Organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC), the 6th Ethnosport Forum has been held in Antalya. At the forum, 200 attendees from 60 countries laid out the road map for traditional sports. Addressing the participants during the forum’s opening speeches, WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan stated, “More and more with each passing day, humanity needs the principles of peace, solidarity, respect, and tradition, principles which the World Ethnosport Confederation has undertaken and upon which built its fields of activity.”
Ethnosport Forum Excitement in Antalya
Held this year between February 16-18 in Antalya, the 6th Ethnosport Forum hosted 200 participants from 60 countries under the theme of “The Revival of Traditional Sports.” The forum began with opening speeches and was conducted with panels, sessions, and various events discussing the future of traditional sports.
High-Level Participation Achieved
Sports ministers from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Chad, DR Congo, Russia, Namibia, and Türkiye attended the forum, as well as deputy sports ministers from Iran, Kosovo, Lithuania, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan alongside a high level of participation from many countries.
Joint Declaration Signed for the Revival of Traditional Sports
A joint declaration for the revival of traditional sports was signed with the involvement of WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan; Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov; Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye Osman Aşkın Bak; Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Chad Bravo Ouaidou; Democratic Republic of the Congo Minister of Sports and Recreation François Claude Kabulo; Minister for Youth and Sports of the Republic of Ghana Mustapha Ussif; Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Guinea Lansana Beavogui Diallo; Minister of Culture, Information, Sport and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Altynbek Maksutov ; Minister of Sport, Youth and National Service of the Republic of Namibia Agnes Tjongarero; Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin; Sports Minister of Sierra Leone Madam Teima, and Minister of Sport of the Republic of Uzbekistan Adkham Ikramov.
Future of Traditional Sports Discussed
Following the opening speeches on the first day of the forum, a high-level Ministerial Panel was held, moderated by WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan. The panel evaluated the present and future of traditional sports. At the same time, experts in the field addressed the future projections of traditional sports in 3 different sessions.
Communications Panel Held
The 6th Ethnosport Forum’s second day began with the communications panel. The panel discussed the communications strategies of traditional sports, in which guests from Turkcell, Anadolu Agency, and BeIN expressed their opinions about applicable communications and media strategies for traditional sports.
Joint Intent Agreement Signed
An important step toward promoting and protecting traditional sports and cultural heritage was taken at the Forum, with a goodwill agreement being signed among 60 member federations of the World Ethnosport Confederation. This agreement marks the establishment of the common rules and principles that will guide the practices and activities within the confederation and aims to ensure cooperation and unity among the various cultural communities around the world.
Declaration Declared
The declaration was compiled of the issues discussed in the panels and sessions of the forum to which 200 participants from 60 countries had contributed over two days and was announced to the whole world on the second day of the Ethnosport Forum.
Collaboration for World Nomad Games
A collaboration agreement was signed between the World Ethnosport Confederation and the World Nomad Games Kazakhstan Organizing Committee regarding the 5th World Nomad Games to be held in Kazakhstan. This agreement was announced as being aimed at directing joint efforts and resources between the parties for the event’s successful organization.
Traditional Sports Awards Handed Out
This year, winners were given their traditional sports awards at the 6th Ethnosport Forum held in Antalya. The names of those who’d contributed to traditional sports were evaluated under seven different categories.
The World Ethnosport Confederation announced this year’s winners at the Traditional Sports Awards Ceremony, which it has been organizing since 2019 to reward those who contribute to the survival of traditional sports and games. This annual awards ceremony honors the individuals, institutions, and organizations that have contributed to traditional sports and games.
The Leadership Award was given to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his pioneering role in supporting traditional sports and games. While SOCAR was deemed worthy of the International Sponsorship Award, Prof. Dr. Yelemes Alimkhanov who is known for his academic studies won the Academician Award.
The Young Traditional Athlete Award was presented to Kazakh Wrestler Zarina Saripova from Kazakhstan, and the Adult Athlete Award was presented to the Oină athlete Bogdan Alexandru from Romania. The winner of the Best Traditional Sports Organization Award was Al-Gannas Qatari Society. Turkish Media was deemed worthy of the Communications Award for its support of traditional sports in the field of communications.
