Leaders gather in Kyrgyzstan for the World Nomad Games

Leaders including Russian President ​Vladimir Putin, Indian ​Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ‌Iranian President ​Masoud Pezeshkian have arrived in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek for the ‌World Nomad Games. The games' opening ceremony took place on Sunday on the eve of a summit of the Shanghai ‌Cooperation Organisation on Monday, which the visiting leaders also attended.

Chinese ‌President Xi Jinping attended the summit, but Kyrgyz media said he stayed away from the opening ceremony of the games, citing the flooding ⁠and ​landslides in ⁠Tibet. The World Nomad Games are a cultural and sporting festival centred on ⁠traditional nomadic sports, particularly those of the Turkic peoples of Central ​Asia.

Athletes from 104 countries have registered, organisers said, for ⁠the sixth edition of the World Nomad Games, which were founded in ⁠2014. Events ​include horseback archery, wrestling and boardgames traditional to nomadic Central Asian cultures. The ceremony featured musical performances and ⁠Olympic-style parades by national teams.

Also among those attending the ceremony were ⁠Turkish President Tayyip ⁠Erdogan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.