National Games

National games are an integral part of the culture of every nation. Through games, we can understand the history and life of a every nation. The Kazakh have a lot of different folk games. Many of them have survived through the centuries.

The national game "kokpar" has its analogs among other Turkic nations. The essence of the game lies in the fact that the guys on horseback must take the braise of a ram from the enemy. The winner is the one who first throws the carcass into the gates of the "cauldron". This game requires physical power and strength. Various kokpar tournaments are held in Kazakhstan today, especially during the celebration of Nauryz.

Kokpar is not the only game with horse racing. There are many of them in Kazakh culture: associated with different events and suitable for different ages of participants. The game kyz kuu (to catch the girl) is widespread throughout Asia. It was often carried out to determine if a boyfriend is suitable for a girl as a groom. A guy must catch a girl riding a horse in front of him - thereby proving his strength and agility. If, however, he cannot do this, then the girl has the right “to be his kamcha”. The game is entertaining and interesting.

"Kazaksha kures" (wrestling in Kazakh) is a sports game where batyrs fought. Today, large-scale Kazaksha Kures competitions are organized in Kazakhstan, where participants from several countries take part in.

There are a lot of intellectual games in Kazakh culture. The Kazakh variation "togyz kumalak" is a well-known game among the nomadic peoples of Asia. With the help of a board game, the speed of arithmetic calculations is increased for players. The game board has nine dimples, each with its name, for the balls. A sports federation has been created for this sport in Kazakhstan, various competitions and training workshops are organized.

"Asyk" - the game is relevant to this day. Probably, many people who passed by the playgrounds in the summer saw a picture of how children, mostly boys, play asyk. Asyk is the knee bone of cattle, played mainly with the bone of a ram. The main goal of the game is to knock out other people's asyks on a flat plane with your own. The winner is the one who knocked out the most asyks. The boys painted the best asyks and sold them, or they were at stake in the game. This game has its counterparts in the cultures of many neighboring countries.

Since 2014, the World Nomad Games are a large platform where you can see competitions and games that were mentioned above. Thanks to this platform, the Turkic come closer and feel that they are fraternal.