A Game of Polo with a Headless Goat
Buses and trucks were still bringing spectators from nearby towns, from young boys to turbaned old men with wise, wrinkled faces and thick beards, blankets thrown dramatically over their shoulders. Everyone waited impatiently, fearing the worst. A feeling of doubt began to sink in. We had the venue, the horses and riders, the spectators. It was a perfect day, sunny and clear. But where was the goat?
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In late 1997 I set off on a 13-month trip to find out what keeps ancient sports alive: The journey took me around weird and wonderful parts of Asia, to see amazing buzkashi (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan), donkey racing (Karachi), traditional wrestling (Delhi, Lahore), oil wrestling and horseback javelin (Turkey), the house of strength (Iran) and cock-fighting (Tashkent and Quetta). It gave me a wonderful insight into the region, and independent travel by land and sea brought adventures galore. A word of advice: Don't try hitch-hiking over the Shandur Pass in Pakistan between September and March, unless you don't mind taking two days for the journey!