Kabul, Afghanistan (AP) – When a rooster fight starts in Kabul, the sound is immediately. Roar of “hit!” And “Kill!” Bring out of spectators when two birds fall together, feathers and blood flying.
This age -old blood sport, once a common winter time, now takes place throughout the year in the Afghan capital, not only through tradition, but due to poverty, unemployment and despair.
The Taliban has forbidden roosters since seizing power in 2021. Yet the fighting continues.
Men gather in improvised tents, gardens and rear alleys that hold cash and prepare their birds as valued athletes. They cool their roosters with scarves and even spray water on the creatures with their mouths to breathe new life into them. Claws are tied. Sneaks are sharpened. Sometimes the birds get energy booters.
Fighting can last different rounds, with breaks to clean wounds and reset feathers. The victory is explained when a bird can no longer continue.
Occasionally the violence runs outside the ring. Flare disputes about bets, which leads to physical fights. The elderly, known as 'white beards', intervenes to calm tensions for the next game.
Cockfighting is not just a game. It is a living, a gamble and, for many, an obsession. Betting can leave families destitute or suddenly rich.
Mohammad, 63, a rooster fight veteran, has transformed and destroyed life for decades. He remembers how a man and his two sons died in a recent fight that became fatal.
Poor men have bought houses with their winnings and rich men have lost everything, he says.
Some owners treat their birds better than their own families and spend money intended for groceries on special food and medicines. They give the Warrior names and talk about them with deep affection.
Despite the bloodshed and illegality, the fighting continues to exist. In a city formed by conflict, rooster fighting remains a brutal escape, a form of control and pride.
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This is a photo gallery compiled by AP Photo editors.
