In the capital of Kazakhstan, at the "Astana Arena," the grand opening ceremony of the V World Nomad Games took place.
More than 2,000 athletes from 89 countries across all continents are participating in the Games. Among the participants are representatives from countries such as China, the USA, Brazil, Russia, Germany, France, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Mexico, Egypt, Madagascar, and others.
They will compete in 21 types of national sports games, including various forms of wrestling like kurash, alysh, as well as tug-of-war, archery, horse racing, strongman competitions, and more. One of the most famous and spectacular events at these Games is kokboru, a traditional game involving a goat carcass, which has drawn spectators' attention since ancient times among nomads.
In his speech as the host, Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the deep impact of nomadic civilization on world history.
"Nomads of the Great Steppe have inhabited Eurasia since ancient times. Possessing innovative technologies for their era, they contributed to global progress. Five thousand years ago, nomads domesticated the horse and developed a horse-riding culture that spread worldwide. Steppe craftsmen produced advanced weapons and exquisite jewelry. A vivid example of this is the 'golden men' found from the Saka period. Kazakh land has given the world such outstanding figures as Al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, who made significant contributions to the development of science and humanistic ideas. Our ancestors built strong states and erected impressive medieval cities in the Great Steppe, such as Otrar, Turkestan, Taraz, and Sarayshyk. Acting as a bridge between the West and the East, nomads facilitated the convergence of different cultures," noted the Kazakh leader.
Tokayev also highlighted the role of Kyrgyzstan, which initiated the World Nomad Games in 2014 and hosted the first three Games. The fourth World Nomad Games were held in Turkey in 2022.
As the rightful founder of the modern World Nomad Games, the Kyrgyz team was the first to walk the stadium podium in the center of Astana, where the opening ceremony took place, followed by a grand concert.
In line with President Tokayev's speech, the participants of the opening ceremony were treated to a theatrical performance dedicated to the rich culture, history, traditions, and customs of the nomadic peoples.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States, Kubanychbek Omuraliev, the head of TURKSOY, Sultan Raev, and the President of the World Ethnosport Confederation, Bilal Erdoğan, who also gave a speech at the start of the Games and thanked the President of Kazakhstan and all the organizers of the Games.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 9, 2024