Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sports

Mukkha

Mukkha is the an archery sport. The game is played with a long arrow (ghashay) and a long bow (leenda). The arrow has a saucer shaped metallic plate (tubray) at its distal end. The archers play in teams and attempt to hit a small white wooden target called takai surrounded by a circular ring called kwaara. The target is secured in fresh clay placed at some height a few meters away from the archer.

Pash or Gully Danda ګلي ډنډه

It is a game played with two wooden sticks. One is used for hitting the other smaller stick. The smaller stick is around 9 inches in size. Both the edges of the short stick are sharpened so that it is easy to hit. This game is played between the two teams. There is no restriction on the number of players. However each team should not exceed then 6 players. Before starting the game either the inning is given to a team by toss or both the captains are asked to hit the short stick for as many times as possible in the air before it falls on the ground. He who hits the short stick in the air much times then the other wins the toss and the game is started. All the members of the playing team get into the circle. First of all a particular number of air-strikes is specified then each player tries to reach that target. The player is required to keep the short stick out of the circle. If by chance the stick comes into the circle, the player is given out. If he succeeds in hitting the short stick out side the circle for the required number, he has succeeded in keeping himself alive for the other turn otherwise he is out as well. The players do this turn by turn in the circle. After keeping oneself alive then he has the chance to play again and try for his other colleagues to make them alive again. If he fails; then they have to go out and the turn of the opponent team starts. The real charm of the game is that if all the members of the team succeed in making themselves alive, then they have got the liberty to hit hard the short stick and throw it far away so that the others who are bound to re-throw it back to the circle will go far away and are made to be tired. By doing this if they fail to get their turn they lose the game.

Takey or Meergati ميرګاټي

This too is a game of little girls. In this game round pebbles of stone which are five in number are taken and are played by four individual players turn by turn. One of the pebbles is tossed in the air and before coming to the ground the other pebbles are hastily collected in a hand and then the tossed pebble is caught with the same hand. If the catch is dropped, the turn ends. This game is played entirely by one hand. Now-a-day a tennis ball is also used in this game.

Kabadi کبډي

Kabaddi is a well-known game, not only in the tribal and settled areas of the NWFP but all over Pakistan. Two teams representing equal number of players, take part in this game. A straight line defining the limits of the contending teams is drawn. The game starts with an offensive launched by one of the players against the opponents by crossing the demarcated line. He thus throws an open challenge to his adversaries and makes inroads into their `territory' with words of Kabaddi, Kabaddi on his lips. He runs from one end to the other to touch or slap one of his opponents but at the same time he takes every precaution to avoid being caught. His rivals, on the other hand, tackle him cunningly. They allow him to penetrate deep into their `territory' with an obvious motive to dodge and finally seize him. If the attacker is caught before returning to the line of demarcation, he is considered beaten. If, however, he succeeds in touching one of his opponents and manages to return to his post safely, then the player so slapped or touched is considered out. After this one of the players of the other team launches a counter attack against his opponents. In this way the game progresses. Sometimes it lasts for two or three hours

Parzawal پرزول

Wrestling is the Pukhtoon's favorite pastime. A Pukhtoon boy makes his debut in wrestling and exhibits his skill and physical strength on the village playing field. This provides him with an opportunity to understand the spirit of competition and develop the qualities of tenacity, endurance and sportsmanship at an early stage of his life.

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Kutai or Achoonka اچونکه

This game is played by the boys. First of all a hole is dug in the ground. Six players together play the game. Each player has a walnut with him. These are the playing nuts. The game is played with one hand and a middle finger of the other hand. Turn by turn each player retries to hit the walnut of the other player with the force of the middle finger. If he happens to hit the walnut of the other player, then he tries to fill the hole with his walnut with fingers. If he wins the already specified amount of walnuts. The loser gets out of the game and the game is continued till the last winner has won all the walnuts. Nowadays this game is played by marble balls or glass balls.