National Kökbörü League of Turkestan
Kökbörü is the national sport of Turkestan. It is an equestrian sport akin to Polo but played with a headless goat carcass instead of a ball.
The sport has various names among the several ethnic groups that play it. Kökbörü is its name in InterTurkic and several other Turkic languages. Qazaqs know the sport as Kökpär, Kırğız as Ulaq-Tartış, and Tajiks and citizens of the Moghul Realm know it as Buzkaşı. It is the same sport in each case, however, that has been played in Central Asia since time immemorial.
The National Kökbörü League is the body responsible for organising the sport in Turkestan. The League was first organised in the late 1930s, and with organisation came standards, uniforms, registered teams and schedules. The 1986 on-field death of a player due to a head injury resulted in the still-controversial introduction of padded helmets.
Kökbörü uniform of Turkestan's national team, the Golden Horde.
Most cities have Kökbörü teams, though not all are nationally-recognised by the League. The League splits the teams into four geographical Divisions for the initial season, then the top three teams in each Division enter the playoffs for the national championship.
The international competition take place every three years, in the year immediately preceding the World Games.
The following is a list of known national-level Kökbörü teams:
Home City | Name in Local Language | Name in English | Colours & Logo |
Almalıq | Böriler | Wolves | Red/Grey/White |
Andıjan | |||
Aq-Meşit | Dınamo | Dynamo | |
Aqtau | Nayza | Lance | Dark Blue/White |
Aşğabat | Arslanlar | Lions | Red/Gold/Dark Blue |
Bayqoņır | Hujandar | Rockets | Gold/Red/Black |
Bişkek | Too-Täkäler | Mountain-Goats | Blue/Green/White |
Boxan | |||
Buxara | Bürkütlar | Eagles | Blue/Gold |
Daşoğuz | Jehänkärler | Warriors | |
Düşönbö | Xoçi | Rams | Black/White/Gold |
Jarqand | |||
Jılal-Abat | Kök Tajallar | Blue Devils | Blue/Black |
Karmana | |||
Margılan | |||
Merv | Yolbarslar | Tigers | Orange/Black |
Muynaq | Avangar | Vanguard | |
Nökis | Qorğolar | Ravens | Black/Crimson |
Oş | Ajdahalar | Dragons | Red/Green/Gold |
Qarşı | |||
Qaşgar | Aralar | Wasps | Yellow/Black |
Qızıl-Su | Tolqunlar | Red Waves | Red/White/Blue |
Qoqand | Aybat | Force | Orange/Blue |
Qurğontepe | |||
Samarqand | Saltonat | Glory | White/Gold |
Şahrısabz | Çuņgari | Falcons | Maroon/White/Grey |
Taraz | Şayandar | Scorpions | Green/Gold |
Taşqand | |||
Tärmäz | |||
Xıva | Sultanlar | Sultans | Purple/Silver |
Xoruğ | |||
Yası | Sarbaz | Army | Grey/Green/White |
National Champions 1990-Present
Year | Team | Other Finalist |
---|---|---|
1990 | Jılal-Abat Blue Devils | Düşönbö Rams |
1991 | Aqtau Lance | Nökis Ravens |
1992 | Düşönbö Rams | Aq-Meşit Dynamo |
1993 | Merv Tigers | Aşğabat Lions |
1994 | Bişkek Mountain-Goats | Almalıq Wolves |
1995 | Oş Dragons | Samarqand Glory |
1996 | Almalıq Wolves | Bişkek Mountain-Goats |
1997 | Daşoğuz Warriors | Bişkek Mountain-Goats |
1998 | Bişkek Mountain-Goats | Taraz Scorpions |
1999 | Almalıq Wolves | Aşğabat Lions |
2000 | Taraz Scorpions | Aq-Meşit Dynamo |
2001 | Buxara Eagles | Taraz Scorpions |
2002 | Aşğabat Lions | Buxara Eagles |
2003 | Xıva Sultans | Aşğabat Lions |
2004 | Almalıq Wolves | Buxara Eagles |
2005 | Almalıq Wolves | Bişkek Mountain-Goats |
2006 | Buxara Eagles | Almalıq Wolves |
2007 | Buxara Eagles | Qaşgar Wasps |
2008 | Almalıq Wolves | Buxara Eagles |
2009 | Qızıl-Su Red Waves | Almalıq Wolves |