4. * Read the text and answer the questions T (true) or F (false). Correct the false
statements.
1 People still play traditional sports in Kazakhstan.
2 Baiga is usually for young boys.
3 Alaman baiga races are shorter than ordinary baiga races.
4 In kumis alu, players have to throw coins to each other.
5 There are two players in a game of kyz kuu.
6 People play baiga, kumis alu and kyz kuu to practice their
horse riding skills.
There are many traditional sports with horses in Kazakhstan. Some are
hundreds of years old and they are still popular today.
Baiga is a horse race. Usually, boys between seven and fourteen years old
take part. Baiga races cover different distances, starting at just a few
kilometres. Alaman baiga races can be up to 100 kilometres long and are very tiring!
Kumis alu is a race to pick up the most coins from the ground - except all the
competitors are on horses and they can't get off or even slow down! They have to lean
down from the saddle and pick up the coins as they ride by. The winner is the person
with the most coins.
Kyz kuu is like the playground game 'kiss chase' - on horses! A man and a woman
ride their horses towards a finishing line. If the man wins, he can kiss the woman.
However, if the woman wins, she chases the man back to the start of the race and, if she
gets close enough, she can even hit him! This is a very popular event with locals and
tourists.
Long ago, Kazakh people played these sports to help them practise horse riding, an
important skill out on the steppe. These days, sports like baiga, kumis alu and kyz kuu
are just for fun, but they also remind the Kazakh people of their proud history.