The 5th edition of the World Nomad Games, a competition held every 2 years since 2014 to celebrate traditional sports and folk games of historically nomadic peoples in Central Asia, kicked off in the Kazakh capital of Astana yesterday, 8 September.
1. World Nomad Games
The World Nomad Games first took place in Kyrgyzstan in 2014 with just 583 athletes from 19 countries competing in 10 sports. The competition was born out of the will of Kyrgyz communities to revitalise and celebrate their traditional culture, including folk games, in the post-Soviet era.
Inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage for safeguarding practices which are intrinsically linked to the nomadic lifestyle, the competition has grown over the years, opening to more participating countries, even if they do not have historically nomad people, and was held for the first time outside Kyrgyzstan in 2022, when Türkiye hosted the Games.
2. 5th edition in Kazakhstan
For the 5th edition, which is being held under the patronage of UNESCO’s Director General, Kazakhstan has been granted approval to host the competition. This year’s edition is shaping up to be the largest so far, with over 2,800 athletes from 89 countries taking part in 21 sports, including horseback archery, martial arts, falconry, traditional wrestling and folk intellectual games. Moreover, Kazakhstan has estimated over 100,000 foreign tourists will descend on its capital from 8 to 13 September for the Games.
“The World Nomad Games have turned spotlights onto our destination by offering something fresh and exotic. The geography of participating states has expanded tremendously since the inception of the Games, and we are happy to embrace global attention to ethnic sports and eventually tourism. More than 2,800 competing athletes are the future ‘ambassadors for Kazakhstan’s tourism while helping to finally lure long-haul markets from Europe, Americas and Asia Pacific”, Kairat Sadvakassov, Chairman at Kazakh Tourism, told Travel Tomorrow.
This is the biggest sports competition of its kind in the world. Sport itself is a symbol of respect and solidarity. Its key purpose is to strengthen friendship among nations.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan
The opening ceremony saw delegations marching in the Astana Arena stadium, prepared to showcase their countries’ unique cultural traditions on a global stage. The evening culminated in a cultural performance that took the audience on a journey through Kazakhstan’s rich history, from the Tengri period and the great Khanates to the nation’s modern transformation. The theatrical programme paid tribute to the enduring values of harmony with nature, respect for the land and the shared responsibility of protecting the Earth as humanity’s common home.
“Since ancient times, the nomads of the Great Steppe have lived in Eurasia. The new technologies they developed provided the impetus for the global progress. Five thousand years ago nomads domesticated the horse and shaped a horseback riding culture that spread across the world”, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the ceremony. “Serving as a bridge between East and West, nomads played a crucial role in the rapprochement of various cultures. These spacious lands at various times saw the rise of the Hun empire and the Turkic Khaganates and later the Golden Horde and the Kazakh Khanate.”
More than a sporting competition, a celebration of cultural diversity, the Games are complemented by scientific and cultural programmes. An international scientific and practical conference titled “Nomads: History, Knowledge, lessons” will be held from 9 to 11 September, while the Ethno-Aul is open throughout the duration of the event, hosting an exhibition-fair of Kazakh craftsmen, complete with masterclasses; Aytys, the traditional musical competition of Akyns; and the Neo Nomads Fest, which will show current trends in the world of culture.
