KABUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Dressed in national attire and praying for his team's victory, Abdul Sattar was hopeful that the Baghlan team could win the ongoing championship of Buzkashi, or goat-grabbing, in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.
A staunch supporter of Buzkashi and the owner of two horses in the competition, Sattar, 42, proudly shared that he had bought one of his horses for 13,000 U.S. dollars from Kyrgyzstan and the second for 11,000 U.S. dollars, hoping they would bring honor to his provincial team.
"Some people even invest up to 46,000 dollars in a horse to support their favorite team in winning the competition," Sattar claimed amid the cheers inside the Buzkashi stadium.
"Buzkashi brings peace and unity. That's why people from all over Afghanistan, from different ethnic backgrounds including Pashtun, Uzbek, Tajik, Hazara and Turkmen, are here to enjoy the tournament," Sattar told Xinhua.
Buzkashi, a centuries-old national game, is popular in Afghanistan and neighboring Central Asian countries. To gain an edge, Afghan teams and their supporters sometimes hire riders and purchase horses from these neighboring nations.
Currently, teams from 11 of the country's 34 provinces are competing in the championship, which began on Dec. 11 and is set to conclude on Dec. 22. The Afghanistan National Federation of Buzkashi, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens will honor the winning teams with cash prizes, luxury cars, and horses.
According to some Afghans, decades of war, foreign invasions and civil strife have damaged the unity of the multi-ethnic society. They believe that organizing sports competitions, especially the national game of Buzkashi, can strengthen national unity.
"In general, sporting events foster social unity, but Buzkashi, in particular, strengthens brotherhood and peace. The thousands of spectators here today are proof of that," onlooker Sayed Abdul Manan told Xinhua.
A resident of northern Badakhshan province who traveled about 12 hours by bus over rugged terrain to watch the contest, Manan added, "Buzkashi is our traditional heritage. We love it and must support it."
Echoing these sentiments, Sarwar Jalal, head of the Afghanistan National Federation of Buzkashi, stated that the gathering of up to 5,000 fans from across Afghanistan clearly demonstrates the game's popularity in the post-war society.
"Buzkashi is essentially a school without borders. People, regardless of region or ethnicity, have gathered here to enjoy it," Jalal said. "Buzkashi is unity and peace itself." ■