
The Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan held its biennial (every-other year) Nomad Games last week. The festivities promote and celebrate the traditional sports of nomadic peoples.
The first Nomad Games were held in this former Soviet republic in 2014. Since that time, the games have won support from UNESCO. That’s a committee of the United Nations that sponsors and preserves human activity of educational, scientific, or cultural impact. The Kyrgyzstan games now attract competitors from more than 80 countries.
The week-long competition is held in a gorge near the picturesque Lake Issyk-Kul. It features traditional sports of nomadic peoples such as horseback wrestling, archery, falconry, and goat polo (played with a dead goat).
Authorities in Kyrgyzstan hope that the Nomad Games will help spur new interest in the ancient traditions of its people. Those traditions have been fading over the past century.
Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said at the Games’ opening that the competition is a chance to revive the practice of “people's diplomacy.” He credits that common interaction of nations’ citizens with helping to preserve peace and understanding in the past.
(AP Photo: A woman on horseback releases an arrow during an archery competition at the Third World Nomad Games in Cholpon-Ata, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.)
Goat Polo
Goat polo sounds... Interesting.
Cool
that sounds fun to watch
Yeah, goat polo does sound
Yeah, goat polo does sound interesting! I wonder why someone ever came up with it:) "You want to play polo with a dead goat?" "Sure!"
I think that I played Polo
I think that I played Polo just not with a dead goat yuck!
Brenna
Wow! That sounds really cool! If I participated in the games, I would choose archery.
Opening Ceremony
I live in Kyrgyzstan, so my family went to the Opening Ceremony. It was really cool. Hungary had the best costumes.
That's cool that you live in
That's cool that you live in Kyrgyzstan!
A.R.
Horseback wrestling sounds cool! Clara, that's so fun that you're family went!
Thanks!
Thanks!
Like a Movie
This is so cool! It almost sounds like a fantasy movie, such as TLoTR. Also it reminds me of the Disney Pixar film, Brave.
Nomad Games
Goat polo?
cool
I'd play goat polo.
I agree with you matthew, it
I agree with you matthew, it does sound ( and look) a lot like the movie Brave
Poor Goats
Poor Goats
:( :( :( :( :( :(
Awesome!!!!! I love archery.
Awesome!!!!! I love archery.