Issyk-Kul hosts II Festival of National Sports and Games of CIS countries
The solemn opening was held Sept.5 at the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center in Cholpon-Ata town.
«For the first time this year Kyrgyzstan holds the II Festival of National Sports and Games of the CIS member states (the first one was held in Russia), Deputy Director of the State Agency Kanatbek Arpachiyev said. - The Festival is held with the aim of preserving national sports and mutual acquaintance with the rules of their conduct and strengthening friendly relations between our peoples».
Kamol Rakhimov, Chairman of the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Foundation of the CIS member states, noted the Issyk-Kul Games have become a kind of sports brand of Kyrgyzstan.
In the Festival of National Sports 82 sportsmen compete in six sports: arm wrestling, sambo, mas-wrestling, Kyrgyz wrestling, toguz korgool (two-player game played in Central Asia) and tug-of-war.
1 thousand 434 participants from eight countries take part in the Games. The best athletes in arm wrestling, 3x3 basketball (street ball), volleyball, weightlifting, darts, track and field athletics (personal standings), mini-football (among men's and women's teams), mas-wrestling, table tennis, tug-of-war, swimming, beach soccer, volleyball, wrestling, sambo, as well as in sumo wrestling and Alysh(Kyrgyz national belt wrestling) will be determined.