The 8th International Ethnosport Festival is taking place in Turkey. More than 1,000 representatives from 24 countries are participating in the event. Georgia is represented at the festival by nine riders.
The Georgian riders demonstrated traditional folk equestrian games to the audience — chovgan (a game with sticks and a ball; this is the historical name of a game of Turkic-Persian origin, which is common in Azerbaijan, Iran, and other Eastern countries — Ed.) and kabakhi (meaning mounted archery — this type of ethnosport is widespread in the Caucasus and Turkey — Ed.).
Georgian riders will perform at the International Ethnosport Festival with a program of traditional folk games until May 24 inclusive.
It is worth adding that ethnosport refers to ancient folk games and competitions that emerged long before modern sports. They grew out of people’s daily lives: hunting, military training, holidays, and traditions.
These can include, for example, equestrian games, national wrestling, archery, and other competitions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Georgia has been participating in the International Ethnosport Festival in Turkey since approximately the mid-2010s, when the movement began to actively develop. The country is regularly represented at these festivals by teams of riders who showcase traditional equestrian games and other national sporting traditions.