A large-scale sporting
event, the fifth World Nomad Games, will soon kick off in Astana. Each training
session of Kazakhstan’s national teams is intense, as athletes aim to perfect
every detail. The audaryspak team is honing their skills at the capital’s Kazanat
hippodrome. Kazakh athletes hope to win prizes in six weight categories and
secure at least four gold medals. They are ready to demonstrate their strength,
endurance, and exceptional horsemanship skills.
«We trained all our
horses in Almaty for about 2.5 to 3 months before arriving in Astana on August
23. So the horses have enough time to adapt before the sports competition which
is around the corner. All our stallions are experienced and have participated
in the national championship,» said Zhanbatyr Bekmussayev, head coach of
Kazakhstan’s national team in audaryspak.
Daryn Otkelbai is one
of the strongest riders from the Turkistan region. The athlete has participated
in numerous competitions and won the world champion title. He is the only
representative of his weight category on the team.
«I won my first world
championship in the Kyrgyz Republic. This year, athletes from the Kyrgyz
Republic and Mongolia will come to Kazakhstan. I consider the Kyrgyz rider to
be my main competitor,» Otkelbai shared.
Kazakhstan’s national
team in tenge ilu is also aiming for gold at the Games. This type of
competition is experiencing a revival, with the establishment of an
International Federation to promote the national equestrian sport and the
adoption of unified competition standards. This year, tenge ilu will be held in
three styles.
«Tenge ilu can truly
be called a Kazakh sport, as it is not widely known or developed outside
Kazakhstan. We have already held international competitions in tenge ilu twice
and won gold medals,» noted Aibek Turkebai, executive director of the Tenge Ilu
Republican Federation.
It is noteworthy that the fifth World Nomad
Games will take place in Astana from September 8 to 13. Around 3,000 athletes
from nearly 90 countries are expected to compete for prizes in 21 different
sports.
