In this episode of Focus, we go behind the scenes at the 5th World Nomad Games in Astana, Kazakhstan.
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00:00I think what makes this so special is the fact that it celebrates culture, history and where we all came from.
00:06I think if we look at traditional sports, you know, like tennis and those, we've lost the cultural connection with our heritage.
00:14So what is special about this is these people are celebrating where they come from.
00:18And for me the World Nomad Games is almost like the Olympics for nomads.
00:24Kazakhstan is the largest country in Central Asia, bordering China, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
00:38It's the ninth largest country in the world, equivalent in size to Western Europe.
00:43It's also the world's largest landlocked country bordering the Caspian Sea.
00:47The capital city Astana played host to this year's World Nomad Games.
00:52Exhilarating, high octane and full of adrenaline.
01:02Now in their fifth edition, the Games are a celebration of sport, identity and culture.
01:22Tourists from all over the world want to see our rich nomadic culture, our traditions, our national cuisine, our harmony.
01:43So I think it will be a good opportunity for foreign tourists to get to know the nomadic culture better.
01:51The Games include 21 competitive sports, many of them with roots and skills required to survive on the steppe.
01:59One of the most popular and oldest is Khokhba, a national sport of Kazakhstan which is said to have originated with Genghis Khan's early 13th century army.
02:09Khokhba involves two teams of 8 to 12 people.
02:12They're riding on horseback and fighting over the carcass of a headless goat.
02:17Now obviously these days they do use a dummy and I guess you could say the sport is a mixture of horse riding and rugby.
02:36Horseback archery is another popular sport that demonstrates the skill needed to be a competitor at these Games.
02:47I don't think it's a bad thing to be a competitor, but I don't think it's a good thing to be a competitor.
02:54I think it's a bad thing to be a competitor, but I don't think it's a good thing to be a competitor.
03:00I think it's a good thing to be a competitor, but I don't think it's a good thing to be a competitor.
03:07I think it's a good thing to be a competitor.
03:13Over 3,000 competitors from 100 countries and over 100,000 foreign tourists attended, making it a truly international experience.
03:22It's such wonderful. I'm really honored to be here and to participate with the World Nomad Games.
03:29It's my first time here and Kazakh people are so nice with us and they are so welcoming. We have a wonderful time.
03:39It's so ancient. It's so amazing to see everybody's costumes and garb and they're competing in those costumes.
03:47It's just incredible, absolutely incredible.
03:50It was also an opportunity for Kazakhstan to show off its rich culture and history, as well as hospitality and cuisine.
03:57There was a welcome return home for one of the country's musical stars, Dimash, who performed at the opening ceremony.
04:05I became an international singer not because I want to earn money, not because of that kind of commercial things.
04:13It's only because I want to introduce our country's culture, our songs, our traditional music.
04:21I know how it's important for our country, how it's important for our culture.
04:27And right now it's a very good time to show not only our culture, but also we can play a lot of games with horses.
04:41So now is a very good time to show our talent in sport, too.
04:47As the World Nomad Games grows internationally each year, future editions are sure to draw on the success and legacy of those held in Astana.