An international kokpar tournament, one of the ancient sports of Turkic peoples, was held in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan.

The tournament, organized with the support of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), brought together around 150 athletes from Türkiye, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Hungary, Uzbekistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.

As part of the tournament, which began about a week ago with a grand opening ceremony, competitions were held among national kokpar teams representing their countries.

Various cultural events were also organized to promote the ancient game.

Kokpar, a traditional horseback game of the Turkic peoples and included on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, attracted significant international attention.

The event, aimed at preserving, developing, and promoting kokpar on the international stage, concluded with an award ceremony.

Host nation Kazakhstan’s kokpar team won first place, followed by Uzbekistan in second place and Afghanistan in third.

Speaking at the ceremony, TİKA’s Kazakhstan Coordinator, Fuat Erdoğmuş, stated that kokpar is one of the shared values of the Turkic peoples.

“Kokpar is not only a sport, but also a powerful symbol of our shared history, culture, and brotherhood. Such events make an important contribution to preserving traditional sports and passing them on to future generations,” he said.

 

Anadolu Agency