The 5th World Nomad Games began with a spectacular ceremony. The host of the world event, which brings together the best in nomadic sports from all continents of the planet, is Astana. Until September 13, the Kazakh capital will be the arena of the most ancient games.
For the first time they were held in 2014 in Kyrgyzstan. Three more editions followed again in the Kyrgyz city of Cholpon-Ata, and in 2022 neighboring Turkey was the host. Then the event brought together 3,000 athletes from 82 countries in the city of Iznik.
During the fifth edition, the participants will exceed 2,500 athletes from 89 countries. 97 sets of medals will be given out.
The Games attract both countries inhabited by descendants of nomadic peoples and teams from other parts of the world. In addition to the sports program, cultural and scientific events are planned, such as the opening of the "Universe of the Nomads" ethnoaula, which will reveal the traditions of the nomads.
The sports that will be represented are 21:
- Ashik atu – throwing dice;
- Baiga – horse races;
- Tenge ilu – hanging tenge;
- Kurash – struggle;
- Measuring forces;
- Mangala – a kind of intellectual game;
- shooting with a traditional bow at different distances;
- Ordo – translated as “khan's palace”, the game reproduces a battle to capture a military headquarters;
- Kokpar – two teams of riders who try to throw an animal model in their circle the most times;
- Kazakh struggle;
- Koresh – struggle;
- A contest of the strong;
- Ovari – a kind of intellectual game;
- Kusbegilik - hunting with game birds;
- Arcan Tartus – tug of war;
- Audaruspak – a hand-to-hand struggle between two riders;
- ASHARTMALA AB GURESHI – struggle with pulling the opponent's clothes and body, takes place to the musical accompaniment of folk instruments;
- Alush – type of wrestling, the wrestlers try to grab the belt of their opponent and knock him down;
- Toguzkumalak – the aim of the game is: by moving the pebbles in the holes to collect the most pebbles in your “cauldron”;
- Jambu atu – horse archery with a traditional bow;
- Kok boru – showmanship horsemanship.
The main competitions will be held on the territory of 6 sports facilities, including the stadium "Astana Arena" and "Duman" complex. One of the key sites will be the "Universe of Nomads" ethnoaul, located on an area of 10,000 hectares near the "Kazanat" hippodrome. Equestrian competitions and cultural events will be held here.
The opening ceremony was accompanied by events reflecting the cultural heritage of Kazakhstan, a parade of participants from the participating countries.
The event stands out from many other large-scale sports events and with a rich cultural program. As part of it is an international conference on the development of ethnosport. It will discuss the problems of training athletes, the standardization of the rules of ethnic sports and the role of nomadism in modern culture.
The official motto of the 5th World Nomad Games is “Meeting in the Great Steppe”. The game's logo features a sun horseman, a symbol used by the first games; its text part is made in the style of the ancient Turkic script.
The Nomadic Games were officially opened by the President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Jomart Tokaev.
„Nomadic civilization has left a deep mark on world history. The nomads of the Great Steppe have inhabited Eurasia since ancient times. Possessing innovative technologies for their time, they contributed to global progress. 5,000 years ago, nomads domesticated the horse and formed an equestrian culture that spread throughout the world. Steppe artisans made modern weapons and magnificent jewelry. A vivid proof of this is the found “golden people” from the Saka period”, President Tokaev said.
He reminded the guests of the event, including presidents of a number of countries, that the Kazakh land gave the world such outstanding personalities as al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, who made a significant contribution to the development of science and humanistic ideas.
p>
Nomads have a common culture, spiritual wealth, values, but the most important thing that unites all nomadic peoples is the spirit of freedom. For nomads, life is a constant movement, every step is a step to a new world.
„In the conditions of globalization, the thousand-year-old nomadic way of life is reviving again, acquiring new content. Now modern nomads come to the fore in history. We travel to different countries looking for opportunities for education and work. In this dynamic age, we must preserve the spirit of freedom, imbibing all the progressive values of the new age. We are the descendants of wise and brave nomads who managed to preserve their unique identity and bequeathed to us the civilization of the Great Steppe. It is our common duty to preserve this priceless heritage in order to pass it on to the younger generation,” said the President of Kazakhstan.
„The main mission of sports is to strengthen friendship between peoples. Kazakhstan is known to everyone as a territory of peace and harmony. In our country, different ethnic groups live in harmony and understanding. We have established strong ties with countries near and far abroad, and we want other countries to have good relations with each other as well. I am convinced that the Nomad Games will help strengthen international solidarity. I declare the 5th World Nomad Games open!”, concluded President Tokaev.
