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The World Ethnosport Union will organize a forum with high turnout in the Russian city of St. Petersburg on April 18-20 2025 for the purpose of shaping the future of traditional sports and keeping cultural heritage alive. The event will be an important meeting on a global scale and will ready the groundwork for the critical steps to be taken regarding the road map of traditional sports within the framework of the principles of tradition, respect, solidarity, and peace.

The World Ethnosport Union Continues to Preserve Cultural Heritage

Having pursued the mission of preserving the deep-seated identity of traditional sports and games, increasing intercultural interactions, and spreading awareness since its establishment, the World Ethnosport Union continues its activities with determination. Based on respecting humanity’s common values, this union aims to refresh societies’ memories through traditional sports and games and to pass on this cultural heritage to future generations. In line with this, the 7^th Ethnosport Forum will be an important platform for determining the short, medium, and long-term strategies of traditional sports

Strategic Steps Toward the Reviving of Traditional Sports

Within the scope of the forum, various panels will be held under the heading of “The Reviving of Traditional Sports”. Expert academicians, Union representatives, and researchers will discuss such topics as traditional sports’ potential for international cooperation, financial sustainability, and media strategies. In addition, solution-oriented suggestions will be discussed for popularizing traditional sports and game awards and for reaching wider audiences.

Broad Participation Will Happen Globally

Representatives from 39 institutional members of the World Ethnosport Union operating in such countries as Kazakhstan, Japan, Mexico, Qatar, Mongolia, Argentina, Türkiye, Tunisia, Poland, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Hungary, and Uzbekistan will participate in the forum. Alongside these, over 10 government ministers and government officials from 75 different countries, as well as Union representatives, academicians, and traditional sports researchers, will take part in the forum.

Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan Will Address Participants at the Forum Opening

World Ethnosport Union President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan will address the attendees at the opening of the 7^th Ethnosport Forum. After the opening speeches, the forum will officially start off with the Ministerial Panel, in which high-level government officials will get together. By holding sessions, panels, and strategic discussions over the two days, the forum will shed light on the future of traditional sports.

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.

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.

Maintaining its efforts to popularize and increase awareness of traditional sports and games, the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) is organizing the 5^th Ethnosport Forum under the motto of “The Reviving Traditional Sports.” Participants from all over the world will participate in the Forum, which will take place on March 5-6, 2022 in Baku, Azerbaijan .

The World Ethnosport Confederation has kept up its nonstop efforts to have traditional sports and games become current and cherished all over the world and to increase awareness of them. Thanks to organizations having materialized around the unifying strength of traditional sports and games that have humanity’s common values, many cultures that were left in the dusty pages of history have come to life through Ethnosport activities.

Aiming to contribute to humanity around four principles with the universal values of tradition, respect, solidarity, and peace, the World Ethnosport Confederation will hold the 5^th Ethnosport Forum, where participants from all over the world will be involved. The forum will determine strategies aimed at reviving traditional sports and games by laying the short-, medium-, and long-term objectives of traditional sports and games on the table.

In addition to state officials, federation representatives, and academicians from over 60 countries, 20 institutional member representatives who maintain activities under WEC will also attend the forum that will take place in Baku. The Ethnosport Forum will last two days and be among the world’s most innovative efforts in terms of participant diversity.

The 4th Ethnosport Forum, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) with the theme ‘’Reviving Traditional Sports,” was held in a hybrid format on April 10 due to the global pandemic.

Nearly 300 participants from 61 countries participated online in the forum; A panel was also held under the chairmanship of WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan and the participation of ministers of youth and sports from six countries.

The Ethnosport Forum Was Held in a Hybrid Format This Year
Organized for the 4th time this year, the Ethnosport Forum was held in a hybrid format on April 10 due to the global pandemic.
The forum, which participants followed from a digital platform specially prepared for them, attracted great attention. 
In addition to WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Gambia’s Youth and Sports Minister Bakary Y. Badji, Qatar’s Culture and Sports Minister Salah bin Ghanem Al Ali, Mali’s Youth and Sports Minister Mossa Ag Attaher,  Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Serbia Vanja Udovičić, Somali’s Youth and Sports Minister Hamza Said Hamza, and Turkey’s Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu, close to 300 people from 61 countries attended the forum, in which President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated by way of a video message.
United Nations Deputy Secretary General Maimunah Mohd Sharif attended the Forum with a live link, while Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Anna Krupka and UNESCO Deputy Director of Social and Human Sciences Gabriela Ramos also got involved with their video messages.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “Traditional Values and Sports Will Come into Prominence”
Participating in the 4th Ethnosport Forum via video message, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized the impact the epidemic has had on societies and stated, “Through the pandemic, we have seen the importance of not only health and healthy living but also of solidarity, sharing, and traditional values.
The dominant mentality that glorifies individuality, ignores spirituality, and despises traditional values has deepened the problems caused by the epidemic.
In the world that will be reshaped post-pandemic, I believe that traditional sports and the culture and values represented by these sports will come into greater prominence.”
Referring to the importance of the forum, Erdogan said, “The discussions to be held within the scope of this important forum through the participation of more than 60 countries will support and guide us in our struggle to keep alive traditional sport branches in the world and the culture and values these sports represent.”

WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan: “The Ethnosport Forum Strengthens Our Bonds”
Emphasizing the 4th Ethnosport Forum’s strengthening of intercultural bonds, WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan said, “Reviving cultural values is a powerful step for carrying the societies we live within forward.
As the World Ethnosport Confederation, our aim is not only to preserve traditional sports, but also to preserve traditions such as the music and crafts around these cultures.
In this regard, the Ethnosport Forum is an opportunity to strengthen our bonds. We must use our talents and energy to unite around traditional sports.”

Youth and Sports Minister Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu: “We Must Keep Our Cultural Heritage Alive”
Emphasizing the important position the 4th Ethnosport Forum has in keeping cultural heritage alive, Dr. Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu said, “We should convey our cultural heritage to our young people by experiencing and keeping it alive.
As the Ministry of Youth and Sports, we are increasing our efforts night and day toward the reviving traditional sports and support the efforts done in this field. We believe the Ethnosport Forum has an important place in keeping our cultural heritage alive.”

The Panel was Held with the Participation of Ministers from 6 Countries
At the forum, Ministers from Gambia, Qatar, Mali, Serbia, Somalia and Turkey participated in the Forum interested in the panel, in which WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan chaired the session, presented their contributions on the topic “A New Source of Motivation for Youths during COVID-19 and Beyond: Traditional Sports and Games.”

Joint Ministerial Statement has been Signed
 At the forum, WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, Gambia’s Youth and Sports Minister Bakary Y. Badjie, Qatar’s Culture and Sports Minister Salah bin Ghanem al Ali, and Youth and Sports Minister of the Republic of Serbia Vanja Udovičić signed the joint declaration for the reviving traditional sports.

Participation from All Around the World
Held online, the panel was attended by ministers, government officials, federation representatives, and academicians from 61 countries. Throughout the forum, experts in their fields made important contributions to the future of traditional sports.
Participants followed the 4th Ethnosport Forum in 6 different languages on a digital platform dedicated to them.
The event hosted an exemplary meeting during the pandemic in terms of its efficiency and participant diversity in the digital environment.

The Forum’s Carbon Footprint Has Been Offset
Taking action for a sustainable world in order to complete the mission of “Reviving Traditional Sports,” the World Ethnosport Confederation has offset the carbon footprint of the 4th Ethnosport Forum with its vision of respect for nature and the environment.

The 4th Ethnosport Forum, organized annually by the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) with the theme “Reviving Traditional Sports,” was held online on April 10th due to the global epidemic. Nearly 300 participants from 61 countries followed the Forum in 6 different languages on digital platforms dedicated to them. The event hosted an exemplary meeting in the digital environment in terms of efficiency and participant diversity.

Gambia’s Minister of Youth and Sports Bakary Y. Badjie, Qatar’s Minister of Culture and Sports Salah bin Ghanem al Ali, and Minister of the Youth and Sports of the Republic of Serbia Vanja Udovičić along with WEC President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan signed the Joint Ministerial Statement for the national and international development, support, and popularization of Traditional Sports.

Continuing its activities for popularizing and increasing the awareness of traditional sports and games, the World Ethnosport Confederation (WEC) is organizing the 4th Ethnosport Forum under the motto “The Revival of Traditional Sports.” The Forum will take place online on April 10, 2021 with participants from all over the world.

From its establishment onwards, the World Ethnosport Confederation has maintained its non-stop efforts to have traditional sports and games become current, to have them survive, and to increase awareness of them throughout the world. Many cultures that have remained stuck in the dusty pages of history have come to life through Ethnosport events thanks to the events that have been carried out around the unifying power of traditional sports and games, the sports and games wherein the common values of humanity are found. 

Aiming to contribute to humanity around the four principles of tradition, respect, solidarity, and peace, which have universal worth, the World Ethnosport Confederation will organize the 4th Ethnosport Forum, in which participants from all over the world will take part. The short-, medium-, and long-term goals of traditional sports and games will be discussed at the forum, as well as determining the strategies for reviving these cultures.

The forum will be held online and attended by state officials, federation representatives, and academicians from more than 60 countries, as well as by 19 corporate member representatives who have maintained their activities in connection to WEC. The Honorable Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of Turkey, and World Ethnosport Confederation President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan will give the opening speeches at the Ethnosport Forum, which is being held for the fourth time. Participants will be able to monitor the Forum in six different languages on digital stages that have been specially prepared for them. The Ethnosport Forum, which will last for one day, will take its place among pioneering works in the world in terms of participant diversity.