NOW SHOWING ON THE OCHO:

Haji Mohammad Pahlawan waves his whip in the air, pulling his grey stallion away from the calf carcass he has just dumped in a goal to claim victory in a tournament of buzkashi, Afghanistan's national sport.

A cloud of dust swirls around the heaving scrum of three dozen horses competing in the final contest on a vast plain in the northern province of Samangan, where buzkashi riders known an "chapandazan" are revered as heroes.

About 3,000 spectators -- all men and boys -- cheer, whoop and ululate as a beaming Mohammad canters over to tournament officials to collect his $500 prize, gathering his mounted teammates for their lap of victory.

Buzkashi -- from the Persian words for goat ("buz") and drag ("kashi") -- has been played in Central Asia for centuries, with Afghanistan's neighbours Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan having their own variations.

Banned under the Taliban's brutal regime of 1996 to 2001 for being "immoral", there were fears the ancient game would again be barred after the Islamists seized power in August.

But not only have Taliban fighters gathered in the crowd after Friday prayers to watch this showpiece buzkashi tournament -- a local commander is taking part, and Mohammad's club is captained by a district governor. 

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