Photos

THE GAME:
“The buzkachi is a traditional game of Afghanistan and of the Central Asian steppes. The body of a beheaded ram is stuffed with wet sand to make it heavier. A white circle ( hallal ) is drawn with lime on the ground. At an equal distance on the right and on the left sides of the hallal two masts are erected. At a signal given by the judge(s) the participants rush to attempt to grab the carcass and throw it in the white circle after ridding around one of the masts. Once a rider has secured the carcass he may be immediately challenged by other competitors who will wrestle with him all along or be left alone while he goes to turn around the mast and then be assaulted on his way back to the hallal . Buzkachis can be pleasant affairs among members of the same clan or brutal encounters between highly-skilled horsemen of different groups, particularly when the monetary and prize incentives are high. (extracts from “Vents d’Est” – Pierre Claquin)”

THE PHOTO: "In the name of Ali"
I finaly ended-up going to Mazaar-e-Sharif for Nawrouz (new year in Afghanistan) and had the chance to witness what is said to be the best buzkachi game of the year in Afghanistan. I must say I was slightly disapointed and in my opinion it wasn't the best buzkachi game I saw so far... Samangan in march had (I think) more intensity. The wheather in Mazar was also very dusty and windy and I think it didn't help for photos either). Yet, it's in Mazaar I saw the most impressive buzkach, Ali (the guy on the white horse, plundging on the calf). He has been elected the best buzkach player of the year and I think he deserved it. He didn't have the strongest horse, nore the fastest. He wasn't the strongest guy either. But his passion for the game was obvious to anyone who was present that day, and it made him won many time (at the hallal).
p.s: in the backgroud you can see (well not really actually) the wall of an old russian silo, still in use.