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Laman Ismayilova

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The 5th World Nomadic Games have kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at the Astana Arena stadium in Kazakhstan, Azernews reports.

The large-scale event marked the beginning of a week-long celebration of traditional sports and cultural heritage, featuring athletes from 89 countries.

At the ceremony held at the "Astana Arena" stadium, a ceremonial parade of the participating countries was first held. Among the athletes who passed in front of the tribunes were also Azerbaijani athletes.

The national flag of Kazakhstan was brought to the opening ceremony and the flag of the World Nomadic Games was raised in the air. Also, the National Anthem of Kazakhstan and the anthem of the World Nomadic Games were played.

Speaking at the ceremony, the President of Kazakhstan Kasim-Jomart Tokayev officially declared the games open, followed by speeches from Roman Sklyar, chairman of the Organizing Committee, and Bilal Erdogan, president of the World Ethno Sport Confederation. The ceremony also saw the attendance of high-ranking dignitaries from various countries, including the head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, the chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Gurbangulu Berdimahammadov, and others.

The games will feature 21 types of competitions across various sports grounds in Astana, including horse racing, national wrestling, traditional intellectual games, martial arts, and more. One of the unique aspects of the event is the ethno-village "Köşpendiler Elemi" ("World of Nomads"), which demonstrates the rich culture and traditions of nomadic peoples.

Azerbaijan is represented by 54 athletes in 8 sports at the games, which will run until September 13. With 97 sets of medals up for grabs in 21 sports, participants from around the world are gearing up for an exciting competition.

The V World Nomadic Games promises to showcase the best of traditional sports and cultural heritage from around the world.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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