Azerbaijani chovgan game exhibited at UNESCO

/By AzerNews/

By Laman Sadigova

An exhibition on Azerbaijani national Chovgan game, which was included to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, was opened at UNESCO headquarters.

Chovgan is a local form of polo in which teams of five try to hammer a leather or wooden ball into a goal while being serenaded with local folk music known as Janghi.

A presentation of the book “Karabakh horses” written by French writer Jean-Louis Gouraud was also held at UNESCO headquarters.

Alfredo Pérez, the assistant director-general for culture of UNESCO thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and Permanent Representation of Azerbaijan to UNESCO for organizing such event.

He also praised the role of Azerbaijan in implementing UNESCO Convention on protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Anar Karimov, permanent representative of Azerbaijan to UNESCO said Chovgan played an important role in formalizing the culture of the country`s people and identity.

Karimov stressed the support of the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO goodwill ambassador, Mehriban Aliyeva, in promoting the values of Azerbaijan.

Jean-Louis Gouraud said that Azerbaijan’ success in including Chovgan game in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage was motivated by an imperious need to safeguard it. The author also noted that the Azerbaijani Government attached much importance to protecting Karabakh horses.

There are two teams in Chovgan, consisting of five to six players each plus one odd player. If there are five players in the team, three of them act as attackers and two as fullbacks. And if there are six players, three of them act as attackers, two as fullbacks and one as a halfback. Regardless of the composition of the team there is no goalkeeper. The ball can be stopped while in movement by any part of the player's body but strikes must be done only with a special club.

Duration of the game is 30 minutes (two 15-minute half-times). An amateur game lasts 20 minutes (10+10). The break-time is 10 minutes, after which the teams change sides.

In case of a draw, extra-time follows (no more than 8 minutes) and penalty kicks may follow. If the score is still a draw, the winner is determined by drawing lots.

UNESCO admits that Azerbaijani traditions are not only the country’s wealth, but also is very important for mankind. Originally, the UNESCO World Heritage list was reserved for buildings, monuments and sites of natural beauty. But in 2003, UNESCO agreed to start adding “intangible heritage”, and since then a number of more eccentric choices have been added to the list.