Kökbörü Game

Kökbörü is a popular sport, especially among the Kyrgyz Turks, with deep common roots in national culture. It is played not only in Kyrgyzstan but also across many different regions including Kazakhstan and Afghanistan like. In Türkiye today, this traditional game practice continues in the village of Ulupamir. In Central Asia, it is known by various names such as “Gökböri,” “Kökpari,” “Capricorn/Ulak,” in Afghanistan as “Oğlak, Buz-Kaşi,” and in Kazakhstan as “Kökpar.” However, it is most commonly referred to as “Kökbörü.”

AA

Kökbörü emerged in the regions surrounding Kyrgyzstan and became a traditional sports practice of the Kyrgyz people. There are several legends regarding its origins, one of which is as follows. During times of war, nearly all men joined the army. As a result, livestock herds were left unattended. Wolves, seeing the unprotected animals, descended upon villages and towns to attack the herds. Returning warriors would catch these wolves and throw them at each other. Over time, this activity evolved into a recreational sport and came to be known as “Kökbörü,” which means “blue goat,” and has endured to the present day.

In addition, some sources suggest that Kökbörü originated as training exercises performed by brave warriors to prepare themselves for battle.

Kökbörü is a game played between two teams of 10 to 12 players on an open, wide and flat field. The match consists of three periods of twenty minutes each. In the game, each team must have a goat, lamb or sheep placed on the field. The chosen animal is emptied of its internal organs and its head and legs are removed. The teams position themselves on the left and right sides of the field’s center and wait for the animal to be thrown into play by the referee. Agility and speed are crucial in Kökbörü. At the same time, the horse-rider combination forms a important place. Indeed, horses are trained for months in advance with specialized conditioning. At each end of the field there is one goal. Each team defends its own goal while attacking the opponent’s goal. The game begins when the referee throws the animal into the center. The player who gains possession of the animal gallops with speed and agility toward the opposing team’s goal. The objective is to place the animal into the opponent’s goal without falling off the horse. Each time the animal is successfully placed into a goal, the scoring team earns one point. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins.

The fundamental philosophy of this game is to strengthen union and camaraderie and to foster teamwork.