Kazakh Athletes Primed for Gold in African Intellectual Game Ovari
Kazakhstan’s National Ovari Team Eyes Gold Medal at Fifth World Nomad Games
Ainur Zhakapbayeva, the head coach of Kazakhstan’s national toyzkumalak team, is optimistic about the team’s chances of winning a gold medal in ovari, an intellectual game from West Africa, at the upcoming fifth World Nomad Games. According to the event’s press service, Zhakapbayeva expressed confidence in the team’s potential to excel in the competition.
Despite ovari not being widely popular in Kazakhstan, Kazakh athletes have already made their mark on the international stage. In 2018, at the third World Nomad Games in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan secured two gold medals in ovari. Assel Daliyeva and Diana Kenina shone in the team event, with Daliyeva also claiming gold in the individual women’s category.
In preparation for the upcoming games, Kazakhstan organized its first national ovari championship in Kyzylorda in March. The championship featured 27 athletes, with the top performers selected to represent Kazakhstan at the World Nomad Games. The team includes renowned athletes such as Serik Aktayev, Ernur Mereshev, Assel Daliyeva, and Ansagan Kozhanasip.
The primary competitors for the Kazakh team in ovari are expected to be from African countries, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Kyrgyz Republic. To enhance their skills, Kazakh athletes are utilizing the playok.com platform for online training sessions.
Ovari is a strategic mind game played on a board with 12 small pits and two larger pits for storing stones. The objective is to collect the most stones in one’s storage pits, with the player accumulating the highest number of stones emerging as the winner. The Kazakh team is gearing up to showcase their prowess and compete for the coveted gold medal at the World Nomad Games.
