Kazakhstan will send a delegation of 80 people, including 50 athletes, to participate in the 4th World Nomad Games from Sep.29 to Oct.2 in the city of İznik, Türkiye, QazMonitor reports citing the ministry of culture and sports.
The World Nomad Games are a sporting event to celebrate the nomadic heritage of Turkic ethnic groups, by showcasing traditional sports, culture, and lifestyle.
The events will be held near Lake İznik in the northwestern province of Bursa, with around 3,000 athletes from 40 countries competing across 13 disciplines. Overall, 50 different types of ethnic sports will be featured as part of the program.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson Samat Yergaliyev, Kazakhstan’s national team will take part in four disciplines: kokpar (goat tossing on horseback), zhamby atu (archery on horseback), Kazakh kuresi (wrestling), and traditional archery.
For Kazakh kuresi, three female athletes will compete in the event.
Kazakh athletes will also participate in two events: tenge ilu, a horseback game where riders must snatch a pouch off the ground at full gallop, and audaryspak, horseback wrestling.
In previous games held in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan placed second in 2014 and 2018 and third in 2016. Yergaliyev noted that this year, the national team hopes to rank first or second.