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10 Countries competing in the World Nomad Games that will surprise you!
10 Countries competing in the World Nomad Games that will surprise you!
The World Nomad Games are returning to their spiritual home of Kyrgyzstan. Often called the "Olympics of the Steppe," this event celebrates traditional nomadic sports like Kok Boru (polo played with a dead goat carcass), horseback wrestling, and traditional archery.
While Central Asian nations naturally dominate the medal standings, the true magic of the games lies in its global eccentricity. Countries with absolutely zero historical connections to the Eurasian steppe routinely send delegations.
There is also a lighthearted, recurring logistical comedy: because international teams cannot easily fly their own horses into Central Asia, international competitors have to borrow local horses. Trying to command a Kyrgyz stallion that only understands commands shouted in the Kyrgyz language has led to plenty of hilarious, out-of-control moments on the steppe.
Here are 10 of the most surprising, unusual, and unexpected teams participating in the Games, complete with their history, successes, and occasional misadventures.
1. The United States of America
The USA has been sending an increasingly serious delegation to the World Nomad Games, and they have unexpectedly become a fan favourite. Rather than feeling out of place, the Americans lean heavily into their own "nomadic" sterotype: the cowboy. The U.S. team is typically composed of real-world rodeo riders, horseshoers, and even former MMA fighters who find common ground with Central Asian horse culture.
The Americans do not just show up for the opening ceremony; they actually compete at a remarkably high level. Their primary focus is Kok Boru (or Buzkashi). In past iterations of the games, the U.S. team managed to win historic silver and bronze medals in the B-tier divisions of this brutal sport.
The U.S. team’s biggest triumph is their sheer grit. In the horseback wrestling event (Er Enish), an American MMA fighter once entered the ring thinking his martial arts background would give him an edge, only to be promptly and unceremoniously hoisted off his horse and dumped onto the dirt by a Kyrgyz athlete who grew up roping yaks.
2. Australia
Australia is about as geographically and culturally distant from the high pastures of the Tian Shan mountains as a country can get. Yet, the land down under has embraced the World Nomad Games with open arms, sending a mixed bag of intrepid bushmen, traditional archers, and individual wrestlers.
Australia surprised everyone by snatching a gold medal in the 2024 Games in Astana, cementing their status as a legitimate threat rather than a novelty act. Their athletes primarily excel in traditional archery and intellectually demanding nomadic board games like Togyz Kumalak, where tactical brilliance outweighs physical horsepower.
Australia provides some of the most endearing and eccentric moments in the history of the games. During a previous opening ceremony, the entire Australian delegation consisted of a single, solo wrestler who proudly paraded around the stadium wearing nothing but his wrestling uniform and a pair of rubber flip-flops (thongs).
3. Cyprus
Cyprus is far better known for Mediterranean beaches and olive groves than it is for nomadic horse culture or ancient wrestling. Yet, this small island nation fields a team, utilizing the wide, inclusive umbrella of the World Nomad Games to showcase its own niche cultural athletes on a global stage.
Cyprus generally struggles to climb the leaderboard, registering zero medals across all tournaments and not even registering so much as an honourable mention. At the 2024 games in Astana, their single athlete was unable to speak Greek, suggesting their team is less a serious national representation and more an opportunity for this one individual to compete on a global stage.
4. The Republic of Tuva (Russian Federation)
While Russia as a whole is a powerhouse at the Nomad Games, the country frequently allows its distinct internal ethnic republics to compete under their own regional banners. The Republic of Tuva, located in southern Siberia, is one of the most culturally authentic teams at the games, possessing a deep-rooted, ancient nomadic heritage that rivals Kyrgyzstan itself.
Tuva is a terrifyingly adept competitor. They are master horsemen and elite archers, but where they truly strike fear into their opponents is in traditional wrestling (Kuresh). Tuvan wrestlers are legendary for their lower-body strength and balance, frequently taking home medals and dominating Russian regional athletic circuits.
5. Chechnya (Russian Federation)
Another fascinating entity within the broader Russian contingent is the Chechen Republic. Hailing from the rugged Caucasus Mountains, Chechen athletes do not share the exact steppe-nomad history of Central Asians, but they possess a ferocious warrior culture and an obsessive devotion to combat sports that translates perfectly to the Nomad Games.
Chechen athletes excel almost exclusively in the various brutal forms of folk wrestling and strength sports. They have contributed heavily to the Russian Federation's high medal counts, dominant in absolute weight categories where raw power, grappling acumen, and psychological intimidation are the keys to victory.
6. Ghana
Representing West Africa, Ghana is one of the most surprising and beloved mainstays of the World Nomad Games. Lacking any historical connection to Central Asian cultures, Ghana's participation stems from a modern global push to connect traditional, indigenous sports from different continents under one competitive roof.
Ghana shocked the sporting world by winning two silver medals in the early editions of the games. Their athletes are highly competitive in traditional strength sports, and specific styles of belt wrestling, proving that elite athleticism can cross any cultural divide.
7. Antigua and Barbuda
The dual-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is famous for luxury resorts and cricket, making their entry into the World Nomad Games delightfully absurd. They represent the ultimate triumph of global sporting diplomacy, showing up to compete in the mountains of Central Asia dressed in Caribbean colours.
In an upset that remains one of the greatest anomalies in Nomad Games history, Antigua and Barbuda captured two gold medals and a bronze during the 2014 and 2018 events. They achieved this staggering success by fielding elite competitors in traditional nomadic board games.
8. France
France might be the home of high fashion and the modern Olympic Games, but they also have a deeply adventurous subculture of equestrians and historical reenactors who view the World Nomad Games as the ultimate test of horsemanship.
France fields surprisingly competent teams in mounted archery and Kok Boru. They even broke into the medal columns by securing a gold medal at the 2024 Games in Astana. French horsemen excel in technical, precision-based events where European equestrian training can be adapted to traditional nomadic rules.
9. Hungary
Hungary’s participation in the World Nomad Games is deeply political, historical, and passionate. Unlike Western European nations who join out of curiosity, many Hungarians feel a profound ancestral connection to the steppe, pointing to their Magyar roots and a nomadic heritage that travelled from Asia to Europe over a millennium ago.
Under the former Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, Hungary gravitated towards Central Asia and the Turkic world viewing this region as central to its foreign policy objectives.
Hungary is an absolute powerhouse outside of the core Central Asian states. They consistently place high on the medal tables, frequently capturing golds, silvers, and bronzes. Their specialties are traditional archery, mounted archery, and long-distance horse racing.
10. Germany
Germany rounds out the list as another highly unexpected European participant. Much like the French, the German contingent is usually made up of elite traditional archers, historical martial artists, and specialized strength athletes who are drawn to the raw, uncommercialized nature of ethnosports.
Germany has successfully captured gold and bronze medals at the games, particularly in traditional archery divisions and stone-lifting strength competitions.
The German team is highly regarded for its disciplined approach, but they are not immune to the inherent chaos of the event. At the Nomad Games, schedules are fluid, rules can change mid-tournament based on tribal elders' consensus, and the venues are subject to the wild weather of the high plains. Watching highly organized German athletes deal with the beautiful, unpredictable chaos of a Kyrgyz sporting event is a spectacle in itself. They have occasionally lodged formal, precise protests over vague rules, which are usually met with a shrug by local organizers, adding a hilarious layer of bureaucratic culture-clash to the ancient festival.