In the rural village of Asylbash near the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan, a group of teenage girls is challenging long-standing traditions by forming the country’s first women’s kok-boru team, a sport historically dominated by men. Kok-boru, a fast-paced and physically demanding Central Asian game resembling polo but played with a headless goat carcass rather than a ball, has deep cultural roots in Kyrgyzstan and is considered the nation’s traditional sport.

Sixteen-year-old Begimai Bakirova leads the team, which was officially formed in March 2025 after she connected with other young women around the country who had been practicing the sport informally. Beginning her horseback riding at an early age, Begimai developed her kok-boru skills training with her father, Baktybek Beishekeev, himself a former player and horse breeder. The sport requires riders to lean down at high speeds from their horses to grab the goat carcass and lift it back into the saddle — a maneuver Begimai mastered after months of rigorous practice.

Despite facing criticism both in her village and on social media, where many have argued that kok-boru is unsuitable for women, Begimai and her teammates have found growing support among peers and some local officials. “If a woman has the skill and desire, then kok-boru is for her too,” Begimai said. She and her teammates emphasize the physical challenge and the satisfaction of competing against boys as key motivations for their participation.

The newly formed team, made up of Begimai, two of her sisters, and other girls from the district, has competed in more than a dozen matches against boys’ teams over the past year. While their early contests were marked by heavy losses, the team has since recorded victories that have drawn cheers from local spectators. The players describe their bond as close-knit, likening themselves to a family of sisters united by the sport.

Kok-boru is known for its physical intensity, with frequent collisions between horses and riders. The risks are real; in 2025, two men died playing kok-boru in Kyrgyzstan. Begimai herself suffered a broken arm after a fall early this year. Despite safety concerns, her family—especially her father—has supported her involvement, although her mother expressed initial reservations.

The sport’s governing body, the Kok Boru Federation, had previously stated it did not endorse women’s participation in kok-boru due to its hazardous nature. However, Akylbek Eshimov, the federation president from February to July 2025, later endorsed the women’s team and indicated the federation’s willingness to provide assistance.

The emergence of a women’s kok-boru team in Kyrgyzstan reflects broader social shifts in the region, where traditional roles have often limited women’s participation in combative or physically demanding sports. While some see the team as a break from custom, social scientist Elena Molchanova notes that horseback riding by women has historical precedent in Kyrgyz nomadic culture, suggesting that the development is less an interruption and more a revival of traditional female roles.

Recruiting new members remains a challenge, with many parents reluctant to allow their daughters to play such a physically tough sport. Yet the team continues to garner attention through social media, inspiring other young women to consider taking up kok-boru.

As the sun sets over the fields of Asylbash, the girls continue to race across the muddy pitch, their horses thundering in pursuit of the worn goat carcass. For Begimai and her teammates, the drive to compete and redefine tradition pushes them onward, determination evident in their galloping strides.