Baku to host World Chovqan Championship

The draw ceremony for the World Chovqan Championship has been held in Baku.

The World Chovqan Championship will take place on November 5–8, Azernews reports.

In the first game of the tournament, the Azerbaijani team will meet the Turkish team.

"The final chovqan game will take place on November 8. In this way, we want to contribute to the celebration of Victory Day," the Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Equestrian Sports Federation, Bahruz Nabiyev said.

"Representatives from six countries will compete in the National Equestrian Festival. These are teams from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Poland, Turkiye and Uzbekistan. It is gratifying that women are participating in the national teams of Poland and Uzbekistan; it is a source of pride. The competition will be managed by a team of judges from Hungary," he added.

Bahruz Nabiyev underlined that the World Chovqan Championship and National Equestrian Sports Festival to be held in Baku are timed to the 100th anniversary of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

Chovqan is a traditional horse-riding game played between two teams mounted on Garabagh horses. Chovqan is the predecessor of modern polo. The horse racing was held during holiday festivities.

Each team has five riders, with two fullbacks and three forwards. The game starts at the centre of the field and players use wooden mallets to try to drive a small leather or wooden ball into their opponents’ goal. The game lasts 30 minutues.

There is no age limit in this sport.

Chovqan players traditionally wear large astrakhan hats, long, tight-fitting coats with a high waist, and special trousers, socks, and shoes.

In 2013, UNESCO decided to include the game of “chovqan” on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List.