From September 8-13 this year, the 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Astana
The American team flew to Kazakhstan to participate in international sports competitions in ethnic sports in the fifth World Nomad Games. At the Washington airport, the captains of the U.S. national team shared their opinions about the sports traditions of the peoples of Central Asia in an interview with correspondent of the Kazinform News Agency.
Ladd HOWELL, the captain of USA Kokpar Team said that he has loved horses since childhood and he has been interested in American professional rodeo cowboy in the USA.
For the first time he learned about Kokpar in 2018, which his friends had showed him in a YouTube video.
- One of my friends showed me a video and said that I should watch this video and I watched 5 minutes of it and I was "doused with heat". I couldn't believe it. I thought it was the coolest thing I've ever seen, and maybe two months later after that one of my friends from Wyoming invited me to play this game in Kyrgyzstan at the 3rd World Nomad Games and it was my first time playing in 2018, and I loved it and I really like this culture and this game sport, - recalled Ladd Howell.
The captain of the US national team noted that there are no such games in the USA, but cowboy rodeo has become widespread in America, where we also try to involve young folks from an early age, teach children to train hard, take care of horses, which is similar to Kokpar, which has been played on the other side of the world for hundreds of years and this causes interest.
- I think it's so important for everyone to realize and understand how cool it really is and how culturally it is, and that we're trying to mesh our cultures a little bit. Horses are a kind of bridge, it's what unites us all. Horses are like an international language, and that's why we are here, as cowboys, enjoy sports and culture, - said Ladd Howell.
At the same time, the captain noted some nuances about the preparation for the participation of the American team in sports events.
In particular, USA Kokpar Team cannot bring their horses for the games, and the horses will be provided by the Kazakh side.
- We can't wait to see the horses, and we're going to have a training session, maybe a day or two before the competition, to get to know the horses and see which ones can be used in attack and which ones in defense, - Ladd Howell shared.
Also, all the members of the American team are from different states and in this regard, it is difficult to train together in the USA, but everyone practiced individually on their horses, practicing with dummies.
Ladd Howell and Scott Zimmerman. Photo: Rustem Kozhybaev / Kazinform.
The second captain of the USA Kokpar Team, Scott ZIMMERMAN, expressed hope that the team would show a good game and try to win in the upcoming games.
- We want to make sure that we can share our Western American cowboy culture, as well as embrace the culture of Central Asian countries. We want to talk about Kazakhstan and this unique opportunity, - Scott Zimmerman said.
S.Zimmerman noted that they tried to promote Kokpar and other games in America, which should appeal to many, especially among cowboys in Western American culture. For this purpose, they have continued to participate in the Nomad Games since 2018 in order to better understand the culture of Central Asia and its ethnic sports.
Despite the rather tough sport, the American team waits for the next games every time.
- I play these games because it's in my heart. I think about it, I dream about it. I want to get on these horses and run as fast as I can. I want to take on this challenge - can you lift a goat off the ground, can you do it while riding a horse and it becomes a part of you, - Scott Zimmerman admitted.
Photo: Rustem Kozhybaev / Kazinform.
From September 8-13 this year, the 5th World Nomad Games will be held in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, which will be attended by more than 2,500 participants from 89 countries in 21 sports.
Photo: Rustem Kozhybaev / Kazinform.
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