World Nomad Games set to take place in Kyrgyzstan


The World Nomad Games, promoted with the motto "United in Force, United in Spirit," will take place for the second time in Kyrgyzstan's Cholpon Ata province on the northern shore of Issky Kul Lake from Saturday to next Thursday. Around 2,000 athletes from 40 countries are expected to join the program and the tickets for the event are already sold out.

Promoting the revival of Ethnosports around the world, the program includes a variety of games in 23 categories like "Kok Boru" (polo with a dead goat), fighting on horses, "Kyz Kuumai" (horse racing), eagle hunting and board games. Several hundred yurts (nomadic tents) will be set to display nomadic traditions to visitors. There will also be music performances and conference sessions on nomadic civilizations.

The Equestrian Hippodrome in Cholpon-Ata, where the game competitions will take place, is located 270 kilometers from Bishkek and occupies an area of 25 hectares. It is the only arena in Central Asia that is located on the shore of a lake. The Hippodrome can seat 10,000 people.

Visitors will get a chance to try some traditional food in the yurts, try the swings and take dozens of photos. All participants will be dressed in traditional clothes. In 2014, the first edition of World Nomad Games attracted more than 2 million people. The games are organized by the World Ethnosports Confederation, the Kyrgyzstan government and sponsored by Turkish Airlines.