A monumental decision draws world attention to the country of Kazakhstan.
Khalil Ahmed Khan, chairman, Traditional Sports and Games, UNESCO, has announced that the first-ever UNESCO Worldwide Traditional Games will be held in Kazakhstan in 2021. The games will coincide with the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence.
A memorandum of agreement to host the games was signed by representatives of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, Republic of Kazakhstan; the Association of National Sports, Republic of Kazakhstan; and the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, UNESCO Traditional Sports and Games.
The agreement was reached during the 4th Collective Consultation Meeting on Traditional Games and Sports (TSG), which were held recently in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Here’s a clip of chairman Ahmen Khan detailing the importance of the games.
That meeting was attended by Turkish Youth and Sports Minister, Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu; Gambia’s Sports Minister, Hadrammeh Sidibeh; Sri Lanka’s Sports Minister, Faiszer Mustapha; Kyrgyzstan’s Sports Minister, Kanat Amankulov; the Ivory Coast’s Sports Minister, Paulin Danho; Serbia’s Sports Minister, Vanja Udovicic; Qatar’s Culture and Sports Minister, Salah Ghanem Al-Majeed; and Michael Mustapha, Director of Sports, Sierra Leone.
Representing UNESCO were Marcellin Dally, UNESCO TSG Coordinator; Khalil Ahmed Khan, chairperson, the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee TSG; Bilal Erdogan, a Turkish businessman and UNESCO advisor; and Shammi Rana, Rapporteur, Ad Hoc Advisory Committee TSG, UNESCO.
