No matter the reason, when you find yourself in a foreign land far from home, immersing yourself in the local sports customs can quickly bring forth a sense of comfort few other acts can. It’s like going to an English soccer match, or hailing jai alai in Spain. Sports can often unite people from different cultures in a uniform spirit of competition.

It’s no different for American service-members overseas that are helping to organize and lead reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. Recently, those troops of the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team were recently treated to a special game of Buzkashi, which combines elements of rodeo, polo, and field hockey. The match was being played to celebrate the wedding of the provincial governor’s son. (The governor himself, Abdul Jalil, was a participant in said match.)

Here’s a brief rundown of how Buzkashi is played, courtesy of the PPRT public affairs team:

Buzkashi, which literally translates to goat dragging, is the national sport of Afghanistan. The crowd consisted of more than a thousand people including local Afghans and several PRT members.

…

The chapandaz, or Buzkashi players, and their horses go through rigorous training before competing in the game. The object of the game is to grab the carcass of a goat or calf, clear it of other players and get it into a target circle to attain points. The game can last anywhere from an hour to several days.

This match lasted three hours.

…

The players usually wear heavy clothing and head gear to protect themselves against the other players’ whips and boots. The boots usually have high heels that lock into the paddle, of the horse’s saddle. This helps the rider lean on the side of the horse while trying to pick up the carcass.

Only three hours? Bah, that’s a typical Major League Baseball or National Football League game, so the timeframe wouldn’t be all that different for American audiences. Throwing a goat carcass around, though, might be too much of a culture shock.

Still, any sport that combines the fast pace of a Western-style rodeo on a field of play sounds like an incredible rush for any fan, American, Afghan or otherwise. And, of course, it has Rambo’s seal of approval.

Photo: Courtesy PPRT Public Affairs