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By Noor Bakhtiar Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 (Bernama) -- Over 2,500 participants from nearly 100 countries will take part in the Fifth World Nomad Games, an international sports event showcasing traditional sports rooted in the traditions of Central Asia's nomadic peoples. The event will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan from September 8 to 13.
Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev said the games, themed “The Gathering of the Great Steppe”, will feature 21 sports with 97 medals at stake.
The competitions include horse races, national wrestling styles, traditional intellectual games, martial arts competitions, traditional archery, national bird hunting, and folk games.
“The World Nomad Games is a large-scale international sports event aimed at reviving and preserving the culture of nomadic people and developing national sports in the context of globalisation,” he said when met in Astana recently.
Zharasbayev said 89 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the fifth edition of the World Nomad Games, organised by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the Organisation of Turkic States.
He said that seven venues in Astana had been identified to host the games.
The World Nomad Games were established to celebrate the traditional sports and cultural heritage of nomadic peoples worldwide.
The inaugural games were held in 2014 in Cholpon-Ata, the Kyrgyz Republic. The Kyrgyz Republic hosted again in 2016 and 2018, while Türkiye hosted in 2022.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan, in a statement on Friday, said Kazakhstan is well-placed to host the games due to its historical ties to nomadic traditions, and its experience in hosting major events such as EXPO 2017.
"By hosting the Fifth World Nomad Games, Kazakhstan aims to celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of nomadic peoples, promote its cultural identity, and strengthen international bonds.
"The games are a vital cultural event for Kazakhstan and the broader Central Asian region, serving as a platform to celebrate and preserve the traditional practices, sports, and way of life of nomadic peoples," the ministry said.
-- BERNAMA
