Kazakhstan takes first place in Nomad Games after recount scandal

Kokpar / Photo: primeminister.kz, photo editor: Dastan Shanay The dramatic dispute over the medal standings at the 6th World Nomad Games ended with Kazakhstan being recognized as the overall winner. The organizing committee in Kyrgyzstan recounted the medals and acknowledged the Kazakh team as the tournament's champion. Askat Alagozov, press secretary to Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, made an official statement on the matter. «The only technical discrepancy arose during the medal count. Today, the organizing committee decided to count the medals of each of the three Kazakh athletes separately. After the recount, Kazakhstan took first place in the overall team standings. We congratulate our Kazakh brothers on their victory,» Alagozov said. Disputed medal standings The competition program ended Sept. 6. After the games concluded in Kyrgyzstan, social media was flooded with comments demanding the publication of the official medal standings. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that the national team won 74 medals — 32 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze — and finished first overall. The ministry said the results had been rechecked across all medal events and that the figures remained unchanged. The games' organizers initially presented a different set of results. In a medal table they published, Kyrgyzstan ranked first with 30 gold medals, followed by Kazakhstan with 29. Russia was third with seven gold medals. The published table was reportedly posted and removed several times during the day, with the figures changing between versions. One version showed Kazakhstan with three fewer gold medals than the number reported by Kazakhstan's sports ministry. Amid the controversy, the Kyrgyz side said it would no longer maintain official medal and team standings for the competition. The State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports of Kyrgyzstan subsequently published a clarification on its official Instagram account. The agency's position effectively left the question of the overall winner unresolved amid conflicting results from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. A call for sportsmanship In his latest statement, Alagozov emphasized that the rivalry remained confined to the competition itself and said there had been no disagreements between fans from the two countries. Kyrgyz officials also described the medal standings as largely symbolic, saying the games' main achievement was to demonstrate the friendship and mutual respect between the Kazakh and Kyrgyz peoples. Controversy at the previous games The previous World Nomad Games were held in Astana in 2024 and were also marked by controversy. Astana Arena hosted the opening ceremony of the 5th World Nomad Games / Photo: Kursiv.media archive In the kokpar final, Kazakhstan defeated Kyrgyzstan 5-4. The Kazakh team took the lead in extra time after Kyrgyzstan had led 3-1 in the first half and Kazakhstan leveled the score in the second. The tense atmosphere spilled over after a kamcha — a traditional whip used in the sport — was thrown into the crowd by members of the winning team. Altercations subsequently broke out involving athletes and spectators from both sides. Later, Kazakh lawmaker Aidarbek Khodzhanazarov responded emotionally to complaints from Kyrgyz athletes about the kokpar final at the Astana Games. He told the athletes that they should «not play kokpar if they are afraid of the kamcha.»