Types of Sports

ulak-kupkari

Almost all holidays in Uzbekistan are accompanied by grandiose folk festivals. This tradition is rooted in deep antiquity, so far our people with pleasure and enthusiasm celebrate all significant events together. Our ancestors raised their strength and dexterity, they were good riders and accurate riflemen. That is why it has become a tradition to organize various entertainment events, competitions, contests and performances of art masters.

"Kupkari", the competition of riders is incredibly spectacular. Kupkari in Uzbekistan is also called Uak, Ulak Kupkari, Buzkashi or Uzgashi, which in translation means "tearing the goat" - the most common and popular equestrian sport among the peoples of Central Asia.

This game is allowed to be played only by men on horseback. Usually the number of participants varies from 50 to 300 people. Experienced riders compete for a goat or young sheep. The winner must come to the finish line, not allowing other riders to select the prey.

A man who has never seen Uzbek ulak is unable to imagine the swiftness and tension unfolding in the vast field of struggle. Riders then rush in avalanche after one of the players, then, surrounding him, turn into a living, winding, like a tornado, a tangle of snoring horse faces, flashing hoofs and human figures, clutching their hands in the object of the claims - the goat carcass. Beginners, first watching ulak, are amazed with the intensity of the struggle of players and the rapid expression of emotions by fans.

Kupkari rules

Ulak-kupkari horse riding competition begins with the moment when players line up in a single line, while the bakaulbashi (referee) at this time prepares the carcass and places it in the center of the field. Each participant must solemnly swear that he will play fair: he will not attack the opponent from the back, will not run a horse against the bending opponent and will not use metal objects.

After the bakaulbashi gives a signal, the riders jump to the center of the field and try to raise it. The rider must lift the carcass, secure it, pressing to the side of the horse and rush to the finish line. A horseman must make one circle on the square, without losing the loot, bring it to the finish. The finish in Uzbek is translated as “marra”. A spacious field is the venue. At a distance of one and a half kilometers there are two finish spots. Large prizes are intended for the upper finish, and smaller for the lower finish. Marra is a platform with a diameter of up to 20 meters. It is denoted by sprinkling straw or lined stones. The kupkari rider must throw the goat’s carcass in this circle. The winner is the horseman who throws the trophy in the circle. Sharp mind, tremendous dexterity, powerful strength and ability to merge with a horse bring success to the winner. In earlier times, the champion received generous prizes. It could be camels, carpets, valuable items or money. Today, the prize can be household appliances or even a car.

Preparing horses for kupkari

Competitors prepare for the competition of kupkari in advance. They choose a strong horse of great endurance. In addition, the horse should be short to facilitate the lifting of the animal carcass from the ground, since at the height of the battle it often falls to the ground.

The kupkari riders train their horses before the important day, so that the horses know how to get closer to the carcass, how to get ahead of the rival's horse, how to push, how to turn sideways.

Particular attention is paid to feeding horses. The horse cannot be overfed. A strict diet is established.

Oriental horses have always been famous all over the world. So, back in 104 BC, Chinese emperors sent their envoys to the territory of the Fergana Valley for the famous “heavenly horses”, which were strong and powerful in stature, and also distinguished by their unique endurance.

The horses of the Zarafshan Valley, the Karabair racers since ancient times used special honor.

Outfit of participants during ulak-kupkari Uzbek national game

Riders or “chavandoz” wear wide quilted robes and pants, high boots, helmets and fur hats to protect themselves from the blows of their rivals, as well as to keep tight clothing from holding down movement.

Special requirements are imposed on equipping horses. Their bridles to avoid injury to the participants of the game should be without metal jewelry, and stirrups - smooth. No horses with spikes on horseshoes are allowed on the field.

Usually in Uzbekistan the competition kupkari is arranged in the offseason, at the time of weddings and other major celebrations. In the days of the celebration of Navruz, the game kupkari is most popular among the Uzbeks. In addition, the weather is important - for horses and for the riders themselves, acceptable weather conditions are necessary.

Nowadays, in Uzbekistan the game of ulak exists in three forms: sports competitions, competitions in honor of national, regional or district holidays and competitions in connection with family celebrations. Each type has its own characteristics. But the most popular and spectacular is the traditional, ulak wedding game. Hundreds and thousands of foreign tourists try to see it.

The horse game kupkari is a sight which is worth seeing. This game is not only a demonstration of endurance, dexterity and strength of both riders and horses, but is also an indicator of hospitality, friendliness, honesty, kindness and benevolence.

