Kok-Boru

Central Asian equestrian sport — riders wrestle a goat carcass to throw it into the opposing pit-goal.

👥12 per team🌤outdoor

What is Kok-Boru?

Kok-boru (also kokpar, kok-baru) is a Central Asian equestrian team sport with over a millennium of nomadic tradition. Four riders per team on the field wrestle for a headless 30 kg goat carcass and try to hurl it into the opposing team's pit-goal (tai kazan). It is the national sport of Kyrgyzstan and a staple of the World Nomad Games.

Quick facts

Category

Traditional & Cultural Sports

Type

Team sport

Players

12 per team

Where played

outdoor

Country of origin

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

Estimated origin

Ancient Central Asian nomadic tradition (>1,000 years)

Olympic

No

Popularity

regional

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified