World Nomad Games

About the World Nomad Games

The World Nomad Games are the biggest international project held in the Kyrgyz Republic, a project initiated by the government in 2012 for the revival and preservation of the culture of nomadic civilization.

The First World Nomad Games were held from September 9th through 14th, 2014, in Cholpon-Ata, in the Issyk-Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan. 583 athletes from 19 countries participated in competitions held in 10 types of sports, plus an additional 1,200 participants in the cultural program. The television broadcast of the Games reached 230 million people.

The Second World Nomad Games were held from September 3rd through 8th, 2016, in Cholpon-Ata, in the Issyk-Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan. 1,200 athletes from 62 countries participated in competitions in 26 types of ethnosports, which were broadcast to 500 million people.

The opening ceremony of the Third World Nomad Games is planned for September 2nd, 2018, in Cholpon-Ata, in the Issyk-Kul Province of Kyrgyzstan. The competitions themselves will be held in five locations.

3,000 athletes from 77 countries are expected to participate in competitions in 37 types of ethnosports.

MISSION OF THE THIRD WORLD NOMAD GAMES

The World Nomad Games are aimed at developing the ethnosport and ethnoculture movement in the world, as this is the heritage of human civilization.

The mission of the World Nomad Games covers the revival, development and preservation of the ethnoculture, diversity and originality of the people of the world in order to foster a more tolerant and open relationship between people. The slogan of the Third World Nomad Games is “United in Strength! United in Spirit!”.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE THIRD WORLD NOMAD GAMES

• Preserving the cultural and historical heritage and diversity of peoples from around the world in the era of globalization;
• Developing the world ethnosport movement;
• Popularizing, developing and promoting ethnosports at the world level, including traditional games and competitions from around the world;
• Support for the scientific and methodological foundation of the ethnosport movement, including ethnosports, traditional games, and traditional competitions;
• Strengthening and further developing interfaith and intercultural dialogue, understanding, friendship, harmony, and cooperation between the people of the world, and demonstrating the cultural diversity of the world.

Special attention at the World Nomad Games is paid to ecology. The official mascot of the World Nomad Games is the snow leopard. The organizers of the Games hope to bring extra attention to the plight of the snow leopard and to saving the habitat of this unique animal.

FEATURES OF THE THIRD WORLD NOMAD GAMES

The 2018 World Nomad Games feature three main parts:

• Ethnoculture
• Ethnosport
• Science

ETHNOCULTURE

The ethnocultural program includes two parts: the Nomad’s Universe international cultural festival, which itself includes the following:

• Ethnohit (folklore and music);
• Ethnodance (traditional dances);
• Ethnofashion (traditional and modern clothing);
• Ethnobazar (exhibition and fair of traditional handicrafts);
• Recitations of epic poems and legends;
• Ethnohouse (traditional nomadic shelters).

The second part of the ethnocultural program of the Third Nomad Games will be the ethnovillage, called Kyrchyn, where large theatrical performances and final competitions will be held. Cultural programs and presentations will also be performed for guests in Kyrchyn, prepared by groups from Bishkek, Osh, and all seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan.

ETHNOSPORT

The ethnosport program consists of competitions in 37 types of sports.

TRADITIONAL GAMES:

• Ordo – a traditional game in the Kyrgyz Republic.

HORSE RACES:

• At Chabysh – races over a long distance;
• Kunan Chabysh – races of two-year-old horses;
• Jorgo Salysh – pacer racing;
• Byshty Jorgo – pacer racing of three-year-old horses;
• Flat races;
• Distance races.

HORSE GAMES:

• Kok-Boru – a traditional horse game in the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Er-enish – a traditional horse game from the Kyrgyz Republic, involving two wrestlers on horseback;

COMPETITIONS IN TRADITIONAL TYPES OF WRESTLING:

• Alysh – a traditional type of belt wrestling from the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Ashyrtmaly Aba Gyureshi – a type of traditional belt wrestling from the Republic of Turkey;
• Goresh – a type of traditional belt wrestling from Turkmenistan;
• Gushtini Milli Kamarbandi – traditional wrestling from Republic of Tajikistan;
• Gyulesh – traditional wrestling from the Republic of Azerbaijan;
• Kurash – traditional wrestling from the Republic of Uzbekistan;
• Kazakh Kuresi – traditional wrestling from the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• Kyrgyz Kurosh – a type of traditional belt wrestling from the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Mongol Bokh – traditional wrestling from Mongolia;
• Pahlavani – traditional wrestling from the Islamic Republic of Iran;
• Sambo – traditional wrestling from the Russian Federation;
• Ssireum – traditional belt wrestling from the Republic of Korea;
• Sumo – traditional wrestling from Japan;
• Great Nomad Wrestling – combined freestyle belt wrestling;
• Gushtini Milli Kamarbandi – traditional belt wrestling from Tajikistan.

COMPETITIONS IN TYPES OF MARTIAL ARTS:

• Tug of War – a traditional worldwide sport;
• Mas-wrestling – traditional competition from the Russian Federation;
• Armwrestling – a traditional worldwide sport.

TRADITIONAL INTELLECTUAL GAMES:

• Toguz Korgool – an intellectual game from the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Mangala – an intellectual game from the Republic of Turkey;
• Oware – an intellectual game from west Africa.

COMPETITIONS IN ARCHERY USING TRADITIONAL BOWS:

• Archery using a traditional bow from the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Archery using a traditional bow from the Republic of Turkey;
• Archery using a traditional bow from the Republic of Korea;
• Archery using a traditional bow on horseback from the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Turkey;
• Archery using a traditional bow at a distance from Hungary.

COMPETITIONS IN TRADITIONAL HUNTING, SALBUURUN:

• Burkut Saluu – hunting with golden eagles from the Kyrgyz Republic;
• Dalba – hunting with hawks from the Kyrgyz Republic
• Taigan Zharysh – hunting with dogs from the Kyrgyz Republic.