There are five months left before the start of the World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan. The head of the department for organizing the World Nomad Games, Nail Nurov, spoke about the scale of preparations in a recent interview with Kazinform.

“For the first time, we are holding the World Nomad Games, which have their own unique standards and rules. The previous Games were held at a very high level, so we are creating all the conditions to make the fifth Games the most spectacular,” Nurov said.

Current preparations for the World Nomad Games include a variety of aspects: from the reconstruction of Astana's urban infrastructure to planning logistics, accommodation and catering. The supervising ministry is the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan. The scientific program is implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is responsible for security issues.

Astana expects to host 4,000 participants and tourists from more than 100 countries. According to Nurov, the approach to organizing Games has been revised. Previous editions in Kyrgyzstan and Turkey were celebrated as fun festivals. However, this year the board is aiming to turn the games into a major sporting event by raising standards, expanding the scale and increasing competition.

Each country will now be represented by one national team, with team performance influencing the country's ranking, as opposed to the previous approach where the focus was on individual performance.

The World Nomad Games program will include 20 competitive and 10 demonstration sports. Competitions include horse racing, traditional wrestling, mind games, martial arts, archery, national hunting, folk games, and ethnic sports. A total of 113 sets of medals will be awarded.

National federations of other countries have submitted applications to host demonstration sports. Nurov said that they had received a significant number of applications, from which the most spectacular ones would be selected.

In addition, the “Universe of Nomads” ethno-village will open in Astana, offering an immersive acquaintance with the culture and traditions of the countries participating in the World Games represented by foreign creative groups.

Nurov said that they organize interactive events, including daily concerts in the ethno-aul, master classes and tastings of national cuisines. Live broadcasts will be available in different countries.

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