Kazakh National Games
KYZ KUU ("Overtake the girl") - Young boys and girls are participants in this game. On horseback, a girl does her best to gallop away from a young man, but as soon as the latter tries to overtake (approach) her, she lashes him with a whip. If the young boy fails to overtake her, she would "reward" him with a whipping. If he approaches the girl and ―overtakes‖ her, he earns a kiss.
AUDARYSPAK ("Wrestling on horseback") – This kind of national sports requires skills, both in hand-to-hand fighting and in trick riding. This game involves two men who fight while on horseback. One wins if he brings his adversary down from his horse.
KUMIS ALU ("Pick up the coin") The essence of this game is, while galloping at full speed, a young man should pick up a silver ingot off the ground. However, nowadays a handkerchief replaces the ingot. This contest particularly impressed Alexander the Great when he visited Central Asia. According to historians' evidence on watching Kumis Alu he exclaimed, "That's a sort of training worthy of a warrior on horseback.‖
KOKPAR ("Fighting for a goat's carcass") This game is very popular. According to ancient custom, if one wants to get rid of all evil, he should sacrifice a goat. 1,000 horsemen can participate in this game, and it unfolds on an almost infinite steppe range. On the opposite ends of an immense field, the opposing teams goals are arranged. It is into these goals that the symbolic carcass of the goat should be thrown. As expected, the two opposing, horseback teams fight desperately to get ahold of the carcass.
Information Provided By Peace Corps Kazakhstan
AUDARYSPAK ("Wrestling on horseback") – This kind of national sports requires skills, both in hand-to-hand fighting and in trick riding. This game involves two men who fight while on horseback. One wins if he brings his adversary down from his horse.
KUMIS ALU ("Pick up the coin") The essence of this game is, while galloping at full speed, a young man should pick up a silver ingot off the ground. However, nowadays a handkerchief replaces the ingot. This contest particularly impressed Alexander the Great when he visited Central Asia. According to historians' evidence on watching Kumis Alu he exclaimed, "That's a sort of training worthy of a warrior on horseback.‖
KOKPAR ("Fighting for a goat's carcass") This game is very popular. According to ancient custom, if one wants to get rid of all evil, he should sacrifice a goat. 1,000 horsemen can participate in this game, and it unfolds on an almost infinite steppe range. On the opposite ends of an immense field, the opposing teams goals are arranged. It is into these goals that the symbolic carcass of the goat should be thrown. As expected, the two opposing, horseback teams fight desperately to get ahold of the carcass.
Information Provided By Peace Corps Kazakhstan