If you want to see this wild and exciting game in action, contact the travel agency Peopletravel. We are happy to organize for you the Uzbek tourist package in the settlements, where you will get acquainted not only with Uzbek kupkari, but also with the locals, their customs and traditions, as well as with the nature of Uzbekistan.

Sports List

Here is a list of sports arranged alphabetically:

Acrobatics

Aerobic Gymnastics

Archery

Arnis

Artistic Gymnastics

Artistic Swimming

Badminton

Baseball

Basketball

Baton Twirling

Bicycle Motocross (BMX)

Billiards/ Pool (U.S.)

Bobsleigh

Bodybuilding

Bowling

Boxing

Canoeing

Car Racing

Cheerleading

Chess

Cricket

Croquet

Curling

Dance Sport

Darts

Diving

Dodgeball

Fencing

Figure Skating

Football (U.K)/ Soccer (U.S., Australia)

Frisbee

Golf

Handball

Hang Gliding

Hockey

Horseback Riding

Horse Racing

Ice Hockey

Ice Skating

Jet Ski Racing

Judo

Karate

Kayaking

Kendo

Kick Boxing

Kite Surfing

Lacrosse

Luge

Mixed Martial Arts

Motocross

Muay Thai

Paintball

Parachuting

Paragliding

Parkour

Polo

Pool/Billiards

Powerlifting

Rafting

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Rock Climbing

Rowing

Rugby

Sailing

Sandboarding

Scuba Diving

Shooting

Skateboarding

Skeleton

Skiing

Snowboarding

Softball

Speed Skating

Sport Climbing

Squash

Sumo Wrestling

Surfing

Swimming

Synchronized Skating

Synchronized Swimming

Table Tennis

Taekwondo

Tennis

Track and Field

Trampolining

Triathlon (Tetrathlon, etc.)

Tug of War

Volleyball

Water Polo

Weightlifting

Windsurfing

Wrestling

Wu Shu

Types of Sports

When it comes to talking about hobbies and interests, being able to refer to the different names of sports in English can be of a real benefit. This is very useful knowledge if you are passionate about playing or watching sports and would like to begin talking about this with English speakers. It is also great for reading about sports such as in newspaper articles or online.

List of sports and games in English with example sentences, illustrated with interesting pictures.

Names of Different Types of Sports and Games

Archery

– Her husband is an archery instructor.

Pin

Badminton

– Badminton can be played by two or four people.

Pin

Cricket

– The crowd loves to watch attacking cricket.

Pin

Bowling

– Do you want to go bowling with us Friday?

Pin

Boxing

– He is the boxing champion of the world.

Pin

Curling

– She met her friends at a curling club.

Pin

Tennis

– She was one of the best tennis players of her generation.

Pin

Skateboarding

– These are only a few reasons why skateboarding is so popular.

Pin

Surfing

– They go surfing every weekend.

Pin

Hockey

– They were playing at hockey.

Pin

Figure skating

– I like watching figure skating on TV, and rhythmic gymnastics.

Pin

Yoga

– She does yoga for an hour a day.

Pin

Fencing

– He is famous at fencing.

Pin

Fitness

– Physical fitness is having a healthy body.

Pin

Gymnastics

– We do gymnastics at school.

Pin

Karate

– He holds a black belt in karate.

Pin

Volleyball

– Tim plays for the national volleyball team.

Pin

Weightlifting

– How many referees are there in a weightlifting competition?

Pin

Basketball

– I am a member of the basketball team.

Pin

Baseball

– Why don’t we go to see a baseball game?

Pin

Rugby

– I play rugby purely for enjoyment.

Pin

Wrestling

– He tends to get carried away when watching wrestling on TV.

Pin

High jumping

– That school is famous for high jumping.

Pin

Hang gliding

– Hang gliding holds no fears for her.

Pin

Car racing

– Sporting events such as car racing give me a headache.

Pin

Cycling

– We did a lot of cycling in France last year.

Pin

Running

– Did you go running this morning?

Pin

Table tennis

– He loves to play table tennis.

Pin

Fishing

– They can go fishing in the lake.

Pin

Judo

– Murray is a judo black belt.

Pin

Climbing

– There’s a lot of danger in rock climbing.

Pin

Billiards/ Pool (U.S.)

– We had a game of billiards and then went to a restaurant.

Pin

Shooting

– I need more practice at shooting.

Pin

Horse racing

– He spent too much money on horse racing.

Pin

Horseback riding

– Some people like horseback riding, but I prefer golf as a hobby.

Pin

Golf

– Do you want to play golf tomorrow?

Pin

Football (U.K)/ Soccer (U.S., Australia)

– The boys wanted to play football.