Kassym-Jomart Tokayev officially declares the V World Nomad Games open

ASTANA, 10 September (BelTA - Kazinform) - The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, officially declared the V World Nomad Games open at the opening ceremony. The event, which is taking place in the capital of the Republic at the Astana Arena stadium, brought together not only tens of thousands of spectators but also more than 2,500 athletes and guests from 89 countries, Kazinform news agency correspondent reports.

"Welcome to the fifth World Nomad Games! I would like to express my deep gratitude to the heads of fraternal states, honored guests, and athletes! Nomadic civilization has left a deep mark on world history. The nomads of the Great Steppe have inhabited Eurasia since ancient times. Possessing innovative technologies for their time, they contributed to global progress. Five thousand years ago, nomads domesticated the horse and formed an equestrian culture that spread throughout the world. Steppe craftsmen made advanced weapons and magnificent jewelry.

The “golden people” of the Saka period that were discovered are a vivid example of this. The Kazakh land gave the world such outstanding personalities as al-Farabi and Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, who made a significant contribution to the development of science and humanistic ideas. Our ancestors created strong states and erected medieval cities impressive in their size and beauty in the Great Steppe, including Otrar, Turkestan, Taraz, Sarayshyk.

Acting as a bridge between the West and the East, the nomads contributed to the rapprochement of different cultures. At different times, the empires of the Huns and the Turkic Khaganates, the Golden Horde and the Kazakh Khanate flourished in these vast spaces," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the opening ceremony of the World Nomad Games.

The opening is accompanied by a large-scale show, which combines not only the demonstration of national and cultural heritage but also the unity of nomadic nations. About 3,000 people take part in the ceremony, from artists to representatives of creative groups in Kazakhstan.

Leaders and heads of several states also took part in the opening ceremony as guests. Among them are President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev,  President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of the Sakha Republic Aisen Nikolayev, and former President of Mongolia Nambaryn Enkhbayar.

Representatives of various international authorities were also present at the ceremony, including the President of the World Ethnosport Confederation Bilal Erdogan, the heads of such international organizations as UNESCO, CICA, the UN World Tourism Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, TURKSOY, the Turkic Investment Fund, the Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States, the Islamic Commonwealth of Sports, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, as well as the Special Representative of the European Union for Central Asia and other officials.