The 5th World Nomad Games held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, ended with great enthusiasm with athletes and visitors from all over the world. The games, where more than 2 thousand athletes from 89 countries competed in 21 different traditional sports, attracted great interest from both local and foreign tourists. This prestigious organisation, in which the World Ethnosport Confederation is one of the main stakeholders, is of great importance in terms of keeping the cultural heritage of nomadic peoples alive and introducing it to the world.
Nomadic games are known as a platform that serves to keep the ancient sports of Central Asia, especially the Turkic world, alive and introduce them to the modern world. The competitions organised in many different fields such as equestrian sports, martial arts, archery and intellectual games aim to keep nomadic cultures alive. In this year's games, traditional sports such as Kökpar, Gökbörü, Kyrgyz Wrestling, Mangala came to the fore and gave the audience unforgettable moments.
Medal Ranking and Turkey's Success
After the first three days of the Games, Kazakhstan ranked first in the ranking, winning a total of 48 medals with 21 gold, 10 silver and 17 bronze medals. Kyrgyzstan ranked second with 23 medals, while Uzbekistan ranked third with 24 medals. Turkish athletes also achieved significant successes; Yiğit Kerem came second in the ‘Turkish style mounted archery’, while Turkey defeated the USA 2-1 in the ‘Kökbörü’ game.
Cultural Activities and Ethno Village
In addition to sports competitions, the ‘Nomads World Ethno Village’, which was established during the games, offered visitors the opportunity to experience nomadic life. Handicrafts, traditional games and cultural heritage of nomadic peoples were introduced in this area, where the Turkish Culture and Heritage Foundation as well as UNESCO took part. Tourists travelling to Kazakhstan not only watched sports competitions, but also had the opportunity to get to know the way of life of nomadic peoples closely.
Selat Metin, an artist from Istanbul, stated that he attracted great attention in the tent where he introduced marbling art and said, ‘Tourists from different countries as well as Kazakhstan are watching this art with great curiosity. These games are a meeting point not only for sports but also for culture.’
Important Messages from World Ethnosport Confederation
In his speech at the closing ceremony of the Games, President of the World Ethnosport Confederation, Mr. Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan emphasised the organisational success of Kazakhstan. ‘These games show the richness of Kazakhstan's nomadic culture and its determination to introduce traditional sports to the world. This organisation, which impresses with every detail from the opening ceremony to the sports fields, is a cultural heritage platform for the Turkic world and beyond.’
Erdoğan also emphasised the importance of introducing young generations to traditional sports and stated that we all have a duty to carry this heritage to the future. The World Ethnosport Confederation carries out important activities to introduce young people to traditional sports and strengthen their ties with cultural values. Especially in disaster areas, sports activities are also emphasised in order to rehabilitate young people and bring them into society.
Next Games in Kyrgyzstan
Announcing at the closing ceremony that the next World Nomad Games will be held in Kyrgyzstan, Erdoğan expressed his belief that the spirit of friendship and brotherhood will continue. ‘This platform is not only a platform for sports competitions, but also an area where cultural sharing and brotherhood are kept alive. It is our greatest wish that this spirit will continue in the next games.’The World Nomadic Games have become not only a sporting event, but also a global meeting point that aims to introduce the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic world and other nomadic peoples to the world. The Games contribute to the preservation of this heritage and its rightful place in the modern world.
