Medal standings controversy: World Nomad Games organizers issue statement

A dispute over the medal table has clouded the close of the sixth World Nomad Games, after Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan published conflicting calculations of the results.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Sports earlier said its national team had topped the standings with 74 medals, including 32 gold, 20 silver and 22 bronze. It listed Kyrgyzstan second with 84 medals, made up of 30 gold, 35 silver and 19 bronze.

The official World Nomad Games account showed a different picture. Its table placed Kyrgyzstan first with 30 gold medals and Kazakhstan second with 29. Questions from the public and media reports triggered controversy. The post on Instagram was deleted, restored and later removed again. The medal table also disappeared from the Games’ official website.

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The final medal standings of the 6th World Nomad Games will be published after the final information is received from the Games Secretariat. Until official confirmation, the consolidated table will not be published. Competition results and medals by sport are available in the relevant sections.

Organizers said the final standings would be published after they received the final information from the Games Secretariat. Until official confirmation, they said, no consolidated table would be released. Results and medal counts by sport remain available in the relevant sections.

Kyrgyzstan’s State Agency for Physical Culture and Sports said the Games’ concept does not include official medal standings or overall country rankings. It described the event primarily as a platform for preserving, developing and promoting traditional sports, while strengthening cultural ties and friendship among peoples. The Games took place in Kyrgyzstan from August 31 to September 6, 2026, with athletes from more than 100 countries competing in traditional sports.

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In accordance with the concept of the World Nomad Games, no official medal standings or overall team rankings by country are maintained.