Men battling on their horses

Trouble lurks for Afghanistan’s beloved ‘goat grabbing’ national sport

As the Taliban gains ground, buzkashi—an ancient contest akin to polo with a carcass as the ball—is losing.

Horseback riders, or chapandazan, battle for control of a goat carcass during a buzkashi match in Dawlatabad, Afghanistan, on March 16, 2017. The former Taliban regime enforced a ban on buzkashi, and recent Taliban gains have shut down matches in the area.

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