ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team will compete in ten sports on Sept. 9 as the fifth World Nomad Games kicked off in the Kazakh capital on Sept. 8.
“Zhamby” derives from the old Turkish word yambu, meaning piece of gold or silver. Photo credit: World Nomad Games
The Kazanat Hippodrome will host kokpar competitions, with 104 athletes from nine countries participating. The teams of China, Hungary, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Russia, Türkiye, the United States and Uzbekistan will compete for medals.
Traditional archery competitions have started at the Argymak Equestrian Sports Complex. 183 athletes from 33 nations, including 10 members of the Kazakhstan national team, will compete in four disciplines, including a team competition.
The Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov Martial Arts Palace will host competitions in Qazaq Kuresi, a type of traditional wrestling, with 274 athletes from 41 countries. Athletes will compete in eight weight categories among men and women.
The World Nomad Games and other world championships help keep alive this ancient skill. Photo credit: World Nomad Games
The Alau Ice Palace will host a kurash tournament, featuring 106 participants from 27 nations, including eight Kazakh athletes: Yernur Suleiman, Aibek Kazakhbayev, Nurdin Shaimerden, Bekadil Shaimerdenov, Marat Baikamurov, Altynai Nurkhanova, Azhar Salykova and Albina Bakhiyeva. The tournament will last two days.
Kazakhstan has also launched mas-wrestling competitions, a national sport of the Sakha people. Ninety-eight athletes from 31 countries will take part in this competition, including eight representatives of Kazakhstan: Temirlan Shamet, Asylmurat Birimzhan, Vladislav Gerasimov, Berdykul Altay, Yerkebulan Yerlan, Zhansaya Rakhmetullaeva, Takhmina Godzhamberdiyeva and Olga Dushaeva. The competition will last two days.
The Alau Ice Palace is hosting assyk atu (knocking out knucklebones). Thirty-nine athletes from 12 countries will compete for victory. Kazakhstan’s team is represented by Nurkissa Molzhigitov, Zhomart Nurlanov, Kerim Zhazdykbay, Amandos Aitkulov, Perizat Yelemes, Kamila Daniyarova, and Saniya Asker. The final games will take place on Sept. 11.
Ethno-village next to the Kazanat Hippodrome will host zhamby atu competitions or traditional horseback archery in the Asian style on Sept. 9.
In the traditional national game, a participant on horseback must shoot down a high-hanging zhamby (target) while galloping past. Photo credit: World Nomad Games
The competitions kicked off on Sept. 8 in the Hungarian style. Raphael Mallet, the French team’s representative, took first place. Mongolia’s Altankhuyag Nergui took second place, while France’s Gaëtan Blo finished third, reported the National and Equestrian Sports Center’s press service.
The competitions will last four days. The athletes will compete in the Turkish and Kazakh styles on the third and fourth days, respectively. Each team consists of four athletes. Aitbek Sarybai, Yeralkhan Aikoz, Batyr Beksauyt and Abzal Tulybekov compete for the national team of Kazakhstan.
According to the head coach of the national team in zhamby atu, Yeldos Badashev, the Hungarian style is distinguished by dexterity and speed of shooting arrows. Unlike other types of archery on horseback, an athlete needs to shoot as many arrows as possible at the target.
Alain le Gall, President of the French International Alliance of Horseback Archery shared his impressions of the competition.
“I consider the Kazakh team to be one of the best in horseback archery. They took second place in Mongolia at the World Championship last year, they work very hard and have already proven their skills. I think they will be among the finalists. We are very impressed by the atmosphere of the event and the way we were greeted. We are very pleased to be here,” he said.
