Sports
Afghanistan culture sports many physical activities throughout the nation. It has many popular sports that are also in America, such as soccer, basketball, boxing, and cricket. But the national sport is a sport known as Buzkashi, and it is played mainly in the northern sector of the country. Buzkashi, which literally translates to “goat dragging,” lives up to it’s name. Known as the most dangerous of all games, it is not just a sport, but a way of living for many people. The goal of the game is to grab a goat carcass without a head and take it to a specific goal, all while the other team tries to take it from them. The prizes for victory are piled by the contestants. It can range from money to fine clothes, and in the old days even women were thrown into the pile for the victorious. There are two different types of Buzkashi played. There is Tudabari, in which the goat carcass is in the center of the field, and the players must grab it and carry it away from the center in any direction. Then there is Qarajai, the difficult one, where the carcass must be grabbed and carried around in a circle before depositing it into an area. Points are rewarded for possesion of the goat and amount of times deposited in goal area.
Buzkashi isn’t the only main sport though. Pahlwani is like wrestling in America but with more rules. Although it isn’t as popular as Buzkashi, it gets a little attention. When wrestling, an opponent cannot touch the other’s legs, but can grasp arms, bodies, and clothing. When a match ends, the players are usually wearing only shreds of clothing. Sadly, under Taliban rule, many of these sports were stopped, and those kept would have major Taliban regulation. If you cheered for the wrong team, you could be beaten, and sometimes there would be public executions for a halftime show, as seen in The Kite Runner.
Other Activities
Sports are not the only physical activities that Afghan people do. The children have many games that they play that are similar to American games. Juz Bazi, is like hopscotch in America, although only young girls would play this game. Aaqab means eagle, and is an extended version of tag. One child would stand upon a rock while the the other children are in the safe area. Then they all leave the home base and pretend to peck around the ground like pigeons. The eagle will then try and tag the kids, and if you are tagged, you are out. Bujal Bazi is marbles with bones from a goat or sheep. Kids try and knock others marbles out of the circle. Sang Chill Bazi is like jacks, but much more complicated. One person chooses 5 pebbles and puts 4 of them on the ground. They then toss the last pebble into the air and try to pick up the 4 pebbles one at a time, all without losing the pebble in the air. If they lose, the other person gets to try. If they win, then they do the same thing, but try to take two pebbles at a time instead of one, then three, then all of them. The first one to do the final stage wins.
Kite Running
But the most popular activity done by children is kite running. Once a year, there is a local game of kite running, where kids fly kites, and try to cut other's kites with sharp objects that they have attached to the string. If a kite is cut, other children run to grab it. The only rule is that if you have a kite in your hand, it is yours, and nobody can take it from you. The greatest prize is the last kite to be cut, and it is a honor to have that kite. There is no sport like it in America, but it is the highlight of the year for many children in Afghan culture.
Afghanistan culture sports many physical activities throughout the nation. It has many popular sports that are also in America, such as soccer, basketball, boxing, and cricket. But the national sport is a sport known as Buzkashi, and it is played mainly in the northern sector of the country. Buzkashi, which literally translates to “goat dragging,” lives up to it’s name. Known as the most dangerous of all games, it is not just a sport, but a way of living for many people. The goal of the game is to grab a goat carcass without a head and take it to a specific goal, all while the other team tries to take it from them. The prizes for victory are piled by the contestants. It can range from money to fine clothes, and in the old days even women were thrown into the pile for the victorious. There are two different types of Buzkashi played. There is Tudabari, in which the goat carcass is in the center of the field, and the players must grab it and carry it away from the center in any direction. Then there is Qarajai, the difficult one, where the carcass must be grabbed and carried around in a circle before depositing it into an area. Points are rewarded for possesion of the goat and amount of times deposited in goal area.
Buzkashi isn’t the only main sport though. Pahlwani is like wrestling in America but with more rules. Although it isn’t as popular as Buzkashi, it gets a little attention. When wrestling, an opponent cannot touch the other’s legs, but can grasp arms, bodies, and clothing. When a match ends, the players are usually wearing only shreds of clothing. Sadly, under Taliban rule, many of these sports were stopped, and those kept would have major Taliban regulation. If you cheered for the wrong team, you could be beaten, and sometimes there would be public executions for a halftime show, as seen in The Kite Runner.
Other Activities
Sports are not the only physical activities that Afghan people do. The children have many games that they play that are similar to American games. Juz Bazi, is like hopscotch in America, although only young girls would play this game. Aaqab means eagle, and is an extended version of tag. One child would stand upon a rock while the the other children are in the safe area. Then they all leave the home base and pretend to peck around the ground like pigeons. The eagle will then try and tag the kids, and if you are tagged, you are out. Bujal Bazi is marbles with bones from a goat or sheep. Kids try and knock others marbles out of the circle. Sang Chill Bazi is like jacks, but much more complicated. One person chooses 5 pebbles and puts 4 of them on the ground. They then toss the last pebble into the air and try to pick up the 4 pebbles one at a time, all without losing the pebble in the air. If they lose, the other person gets to try. If they win, then they do the same thing, but try to take two pebbles at a time instead of one, then three, then all of them. The first one to do the final stage wins.
Kite Running
But the most popular activity done by children is kite running. Once a year, there is a local game of kite running, where kids fly kites, and try to cut other's kites with sharp objects that they have attached to the string. If a kite is cut, other children run to grab it. The only rule is that if you have a kite in your hand, it is yours, and nobody can take it from you. The greatest prize is the last kite to be cut, and it is a honor to have that kite. There is no sport like it in America, but it is the highlight of the year for many children in Afghan culture.