Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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All participating countries for the Chovqan World Championship to be held in Baku have been officially confirmed.

AzerNEWS reports that the International Chovqan Federation has announced that Kuwait will join the championship as a special invitee.

The Chovqan World Championship will take place from June 7 to June 13 at the Bina Equestrian Center. Alongside host country Azerbaijan, national teams from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America will compete.

From Europe, Poland and Malta will participate. From Africa, Nigeria and Ghana will take part, while Asia will be represented by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. From South America, Uruguay and Chile will compete.

With teams coming from different continents, the championship is expected to bring together a diverse lineup of participants in one of the sport's most important international events.

Chovqan is a traditional equestrian sport played between two teams riding Garabagh horses, a breed native to Azerbaijan. Considered the ancestor of modern polo, chovqan was historically played during festive celebrations and holidays.

Each team consists of five riders—two defenders (fullbacks) and three attackers (forwards).

The match begins at the center of the field, where players use wooden mallets to strike a small ball made of leather or wood, aiming to score goals against the opposing team. A standard game lasts for 30 minutes.

In recognition of its cultural significance, UNESCO inscribed chovqan on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2013.