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World Nomad Games

The Rules of the Steppe: Countdown to the 2024 World Nomad Games

The countdown to the 2024 World Nomad Games (WNG) in Astana, Kazakhstan, which will take place between September 8-13, has begun. Now in its fifth incarnation, the upcoming WNG will host an estimated 3,000 athletes - including nomadic and non-nomadic participants (such as American cowboys) - from over 100 nations. The event will showcase sports, science, and culture at venues comprising the Alau Ice Palace, the Astana Arena, the Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace (named after the Kazakhstani Greco-Roman Olympian wrestler Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov), the Qazaqstan Athletic Sports Complex, the Duman Complex, and the Kazanat Hippodrome. Beside the hippodrome’s equestrian sports complex, the Ethno-aul, or the “Nomadic Universe,” is where visitors can immerse themselves in the many nomadic yurt traditions through classes, entertainment, and cultural programs. The first official WNG began in the resort town of Cholpon-Ata in the Kyrgyz Republic in 2012. At that time, almost 600 athletes from 19 countries took part in ten sporting categories. Since then - with the second and third WNG also in Cholpon-Ata in 2016 and 2018 - and the fourth in the town of İznik in northwestern Turkey in 2022, the number of games and participants has grown exponentially. In 2016, 1,200 athletes from 62 countries took part in 26 sporting categories. In 2018, the numbers increased to 2,000 athletes from 82 countries in 37 sports. In 2022, 3,000 athletes from 102 countries took part in a limited number of games (13) held over a shorter timeframe due to restrictions enforced by the COVID-19 pandemic. September is a significant calendar month for the WNG due to the traditional nomadic migration between seasonal camps in preparation for winter. To the uninitiated, and in particular, newcomer spectators from the West, the WNG is an action-packed alternative to more conventional and established international sports. Earlier this year, UK package tours for the 2024 WNG sold out. There is a Game of Thrones fantasy element to some of the scheduled events. The venerable warrior allure of selected games that include birds of prey, dogs, horses, wrestling, archery, and agility contests, are rooted in the uncompromising landscape from which the games were born. The WNG is fairly new to the international stage, but the games themselves are not. Abiding by the rules set by the Eurasian Steppe, athletic events are often vigorous and compellingly rugged. The vast, grassy plains with their minimal natural resources are where the nomadic inhabitants learned to sustain their way of life in work and play. Thus, the WNG has been extracted, maintained, and perfected by the ancient rituals of age-old battles and challenging recreation. [caption id="attachment_20496" align="alignnone" width="1979"] Kok-Boru, 2018 World Nomad Games Image Source: Helen Owl[/caption] Horses are a vital extension of Central Asian human resourcefulness. Among the sporting category highlights, the popular Kok-Boru (also known as Buzkashi and Ulak Tyrtysh in Kyrgyz) procured from a battle training custom, will take center stage. Mere balls fade in comparison to the headless goat carcass that the equestrian participants must capture and then fling into the...

World Nomad Games

Sell-Out of U.K. Tours to World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan

Due to an unprecedented demand, U.K. package tours, organized by Regent Holidays and Wild Frontiers, to attend the Fifth World Nomad Games in Astana from 8-14 September 2024, have already sold out. The news, reported by Kazakh Tourism, is perhaps not surprising given that the magazine 'Wanderlust', listed Kazakhstan as one of its top 24 destinations in 2024 on account of the country's hosting the event. With reference to Kazakhstan being the only Central Asian country to make the list, Kairat Sadvakasov, chairman of the board of Kazakh Tourism, commented, "Year after year, Kazakhstan is becoming a center of attraction for foreign tourists. That's because we are a relatively new destination, particularly for American [and] European readers of Wanderlust. To appear on the publication's list shows great progress in the development of our tourist industry. It's also important for us to let everyone know about the World Nomad Games in our capital city. We hope that (it) we will open up a new perspective on Kazakhstan and especially, Astana." The World Nomad Games are international competitions in indigenous ethnic sports historically played by nomadic peoples. Aimed to support the development of ethno-sports and ethno-cultural development, the Games are included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Comprising 20 sports, this year's event will involve some 3,000 competitors from more than 100 countries. Costing $17.9 million to present, the Games are expected to attract 20,000 foreign spectators.

