Photo: worldnomadgames.kz
The 5th World Nomad Games (WNG), the largest international ethnic sports competition, has been solemnly opened in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. The colorful two-hour musical and theatrical performance, which was part of the opening ceremony, was attended by more than 2.5 thousand athletes from 89 countries, as well as tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world. In total, 21 competitive sports are planned within the framework of the four-day sports program. These include equestrian sports, various types of martial arts, archery, national types of bird hunting, traditional intellectual and folk games. A total of 97 sets of medals will be awarded.
“The main mission of sport is to strengthen the friendship of peoples”
In his speech at the opening ceremony at the Astana Arena, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the profound mark left by nomadic civilization in world history, as well as its contribution to the global progress of humanity.
“Five thousand years ago, nomads domesticated the horse and formed an equestrian culture that spread throughout the world. Steppe craftsmen made advanced weapons and magnificent jewelry. A vivid proof of this is the found “golden village” from the Saka period. The Kazakh land gave the world such outstanding personalities as al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmed Yassawi, who made a significant contribution to the development of science and humanistic ideas. Our ancestors created strong states and built medieval cities in the Great Steppe that were impressive in their size and beauty, including Otrar, Turkestan, Taraz, Saraishyk. Acting as a bridge between the West and the East, nomads contributed to the rapprochement of different cultures,” the president said.
Photo: worldnomadgames.kz
According to him, the Nomad Games are a special project, “inspired by the creative goal of preserving an invaluable heritage in order to pass it on to younger generations.” And the main mission of sport, Tokayev believes, is to strengthen friendship between peoples.
“Kazakhstan is known to everyone as a land of peace and harmony. Different ethnic groups live in harmony and understanding in our country. We have established strong ties with countries near and far abroad and we want other states to have good relations with each other as well. I am confident that the Nomad Games will help strengthen international solidarity. May our friendship be eternal! I declare the 5th World Nomad Games open!” – Kassym-Jomart Tokayev summed up his speech.
On the opening day of the Games, the Kazakh leader met with the leaders of two Russian regions: the head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, and the head of Yakutia, Aisen Nikolaev. During the negotiations, the president noted the high representation of the Russian national team, which includes athletes from Tatarstan and Yakutia, and the Russian politicians confirmed their readiness for mutually beneficial cooperation in priority sectors of Russia and Kazakhstan, thanking “for the opportunity to participate in the World Nomad Games, which embody a common history.”
“Celebrating sport and friendship!”
In fact, the United Team of Russia came to the Nomad Games and this time it competes under the national flag. The team included more than 150 athletes in the 21 sports of the Games. That is, Russians will also take part in such rare national sports as bayge (Kazakh long-distance horse racing), tenge alu (collecting coins from the ground at full gallop), zhamby atu (archery on horseback), kusbegilik (Kazakh hunting with predatory animals, birds), etc.
Photo: worldnomadgames.kz
“We are grateful not only to the sports federations that supported us, but also to the organizing committee of the Games and the leaders of Kazakhstan, who support our position: the sports industry must be depoliticized, athletes must have the opportunity to openly represent their countries at international competitions,” said the head of the Russian team’s UN delegation, Igor Pavliuk.
The official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, was one of the first to react with emotion to the opening of such a large-scale tournament in Kazakhstan.
“We are sending pictures from Astana,” she wrote on her Telegram channel. “This is the opening ceremony of the 5th World Nomad Games. The Russian team is greeted in the capital of Kazakhstan with applause and “Katyusha” is sung. A celebration of sport and friendship! Kazakhstan reminded the world what world sport should be like: depoliticized, open to all and promoting sport, not perversion.”
The first day of competition brought quite unexpected results: France won the first gold medal – in archery at full gallop. The first “gold” for Kazakhstan (in the audaryspak competition, a game in which riders try to knock others down with their hands) was won by Ermek Kuralbay. “I hoped to defend the honour of the country and take first place, and I am happy to justify the confidence,” the athlete said immediately after the victory.
On the second day, the Kazakhstan team clearly took the lead: as of Tuesday, it already has 25 medals, including 14 gold ones. The Russians also distinguished themselves: Anna Alekseeva won first place in archery, and Aisen Atastyrov defeated world champion Eldos Aitbaev and excelled in freestyle wrestling competitions. In total, the united Russian team already has 5 medals.
Photo: worldnomadgames.kz
“On September 9, my first international competition took place, where I managed to win a silver medal in the 55 kg category among women in freestyle wrestling. When I found out that I was going to these competitions, I always wondered if it was too early to compete at this level… I didn’t believe that I would go to a country that I had only recently dreamed of going to. The culture of the people and the capital of Kazakhstan itself are especially beautiful. Organizing competitions of the magnitude of the Olympic Games is great!” – wrote the athlete from Bashkortostan Leila Shagisultanova.
“We can safely say that the games took place,” Nail Nurov, director of preparation and holding of the 5th World Nomad Games, said at the briefing. “The ethno-aul is boiling – so many interesting things, so many impressions and emotions! This is what we are striving for: to promote a positive image of our country, to create a new tourist product and to position Astana not only as a political and business centre of Eurasia, but also as a tourist destination. This is a success!”
The World Nomad Games will end on Friday, September 13th.
