The unique nomadic sports you’ll see at the World Nomad Games
The world is gearing up for a summer of sports today as it welcomes the start of the Olympic Games. But the sporting event that really has our adrenalin pumping this year is the fifth World Nomad Games, hosted in Kazakhstan, which showcases the immense skills honed in by generations of the hardy nomadic people from across the vast Central Asian steppe.
These games offer an interesting array of competitions and sporting prowess you’re unlikely to witness anywhere else. You can expect competitive ethnic sports that include horse racing, a variety of wrestling forms, archery and hunting with birds of prey. But if you want to get to know some of these in a little more depth, we explain some of the most unique below.
Tenge Ilu
This traditional Kazakh equestrian sport first began as an exercise for warriors training to go to battle to test their agility and speed on horseback. As the rider races along a track, they must pick up coins from the ground placed every 10m without slowing down, requiring a skilled level of horsemanship, balance and coordination. Whoever picks up the most coins in the set amount of time, wins.
Kok-Boru (or Kokpar)
This sport is not for the faint of heart, nor is it one for goat lovers, so if either applies, then it may be time to go for a bathroom break and a snack. Otherwise, brace yourself for the unique ‘goat polo’, played on horseback by two teams of skilled riders who compete to take control of a goat carcass. Points are scored when the carcass is successfully carried into the rival team’s goal.
Horseback wrestling
There are many wrestling competitions at the World Nomad Games, and in true Central Asian style, one is also on horseback. Riders must wrestle and unseat their opponent from atop their horse.
Kusbegilik
The art of hunting with birds of prey, this cultural heritage is one of the oldest nomadic traditions embedded in Kyrgyz life. Three types of Kusbegilik competitions will be held at the WNG - one with a golden eagle, a hawk and a falcon. The falcon and hawk are tested similarly by their attack on a lure, which the hunter spins on a rope. The birds are assessed by speed and how many times they imitate an attack. The golden eagle is first assessed by the time it takes to respond and fly to an invite to their athlete's hand, as they hold the bait at a distance. In the second competition, the golden eagle is judged on its time and speed to chase and grab the bait dragging along behind its handler while he speeds along on horseback.
Asyk Atu
This traditional game uses sheep knucklebones, called asyks, lined up within a circle. Using a ‘throwing knuckle’, players must knock the other asyks out of the circle at distances that increase in difficulty. There are three matches and whoever knocks eight asyks out of the circle, wins the first match, and there are three matches in total.
Alysh
The National Sport of Kyrgyzstan, Alysh, which means ‘a fight to determine who is stronger’, is a style of upright wrestling, where players must hold on to their opponent’s belt throughout the match and try to throw them down on the mat. Players are scored between 1 and 6 based on which part of the body hits the mat first, with the highest score awarded if the opponent lands on his or her back. The first person to score 6 is the winner.
