Afghanistan’s national buzkashi team set to compete in Kazakhstan

Afghanistan’s national buzkashi team is set to participate in an international Kokpar tournament scheduled to take place in the city of Turkistan, in Kazakhstan this month.

According to the Afghanistan National Buzkashi Federation, the event will be held from March 15 to March 21, 2026, marking the revival of the tournament after a nine-year break.

The tournament will bring together teams from several countries where the traditional horse-mounted sport is widely played.

Participating nations are expected to include Afghanistan, China, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Türkiye.

Buzkashi — known as Kokpar in Central Asia — is one of Afghanistan’s most iconic traditional sports. Played on horseback, riders compete to carry a goat carcass across the field and score points in a goal area.

The sport has deep cultural roots in Afghanistan and across the broader Central Asian region.

Afghanistan has historically been one of the strongest competitors in the sport, with skilled riders known for their endurance and horsemanship. The Afghan team previously participated in the same international tournament in Kazakhstan in 2017.

Officials say the upcoming competition provides an opportunity to showcase Afghanistan’s traditional sport on an international stage while strengthening sporting ties between countries that share a long history of equestrian culture.