Kazakh board game togyzkumalak board travels to space as part of World Nomad Games

ASTANA, September 11, 2024 - One of the events at the ongoing 5th World Nomad Games is the togyzkumalak tournament. Togyzkumalak is a traditional Kazakh board game of logic and ingenuity designed to develop mathematical thinking and endurance.

INTO SPACE In a particularly significant moment on September 9, during the Games, the togyzkumalak was launched into the stratosphere for the first time and then successfully returned to Earth. This feat was not only important for fans of board games, but for the entire country - after all, togyzkumalak has become the first board game in the world to be in space.

PARTICIPANTS At the World Nomad Games, 114 participants from 41 countries are taking part in the togyzkumalak tournament.

The competition began on September 9 at 09:09 am. The first games of togyzkumalak at the World Games saw participants make the first move on a 9-player board, competing with great speed.

In 2020, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included togyzkumalak, "a traditional intelligence and strategy game" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Ilyas Omarov