The 5th Ethnosport Forum, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC), took place in Azerbaijan. In the forum, 140 participants from 45 countries determined the roadmap of traditional sports. Addressing the participants in the opening speeches of the forum, WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan said, “Humanity needs the principles of peace, solidarity, respect, and tradition, which the World Ethnosport Confederation has and built on its fields of activity, more and more with each passing day.”
Excitement of the Ethnosport Forum in Baku
The 5th Ethnosport Forum, which was held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan on 5-6 March this year, hosted 140 participants from 45 countries with the theme “Reviving Traditional Sports”. The forum started with the opening speeches and was carried out with panels, sessions, and various events where the future of traditional sports was discussed.
High Level Participation Procured
The forum was attended by the sports ministers of Azerbaijan, Gambia, Niger, Mexico, Turkey, the deputy ministers of sports of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and with high-level participation from many countries.
Joint Statement Signed
A joint statement was signed with the participation of the President of the World Ethnosport Confederation Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Ferid Gayıbov, Minister of Youth and Sports of Turkey Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, Minister of Sports of Nigeria Adamou Sekou, National Minister of Physical Culture and Sport of Mexico Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza, Minister of Sports of Gambia Bakary Y. Badjie, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkish States Baghdad Amreyev.
Future of Traditional Sports Were Discussed
After the opening speeches on the first day of the forum, High-Level Ministerial Panel was held, and was moderated by WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan. In the panel, evaluations were made about the present and future of traditional sports. Simultaneously, it was discussed by experts in the field of future projection of traditional sports in 3 different sessions.
Communication Panel Occured
The second day of the 5th Ethnospor Forum started with the communication panel. In the panel, communication strategies of traditional sports were discussed by the participants from 5 countries, and they expressed their views on applicable communication and media strategies for traditional sports.
Declaration Announced
The declaration, which compiled the topics discussed in the panels and sessions of the forum, to which 140 participants from 45 countries contributed for two days, was announced to the whole world on the second day of the Ethnospor Forum.
Traditional Sports Awards Found Their Owners
The 4th of the Traditional Sports Awards, organized by the World Ethnosports Confederation every year to honor the institutions, organizations and athletes that contribute to traditional sports and games around the world, was held in Baku. In the awards covering 7 categories, the Leadership Award was presented this year by WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the Traditional Sports Organization Award to the International Belt Wrestling Federation, and the Academician Award to Prof. Dr. Pere Levega Burgues, Traditional Athlete Award to Bautista Risso, Young Athlete Award to Ngor Niakh, International Sponsor Award to Ziraat Bank and Communication Award to TRT SPOR Yıldız.
Thanks from WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan
WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan thanked all the participants who came together for two days and showed great solidarity for the reviving traditional sports and devoted themselves to make the forum productive in his evaluation speech at the end of the forum. The forum ended with the Çevgan show organized for the participants by the Azerbaijan Equestrian Federation, one of the institutional members of the World Ethnosports Confederation. Erdoğan also expressed his gratitude to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Minister of Youth and Sports Ferid Gayibov for their hospitality and support in Baku.
