Bishkek (TDI): Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attended the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Monday.
He stood up in the stadium to applaud Team Pakistan as the contingent entered the arena. Spectators in the stadium joined in cheering for the Pakistani athletes as they passed by.
Upon his arrival at the ceremony, the Prime Minister was received by Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov. The ceremony drew many foreign dignitaries, as several heads of state were in Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s Council of Heads of State meeting.
The World Nomad Games are an international sporting event showcasing the traditional sports of Central Asia, including wrestling, horse racing, traditional animal hunting, archery and intellectual games, with Pakistani athletes competing across various disciplines.
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This year’s edition runs from Monday through September 6, and organizers say it aims to promote cultural ties, mutual understanding and cooperation among nations.
The Pakistan delegation arrived in Bishkek after a send-off ceremony held earlier at the National Coaching Centre of the Pakistan Sports Board in Lahore. Muhammad Kamran Khan, Additional Inspector General of Police for South Punjab, attended as chief guest alongside senior sports officials, coaches and athletes.
Nawab Furqan Khan, head of the Pakistan contingent, welcomed the guests and briefed them on preparations for the Games, while Muhammad Shahid, Deputy Director General of the PSB and the team’s Chef de Mission, wished the athletes well.
Speaking at the send-off, Nawab Furqan Khan said representing Pakistan internationally was both an honur and a responsibility, praising the athletes for their commitment and urging them to compete with discipline, confidence and unity.
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He added that the athletes were not merely travelling to participate, but to carry forward the hopes, pride and sporting spirit of the nation.
The Pakistan delegation comprises around 100 athletes and officials, competing across 22 traditional and indigenous sports disciplines.
The Traditional Sports & Games Pakistan Association will also give demonstrations of homegrown disciplines including Desi Kushti, Kabaddi, Kite Flying and Naiza Bazi, offering Pakistan a platform to showcase its indigenous sporting and cultural heritage on the world stage.
Prime Minister Shehbaz held a series of informal meetings with leaders attending the opening of the Games at Bishkek Arena, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, as well as the leaders of Tajikistan, Laos, Togo and Mongolia.
