ASTANA — Kazakhstan will use existing sports venues in the capital for the fifth World Nomad Games, scheduled for September next year, and does not plan to build additional facilities, according to Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Tamara Duisenova. She made the remarks during the Aug. 23 meeting of the game’s organizing committee, focused on the readiness of Astana’s sports facilities, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Duisenova said no additional facilities are in plans for fifth World Nomad Games on Aug. 23. Photo credit: Prime Minister’s press service.
However, the Astana Arena stadium and the Alau Ice Palace will be renovated in preparation for the international event, said the capital’s administration. The Kazanat Hippodrome will also undergo reconstruction, funded by extra-budgetary sources.
Last year, the World Ethnosport Confederation unanimously supported Kazakhstan’s bid to host the games.
Approximately 3,000 athletes from 102 countries competed at the fourth World Nomad Games from Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 in the Turkish city of Iznik. Kazakhstan’s national team won three gold, four silver, and two bronze medals, with wrestlers contributing significantly to the medal tally.
Initiated by the Kyrgyz Republic in 2012, the World Nomad Games aim to preserve and celebrate the diversity of different cultures and the rich traditions of the nomadic culture in Central Asia.
The games feature a variety of sports, including horse racing, archery, mounted archery, falconry, and various forms of wrestling, including wrestling from horseback, as well as intellectual games like togyzkumalak, offering the spectators an immersive experience in nomadic heritage.
The event consistently attracts teams from all Central Asian states with Turkic roots, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Türkiye, and Russia. Their regular attendance underscores the games as a global and inclusive celebration of nomadic culture.
