In a lavish ceremony that lasted nearly 3 hours, the 5th World Nomad Games were opened in Kazakhstan. Traditionally, the opening ceremony began with the welcoming of the flags of all the participating countries, as well as the welcoming of the participants from each country.
The ceremony continued with a lavish cultural program accompanied by several light shows. The cultural part was strongly represented in the ceremony, since the World Nomad Games is a sporting event, but it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. The guests at the opening were “taken“ on a journey through the rich history of Kazakhstan - from the period of Tengri and the great khanates to the modern transformation of the nation. The theater program paid tribute to the enduring values of harmony with nature, respect for the earth and the shared responsibility to protect the Earth as the common home of humanity.
The cultural and sporting event features nations from across Asia, Europe, North and South America, Africa and Australia. During the competition, which runs from September 9 to September 13, athletes will compete in a range of nomadic sports, including archery, martial arts, falconry and traditional wrestling, showcasing their countries' unique cultural traditions on the world stage.
The opening ceremony was attended by prominent international leaders and officials, including President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Sadir Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Rustam Minikhanov of the Republic of Tatarstan and Aysen Nikolaev, Head of the Republic Sakha (Yakutia). Other notable attendees included former Mongolian President Nambarin Enkhbayar and World Ethnosports Confederation President Bilal Erdoğan, as well as representatives of international organizations such as UNESCO, the UN World Tourism Organization, the Organization of Turkic States and the European Union.