Kyrgyzstan hosts 6th World Nomad Games with Iraqi delegation in attendance

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan — Kyrgyzstan is hosting the 6th World Nomad Games from August 31 to September 6, with athletes, artists and musicians from various countries, including an Iraqi delegation, taking part in the program. After the opening ceremony in the capital Bishkek, a portion of the competitions will move to the Issyk-Kul region, where organizers said events will be staged in an area seen as the historic heartland of nomadic traditions. The program features traditional martial arts, horse races and eagle hunting, among other disciplines. The event also includes traditional yurt villages, music and folklore performances, and regional cuisine. Organizers said the games are intended to showcase the heritage of the Central Asian steppe and to help preserve nomadic cultures that they described as facing the risk of disappearing in the modern era. Additional details on the Iraqi delegation’s participation were not immediately available.