghan cricket team in major tournaments.
Countries like Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan have their own variation of the sport as well as their own tournaments.
AP video shot by Sediqullah Alizai
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