03:11Mount up! Kyrgyzstan hosts huge polo-style 'kok-boru' tournament
Locals gathered in the village of Dacha-Su, Kygyzstan, to compete in the unusual national game of kok-boru, a traditional version of polo.
Footage shows participants on horseback battling over a goat carcass, used instead of a ball, attempting to move it into the opposing team’s goal. The match is seen taking place during a snowfall.
Competition organiser Bolotbek Sydykov said the game is 'in the Kyrgyz blood' and considered a tradition of the people. According to him, the Kyrgyz 'cannot live without horses', so a custom such as kok-boru is naturally well-attended.
Spectator Sabyt Abdykalykov called kok-boru 'the best sport' and noted the stamina of the participants.
"The Kyrgyz don't care about the weather or illness. We saw a man with a broken leg playing all day and then asked to be taken off his horse. Those who saw him were surprised: 'Your leg is broken'. And he said, 'Oh, it's a small fracture, I just wanted to come down after the game'. That's how we Kyrgyz are," he said.
The organiser said that prizes such as '70 stallions, 10 decorated horses and 10 camels' were in store for this year's winners.
03:11Locals gathered in the village of Dacha-Su, Kygyzstan, to compete in the unusual national game of kok-boru, a traditional version of polo.
Footage shows participants on horseback battling over a goat carcass, used instead of a ball, attempting to move it into the opposing team’s goal. The match is seen taking place during a snowfall.
Competition organiser Bolotbek Sydykov said the game is 'in the Kyrgyz blood' and considered a tradition of the people. According to him, the Kyrgyz 'cannot live without horses', so a custom such as kok-boru is naturally well-attended.
Spectator Sabyt Abdykalykov called kok-boru 'the best sport' and noted the stamina of the participants.
"The Kyrgyz don't care about the weather or illness. We saw a man with a broken leg playing all day and then asked to be taken off his horse. Those who saw him were surprised: 'Your leg is broken'. And he said, 'Oh, it's a small fracture, I just wanted to come down after the game'. That's how we Kyrgyz are," he said.
The organiser said that prizes such as '70 stallions, 10 decorated horses and 10 camels' were in store for this year's winners.