Kok-Boru

The traditional horse game of kok boru is a synthesis of traditional practices, performances, and the game itself. It is a traditional game played by two teams on horseback in which players try to manoeuvre with a goat's carcass, or 'ulak,' and score by putting it into the opponents' goal. The bearer community includes players from higher league, semi-professional, and amateur teams, as well as the general public. The most experienced players serve as referees, while the 'Kalystar' (elders) ensure the game's fairness.

The element is an expression of its practitioners' cultural and historic tradition, as well as their spiritual identity, and it serves to unite communities regardless of social status, fostering a culture of teamwork, responsibility, and respect. Knowledge about the element is primarily transmitted naturally through demonstration, as well as during festive and social events, and the community concerned is actively involved in ensuring its viability through knowledge and skill transmission, research, and training organization. The National Kok-Boru Federation, founded in 1998, plays an important role in promoting and protecting the element through activity development and organization.

Location: central Asia