Tajik Polo
Tajik polo is a traditional horseback sport of the Tajik people, mainly distributed in the Pamir Plateau in the southwest of Xinjiang. Historically, Tajik polo was mostly played by the upper class. In the 11th century, the Uyghur "Fu Le Wisdom" mentioned that polo was a skill that Shule nobles must master. The China Sports Museum expedition team discovered a clearly outlined ancient polo field in the foot of the mountain under the Taxkorgan Stone City. This polo field is consistent with the polo field built on the open space in the suburbs that is often seen in historical materials. It can be seen that polo originated very early in Xinjiang. The Tajik polo field is 180 meters long and 70 meters wide. Polo is a round ball with a diameter of about 12 cm, which is made by winding a thick wool rope into a ball and sewing it with yellow sheepskin on the outside. The club is shovel-shaped and about 1.2 meters long. There are 12 participating players, including forwards, defenders, goalkeepers and other positions. Each game is 40 minutes, divided into two games, and the rules are similar to football. The timing follows the ancient wooden bowl dripping method. The Tajik polo matches are lively and have important value in strengthening the national cultural identity. In addition, the study of Tajik polo is of great significance to enrich the content and form of horseback sports in my country, and to study the sports history of ethnic minorities, especially the Tajiks, and the development history of polo in my country. At present, the inheritors of Tajik polo are nearly 70 years old. This sport has no fixed venue, organization, funding source, and no complete information. It is difficult to inherit and develop it, and it needs timely rescue and protection. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)