04:19

Afghans preserve buzkashi tradition through horse-keeping industry

Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video

STORY: Afghans preserve buzkashi tradition through horse-keeping industry
SHOOTING TIME: Recent footage
DATELINE: Aug. 5, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:19
LOCATION: MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of a horse farm in Mazar-i-Sharif
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED KARIM HASHIMI, Head of the local company Yama Petroleum Group and the chief of its buzkashi team
3. various of the horse farm in Mazar-i-Sharif
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): SAYED KARIM HASHIMI, Head of the local company Yama Petroleum Group and the chief of its buzkashi team
5. various of the horse farm in Mazar-i-Sharif
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): MUKHI, Horse trainer
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Dari): ZABIHULLAH NURANI, Balkh provincial director for Information and Culture

STORYLINE:

As a symbol of pride and a means to compete in the national game buzkashi, or goat grabbing, many people in Afghanistan keep horses to vie for the traditional championship and earn renown for themselves and their horses.

Although some describe buzkashi as a "wild game," the centuries-old traditional sport has a significant number of fans among the war-weary Afghans.

Sayed Karim Hashimi, head of the local company Yama Petroleum Group and the chief of its buzkashi team, said with pride that he has been keeping horses and supporting the national sport for the past 20 years.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Dari): SAYED KARIM HASHIMI, Head of the local company Yama Petroleum Group and the chief of its buzkashi team
"I like horses and respect them as nice animals. The horse is a symbol of bravery. It is a loyal animal, and that is why the people of Afghanistan love it. I also love it.
I have 57 horses. Some are from Afghanistan, and some from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and even Russia."

The culture of keeping horses at home and breeding them in villages is a centuries-old tradition among Afghans. Horses are primarily used for competing in buzkashi as well as a mode of transport in the countryside, carrying their owners and commercial goods to local bazaars on the hilltops and in mountainous areas.

As a national game, the buzkashi tournament is held among teams from several provinces, with the final championship organized annually in the national capital of Kabul. Winners receive cash, cars, and other valuable goods from government officials, businessmen, and private firms in recognition of their achievements.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Dari): SAYED KARIM HASHIMI, Head of the local company Yama Petroleum Group and the chief of its buzkashi team
"The buzkashi team of Yama Petroleum Company secured the first position and earned the championship in the second round of the tournament held in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh province, among 13 teams from across Afghanistan last year.
The culture of horse keeping and buzkashi has been on a constant rise and development in Afghanistan."

Nevertheless, keeping and training horses require a substantial budget and professional trainers in economically impoverished Afghanistan to prepare the horses for buzkashi competitions.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Dari): MUKHI, Horse trainer
"The horses eat straw, barley, eggs, sesame oil and honey every day. Currently, I feed them a mix of barley flour and sesame oil. During buzkashi, I give the horses eggs."

Having worked as a horse trainer for over 19 years, and currently training horses on Hashimi's farm, Mukhi mentioned that he has loved horses since childhood. Preparing a horse to contest in buzkashi is a lengthy and challenging process.

SOUNDBITE 4 (Dari): ZABIHULLAH NURANI, Balkh provincial director for Information and Culture
"Keeping horses in Afghanistan's northern provinces, especially in Balkh province, has a long history. To keep horses, significant efforts were made in the last century.
Buzkashi has a long and old history in Afghanistan. Even before Islam influenced this region, buzkashi was played here in Balkh, and the game is still played here today."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan.
(XHTV)

Categories

Tags

From the blog

Stories not Stock: 3 Reasons Why You Should Use UGC Instead of Stock Video

Video content is an essential part of a brand’s marketing strategy, and while stock footage has been a reliable go-to in the past, forward-thinking companies are looking to user-generated content for their video needs.

View post
Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video