World Nomad Games come to a close, with Kyrgyzstan topping the medals table
A speed yurt-building competition (Image: Paul Toetzke)
Kok Boru, traditional horse nomad game played with a dead sheep. The result of the final was 15:3 Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan (Image: Paul Toetzke)
Kok Boru, traditional horse nomad game played with a dead sheep. The result of the final was 15:3 Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan (Image: Paul Toetzke)
2200m horse race (Image: Paul Toetzke)
9 September 2016
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Elise Morton
Yesterday marked the final day of the World Nomad Games, which saw Kyrgyzstan finishing at the top of the medals table and an impressive closing ceremony.
The Games included over 20 sports and games traditional to nomadic cultures, including falconry, horse racing, wrestling and Buzkashi, a Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to place a goat or calf carcass in a goal. The games were accompanied by a cultural programme, which this year featured music and fashion events.
Kyrgyzstan triumphed in the medals table, winning 79 medals including 25 golds. Making up the rest of the top five were Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Azerbaijan.
The second World Nomad Games were held from 3 – 8 September 2016 on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. More information about the event can be found here.
