The World Nomad Games, the first of which was held in Kyrgyzstan in 2014 with the aim of keeping nomadic culture alive and carrying our traditional sports to the present, was held in Turkey for the first time this year.
The 4th World Nomad Games was organized with the participation of thousands of athletes representing various countries and was held in İznik this year. More than 3,000 athletes and sports lovers from 102 countries came together in İznik through activities, traditional sports on the verge of being forgotten, visual exhibitions carrying the traces of different cultures, and fierce competitions in which traditional sports and cultures were rendered.
The event was unveiled by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and hosted approximately 1 million local and foreign visitors over 4 days.
World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan; Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu; Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Azamat Jamankulov; and Minister of Culture and Sport of Kazakhstan Dauren Abayev attended the closing ceremony that was held upon the completion of the games.
“I hope we have been able to convey the message of peace and unity as strongly as possible” - Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan
Our Confederation’s President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan stated that they’d given the message of peace and unity to the whole world from Bursa on the occasion of the games.
Erdogan also stated that Lake Iznik, where the organization was held, is a beautiful corner of the world where green meets blue and thousands of years of culture are embodied.
Stating how the cultures of the world had met at the 4th World Nomad Games, Erdoğan spoke, “In Iznik, over 3,000 athletes from 102 countries competed in more than 40 traditional sports branches, putting on a show and finding the opportunity to promote their own culture. Traditional handicrafts, world cuisines, traditional folk dances, and stage shows greeted our local and foreign guests quite colorfully in addition to the traditional sports and games.
Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan stated that the purpose of organizing the Nomad Games has been to present the world with a message of peace:
“Our aim with these games is no longer just to bless the marginally dwindling of nomadism. Nevertheless, the amateur spirit embodied in nomadic culture means living in peace with the world not just through the environment but also with the animals by giving greater value to life and living things. It is the relationship with a world that seeks peace by choosing to change places instead of choosing conflict when faced with strife. At such a time when wars and conflicts are being mentioned and the world faces environmental crises, we believe the established world needs the reconciliatory and peaceful climate of the nomadic spirit. This nomadic culture’s climate of living in peace with the world and its neighbors is at the heart of the message of peace we give on this occasion of the World Nomad Games. I hope that we have been able to convey this message of peace and unity to the whole world in as strong a way as possible.”
With the reminder that the 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Kazakhstan in 2024, Erdoğan made the assessment, "Just as Kyrgyzstan has successfully performed these games before us, and we have successfully held them this year with peace, so will our Kazakh friends and siblings in Kazakhstan powerfully deliver their message of peace to the world by raising the bar even higher.”
The Passing of the Flag to Kazakhstan
The handover ceremony was held in Kazakhstan, which will organize the 5th World Nomad Games.
Following the protocol speeches, Turkey’s Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu handed the pitcher inlaid with ceramic tiles and containing water to the Kazakhstan Minister of Culture and Sports Dauren Abayev, who will organize the next games.
The Event Finished with a Magnificent Closing Ceremony.
The closing ceremony wrapped things up with a dance and acrobatics show. In the closing ceremony, dance choreographies, the exciting show of Karabakh horses, and vocal and choreographic performances from Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan were highly appreciated. The closing ceremony gathered great enjoyment of the dance choreographies, the exciting performance of the Karabakh horses, and the vocal and choreographic performances from Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
The part in which the soloist Çiğdem Gürdal sang the song “Bayrak” received great applause from the protocol members and citizens. The ceremony finished with the song “Türk Elleri” [The Hands of the Turks] sung with the participation of all the soloists and dancers who’d taken part in the show.
