5^th World Nomad Games

Assyk games are an ancient tradition in Kazakhstan. Each player has their own set of ‘Assyks’, traditionally made out of the talus bone of a sheep, and a ‘Saka’ dyed in bright colours. Players use their Assyk to knock out other Assyks from the field, and the focus is on the position of the bone. Assyk atu is the oldest game of the peoples of Eurasia, as confirmed by archaeological data.

Baige - also known as bayga - is horse racing, often with children of 8-years-ols and over, as jockeys, over distanced of between 11 and 25 km.

Tenge Ilu - a traditional Kazakh equestrian sport involving picking up coins while riding a horse.

Kurash - is one of the most ancient folk styles of wrestling known to humankind. According to research, the game emerged on the territory of modern Uzbekistan at least 3500 years ago. In Uzbek, “Kurash" means "achieving a goal in an honest way." Back in the day this fighting technique was used during wars to protect the population. Men displayed their mastery of Kurash during weddings, holidays, local and national celebrations. It is mentioned in numerous ancient literary and historical sources.

Mas-Wrestling - (stick tug-of-war) is the national sport of the peoples of the Russian north. Opponents sit opposite each other, resting their feet on a board placed on its edge, and grab a stick with both hands. To win, the athlete must snatch the stick from the opponent’s hands or pull him to his side along with the stick. The match lasts until two victories of one of the wrestlers.

Mangala - is a Turkish intelligence and strategy game board game played by two people. There are 12 small pits on the board, 6 on each player's side, and a large compartment where each player collects their stones. Mangala is played with 48 stones. The aim of the player is to collect the most stones in their own compartment.

Traditional archery competitions are held at the following distances: Kazakh target jamba (women and men) – 30 m; Turkish target puta – 60 m (women) 70 m (men); Kalkan – 50 m (women) 60 m (men); Team jamba – 30 m (team line-up: 3 men, 2 women). All athletes participating in competitions and ceremonies wear traditional uniforms.

Ordo is one of the most widespread games in Kyrgyzstan, having survived from ancient times to the present day. The word “ordo” refers to the general headquarters of the khan’s palace, and the game itself reproduces the fight to conquer the general headquarters. Ordo is a kind of military map, which warriors used to learn how to defeat an enemy. A circle drawn on the ground represented the state territory, and rivals used this to work out the plan of battle. Knocking the khan out of the circle meant dethroning the ruler and winning the game.

Kokpar – more widely known as buzkashi, or Kok Boru, and Ulak Tyrtysh in Kyrgyz is a traditional Central Asian horseback sport which roughly translates as ‘goat grabbing’ due to the fact that a headless goat, the buz is used as the ball. A game popularised by Jenghiz Khan - though his horde preferred to use a human torso for a ball - buzkashi is historically an every man for himself game, the brouhaha of rearing horses sometimes measuring over twenty metres in diameter. The 2001 finals in Dushanbe, Tajikistan left twenty-two dead and hundreds maimed, lying in pools of their own blood as they reportedly grinned madly. Banned by the Taliban, the game has now returned to Afghanistan, whose players -warmly regarded for their bush-league enthusiasm - have been known to carry AK-47’s, which although considered vulgar, is not against the rules per se. Whilst still brutal, the Kyrgyz version, Ulak Tyrtysh is a tamer affair, two teams of four competing to carry the buz around posts before hoisting it into a walled concrete circle; quite a feat considering the cauterised goat carcass weighs some twenty-five kilos.

Qazaq Kuresi - is the traditional wrestling style of Kazakhstan and one of the oldest sports of Kazakhstan and Asia. Wrestlers, known as ‘Baulans’, dress in special uniforms with blue or red stripes and corresponding belts. The goal of is to throw the opponent to the ground and have his or her shoulders touch it. Kuresi is practiced nationally and internationally by both men and women from 14-15 years of age up to the veteran class.

Kurash - is one of the most ancient folk styles of wrestling known to humankind. According to research, the game emerged on the territory of modern Uzbekistan at least 3500 years ago. In Uzbek, “Kurash" means "achieving a goal in an honest way." Back in the day this fighting technique was used during wars to protect the population. Men displayed their mastery of Kurash during weddings, holidays, local and national celebrations. It is mentioned in numerous ancient literary and historical sources.

Powerful Nomad Strongman Competition - competitions are held in 5 disciplines: lifting a 100 kilogram stone and carrying it 10 meters; squats with a 100 kg bag; throwing a 10-kilogram javelin with the right or left hand towards a target standing 10 meters away; squats with a 130 kg log on your shoulders; towing a 200 kg trolley for 10 meters.

Oware - is an abstract strategy board game among the mangala family of board games (pit and pebble games) played worldwide with slight variations as to the layout. It is the National game of Ghana and the word "oware" means "He She Marries". The mythology behind the name is believed by many to be the result of a wedding between a man and a woman and the dowry (represented by fields (pits) and seeds. Basically, you're playing for fruitful paddocks.

Kusbegilik, or sayat, are Kazakh traditional names for the art of hunting with birds of prey, a tradition embedded in the country’s cultural heritage. Competitions in the Kusbegilik national sport will be held in three types: with golden eagles, hawks and falcons.

Tug-of-war competition between the peoples of the world.

Horseback Wrestling - Athletes of 18 years of age and older are allowed to compete. The audaryspak field has a shape of a circle with a diameter of 15 meters. Competitions are held among men.

Ashyrtmaly Aba Gureshi – Traditional Turkish Wrestling, is one of the oldest forms of Turkish wrestling, and one of the first to have special clothing. Ashyrtmaly Aba Gureshi was also used as specialized military training for fighters, and involves different holds on the clothing or the body of one’s opponent. There are many different styles that involve legs and throws while holding the belt or jacket. The goal of the game is to throw one’s opponent on his shoulders. Bouts are held to the accompaniment of different traditional instruments, including drums and wind instruments. The wrestlers arrive to the mat in short capes with slots for hands, or in jackets made of sheepskin, which is how the sport got its name – aba is the word for sheepskin.

Alysh – national belt wrestling (of the Kyrgyz Republic). The wrestlers are dressed in special blue and green clothes, white pants with red belts. In the starting position, the athlete’s head lies on the opponent’s shoulder, while he follows the movements of the opponent’s legs from under his hands.

Togyzkumalak – or toguz korgool is a board game. According to the rules, two players participate, each of whom has 9 holes on the board (a total of 18 holes, called otau), located opposite each other. The main task of the game is to move the pebbles in the game holes and collect as many of them as possible into the “kazan”.

Horseback Archery – horseback archery at the World Nomad Games.