US Kokpar Team

American Cowboys to Compete in 5th World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan

Last week, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports Ermek Marzhikpayev met Kaycee Field, renowned American professional rodeo cowboy, and Ladd Howell, captain of the US kokpar team. Perhaps surprisingly, the traditional Kazakh game of kokpar is growing in popularity in America. The US National Kokpar Team, led by Howell, competed in both the 2018 and 2022 World Nomad Games and plans were discussed for its participation in the 5th World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan. Kokpar, or goat–picking, is one of the oldest nomadic games in Kazakhstan. Fast and furious, it involves riders fighting for possession of a headless carcass of a goat and throwing it into a pit to score a ‘goal.’ Addressing the US delegation, Minister Marzhikpayev said, “Kokpar is one of the oldest nomadic games, and played for hundreds of years, is highly entertaining. At previous World Nomad Games, Kazakhstani Kokpar athletes won gold. We have heard much about your team as a leader in this sport. It is gratifying that you actively participate in the equestrian sports of Central Asia and are involved in their popularization in the United States. We believe that your team’s performance will be one of the most memorable.” He also mentioned the US team's proposal to provide demonstration performances of American rodeo in this year's program. The 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Astana from 8-14 September and The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan anticipates the participation of almost 4,000 athletes from over a hundred countries in twenty competitive and ten demonstration events. Initiated by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 2012 for the revival and preservation of nomadic culture, the first World Nomad Games took place in Cholpon Ata on Lake Issyk-Kul in September 2014.

World Nomad Games

Kazakhstan Announces Date of 5th World Nomad Games

The 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Astana from September 8th to 14th, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan has said. It is expected that close to 4,000 athletes from more than a hundred countries will compete in the games, which will include twenty competitive and ten demonstration events, with 110 sets of medals being competed for. Equestrian sports, traditional wrestling, archery, bird hunting, and traditional intellectual games will all be included. It is also expected that more than 100,000 tourists will attend sporting and cultural events during the games. An ethno-village, “Universe of Nomads,” will be opened in Astana, where every visitor will be able to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Kazakh people, as well as the cultures of participating countries. Up to 30,000 residents and guests in Astana will be able to visit the ethno-village daily, the ministry stated. The games will be held under the motto, “Meeting in the Great Steppe.” The World Nomad Games were initiated by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilizations. The First World Nomad Games were held in September 2014 in the resort city of Cholpon Ata on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

World Nomad Games

Kazakhstan Prepares to Host Fifth World Nomad Games

On January 8th, the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, Yermek Marzhikpayev chaired a meeting on the progress of preparations for the fifth World Nomad Games, which are to be held in Kazakhstan later this year. The meeting was attended by the leadership of the Association of Traditional Sports, the directorate for the World Nomad Games, and the presidents of federations of traditional sports. Marzhikpayev referred to President Tokayev, who in an interview with the Egemen Kazakhstan newspaper earlier this month stressed the importance for the nation of this major sporting event. “To fulfill instructions of the Head of State, it is necessary to host the World Nomad Games at an outstanding level,” Marzhikpayev stated. “Therefore, we must clearly define what measures have been taken to date and what tasks lie ahead. All remaining problems must be resolved as soon as possible. Preparations for the Games are going according to plan. However, the training of national sports teams must be first-rate. It is necessary to provide athletes with high-quality conditions and fully resolve all financial issues.”[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image="13570" img_size="full" el_class="scond-image" parallax_scroll="no" woodmart_inline="no"][vc_column_text woodmart_inline="no" text_larger="no"]It is expected that delegations from more than a hundred countries will visit Kazakhstan for the games, which will include twenty competitive and ten demonstration events, with 110 sets of medals will being competed for. Equestrian sports, traditional wrestling, archery, bird hunting, and traditional intellectual games will all be included. The World Nomad Games were initiated by the government of Kyrgyzstan in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilizations. The First World Nomad Games were held in September 2014 in the resort city of Cholpon-Ata on Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan.