ASTANA – The Kazakh capital is preparing to host 100,000 tourists from Kazakhstan and around the world for the fifth World Nomad Games, said Ablai Kondybayev, deputy head of the directorate for preparation and hosting, Kazinform reported on July 23.
Photo credit: gov.kz
The games will be held in six key venues in Astana: the Astana Arena stadium, the Kazanat hippodrome, the Martial Arts Palace named after Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov, the Alau Ice Palace, the Qazaqstan Athletics Sports Complex, and the Duman Complex.
The opening ceremony will take place on Sept. 8 at the Astana Arena stadium. Competitions in horse racing, traditional archery, and national bird hunting, will be held at the Kazanat hippodrome and the ethno-village, named the Universe of Nomads.
“The hippodrome has a capacity of 10,000 people. The most spectacular competitions – kokpar and baige – will take place there,” Kondybayev said.
The ethno-village, covering ten hectares adjacent to the Kazanat hippodrome, will serve as the main venue for the cultural program.
The Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace and the Alau Ice Palace will host competitions in national wrestling, martial arts, and folk games. Traditional intellectual games will be held at the Duman Complex, while the Qazaqstan Athletics Sports Complex will house the Accreditation and Equipment Centers.
Scientific events related to the games will be hosted at the National Museum of Kazakhstan. Cultural events will additionally be held at various venues in Astana, including squares, parks, theaters, concert halls, cinemas, museums, and exhibition pavilions.
The total prize money for the fifth World Nomad Games is set at 253 million tenge (US$533,214), with prizes allocated individually for each sport, except for team events such as kokpar and kok boru. The winning team will receive ten million tenge (US$21,075), the second place team will receive six million tenge (US$12,645), and the third place team will receive four million tenge (US$8,430).
Kazakh singer Dimash Kudaibergen will perform his solo concert “Stranger” as part of the games’ final day.
