Second World Nomad Games is a great contest in horse racing games and other nomadic sports!

The main differences of this great event from the traditional sports activities are:

• Originality – every kind of sport vividly reflects the values, culture and life of its ethnic group and accordingly has its own history and tradition, which is no longer in the Olympic sports.

• Entertainment – many sports are characterized by their primitive cruelty and naturalness. This all gives a powerful adrenaline rush both for players and spectators.

The first World Nomad Games were held in Kyrgyzstan in September 9-14, 2014, in the city of Cholpon-Ata on the shores of the famous lake Issyk-Kul. The founders of the Games are four countries: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey. Athletes from 19 countries took part in the games: Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mongolia, Russia, USA, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, France, Sweden, South Korea. Among the participants were 583 sportsmen and 188 coaches and referees, as well as 230 horses. TV Broadcast was available for 230 million people from 40 countries of the world.

Second World Nomad Games will also be held in Kyrgyzstan in the city of Cholpon-Ata on September 3-8 2016. The program of the Games, as well as the first ones, will include the following sports: Alysh, Salbuurun, Ordo, At chabysh, Er anish, Toguz korgool, Kyrgyz Kurosh, Kok-Boru, Kazak Kurosh, Alman baige, Kunan chabysh. There will be total 25 kinds of sports, including national games, horse racing games and equestrian events, the festival of martial arts, competitions in archery, competitions in national kinds of hunting, the traditional intellectual games. The main activities are planned in the area of Cholpon-Ata on the racetrack and Semenov gorge, where will be installed a yurt camp of 250 yurts. Racetrack in Cholpon-Ata will be repaired to meet international standards, there will be increased the number of seats up to 10 thousand people.  In addition, there will be organized music, dance, folklore performances, exhibitions of crafts, fairs and much more. Thousand of  komuz players will perform the tune “Kerbezim” at the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games. For this event will be invited musicians from all over the country and it has all the chances to get into the Guinness Book of Records. 

Among the organizers and partners of the games are the Secretariat of the World Nomad Games with the support of the World Ethno-sport Confederation, the Association of Kyrgyzstan Resorts. Great interest in the organization and conduct of the games have shown the university students and youth activists. The total number of candidates for volunteers has reached 2 500 people.

Preparation for the Games is now in full swing. For example, recently in Beijing, there was a presentation of the Second World Nomad Games, organized by the Embassy of Kyrgyzstan in China. The presentation was attended by representatives of ministries and departments of China, China’s tourism companies and journalists from “Xinhua” information agency, “CCTV-Russian, “China” magazine and “Silk Road-review.”

On May 15, 2016 on the central square “Ala-Too” in Bishkek was launched a Countdown Clock to the start of the Second World Nomad Games and start was given from 111 days. For the opening ceremony the Secretariat of the World Nomad Games with the support of the World Ethnosport Confederation,arranged fairs of artisans, performances of 120 Temir Komuz players and WNG 2016 Goodwill Ambassadors. There were also held master classes on such national games like Toguz korgool, Ordo, Salbuurun, Top tash, Arkan tartysh etc. Such construction was established for the first time in the history of Kyrgyzstan and the whole Central Asia.

– Logos of the Games appeared in the center of Bishkek and public transport. This is done to promote the brand of the Games and to attract the attention of more Kyrgyz citizens and visitors. “World Nomad Games” clothing line was produced in national style.

– In June it is planned to organize mini-game competitions in Bishkek and Osh.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkey are contenders to host the third World Nomad Games. The choice will be made either in alphabetical order, then, the third games will take place in Azerbaijan, or by agreement between the three countries.

Information for this article is provided by Secretariat of “World Nomad Games”.

Photos from sources: thenational.ae, greattodaynews.com, irishmirror.ie, backpackingman.com