One Gold Medal Sparks Rift Between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

A crushing 12:0 score in the final triggered a diplomatic crisis between Astana and Bishkek

A scandal erupted over a single gold medal at the World Nomad Games, which concluded last week in Kyrgyzstan. A heated dispute broke out between the hosts and Kazakhstan’s national team over the official medal tally.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports rushed to declare victory, claiming 32 gold medals against their rival’s 29. However, the organizers published their own table, showing Kyrgyzstan in first place with a narrow lead of 30 golds. Amid the confusion, officials repeatedly deleted and restored the data on the website until the table disappeared altogether.

Kyrgyzstan’s State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports was forced to issue a special clarification:

“In accordance with the concept of the World Nomad Games, no official medal or team ranking among countries is maintained. The Games are not based on state rivalry for positions in the overall standings, but on uniting nations around shared historical and cultural heritage.”

The situation eased during the closing ceremony, where the ministers of the two countries symbolically reconciled. Kazakhstan’s minister Yerbol MYRZABOSSYNOV presented his Kyrgyz colleague Urmat ASANBAEV with a traditional bow as a sign of respect for the common heritage of nomadic peoples.

Final standings of the VI World Nomad Games (2026):

• Kyrgyzstan: 1st place — 72 medals total (30 gold).
• Kazakhstan: 2nd place — 64 medals total (29 gold).
• Russia: 3rd place — 34 medals total (7 gold). Five of Russia’s seven golds were won by athletes from Tatarstan.

One of the most spectacular moments of the finals was the kok-boru match, where the hosts crushed Kazakhstan 12:0. Russia claimed bronze by defeating Tajikistan 3:0. Another highlight was Russia’s Aydyn MONGUSH winning gold in the discipline “Great Nomad Wrestling.”

The next, VII World Nomad Games will be held in 2028 in Kazan. At the closing ceremony, the mascot of the competition was officially handed over to Rustam MINNIKHANOV, head of the Republic of Tatarstan. The tournament has been held every two years since 2014, bringing together athletes who preserve the sporting traditions of steppe peoples.

Photo: Russian Committee for National and Non-Olympic Sports.

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