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Lelo: The Muddy, Bloody Game That Packs A Punch In Georgia

The game of lelo (goal) makes rugby or American football look dainty. It was once popular across Georgia and some historians believe it goes back as many as 300 years. But it is now only played once a year in a single village in western Georgia called Shukhuti. The two parts of the village play against each other. There is no limit to the number of players on each team. The objective of the game is to bring the ball to the opposing team's end of the village. Whoever does it once, wins. (Giorgi Gogua of RFE/RL's Georgian Service)

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