Why Uzbekistan refused to host next World Nomad Games?

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Contrary to previously announced plans, Uzbekistan has decided not to host the next games. Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Culture, Information, Sports, and Youth Policy, Altynbek Maksutov, officially announced that the VI World Nomad Games will return to their historical homeland - Kyrgyzstan.

Scale and Cost of the Event

The V World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan attracted attention with their grand scale. More than 2,000 athletes from 89 countries participated in the competitions.

However, the large-scale event came with significant financial expenses. Organizers confirmed that the budget for the games was around 8 billion tenge (approximately $16.7 million), which significantly exceeded the costs of previous games in Kyrgyzstan.

Sporting Achievements and International Participation

Despite organizational challenges, the games showcased a high level of athletic skill.

The organizers highlighted the expansion of participant geography, including representatives from countries such as Ireland, Venezuela, Laos, and Gambia.

Criticism and Challenges

Experts and observers expressed concerns about the increasing costs of hosting the games. Oleg Golishnikov, an independent expert from Uzbekistan, noted that the high expenses may have been the reason why Uzbekistan decided not to host the next games.

Moreover, despite ambitious plans to attract tourists, volunteers reported low attendance at events from both locals and foreign guests.

“The World Nomad Games is a unique event dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the peoples of Eurasia and the traditional sports of nomads. That’s why it’s included in UNESCO's list of cultural heritage. For example, during the second games in 2016 in Kyrgyzstan, a thousand musicians played the *kuy* (a performance on the Kyrgyz national string instrument—*komuz*), and this record made it into the Guinness Book of Records. However, it seems the games have turned into a race for glory. The 2018 games in Kyrgyzstan cost 303.1 million soms, which at the exchange rate at the time was about $4.3 million (1.7 billion tenge). Meanwhile, Kazakhstan spent around 8 billion tenge. It was noted that international competitions would help develop tourism, but I didn’t notice an influx of travelers in Astana,” said the Uzbek expert.

The Future of the World Nomad Games

The return of the games to Kyrgyzstan may mark a new stage in their development. As the initiator of the project, Kyrgyzstan has experience in hosting the previous three games.

This decision may help rethink the format of the event, perhaps focusing on its cultural significance and uniqueness, rather than on scale and cost.

The World Nomad Games, conceived as a celebration of the cultural heritage of the peoples of Eurasia, stand at a crossroads. The return of the games to the Kyrgyz Republic may provide an opportunity to reassess the goals and format of the event, balancing the preservation of traditions with the modern realities of sporting events.

After the conclusion of the games in Astana, the Kok-Boru Federation of Kyrgyzstan proposed holding the "Cup of Harmony" on November 1 on the shores of Issyk-Kul. This was announced by the head of the federation, Ramis Junusaliev.

“We want to offer the Kazakh side a rematch to resolve controversial points. We propose that athletes from the neighboring country perform with the same lineup as at WNG-2024,” he noted.

CentralasianLIGHT.org
September 16, 2024