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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.