Kazakh Horseback Archery Athletes Gear Up for World Nomad Games
Kazakhstan’s Horseback Archery Team Prepares for Fifth World Nomad Games
The national team of Kazakhstan’s top zhamby atu (horseback archery) athletes is currently in the third stage of their training camp, with two teams already 70-80% ready, according to Yeldos Badashev, the team’s head coach. One more stage of training is left before they head to the fifth World Nomad Games.
Badashev mentioned that the team is also focusing on training the horses for the competition. He highlighted strong competitors from countries like Mongolia, Arab countries, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Hungary.
Yeralkhan Aykoz, a member of the national team, expressed confidence in their daily preparation and their ability to perform with dignity at the games to defend Kazakhstan’s honor.
The national federation of zhamby atu is part of Kazakhstan’s Association of National Sports, which includes various other traditional sports federations like baige, kokpar audaryspak (horseback wrestling), sad atu kusbegilik (eagle training), asyk atu (a board game with bones of a knee sheep joint), tenge city, and joryq at (horse riding). The Association is led by entrepreneur and philanthropist Islambek Salzhanov.
The Fifth World Nomad Games are set to take place in Astana from Sept. 8-13 and are expected to attract over 100,000 visitors. It will be a showcase of traditional nomadic sports and culture, with teams from around the world competing in various disciplines.
