Iran to send 150-member delegation to World Nomad Games
Iran will send a unified national delegation of up to 150 members to the 2026 World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan, Sports and Youth Minister Ahmad Donyamali said during a coordination meeting with Iranian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Gholamhossein Yadegari.
The World Nomad Games, held every two years and dedicated to traditional ethnic sports practiced across Central Asia, have previously featured Iranian participation through separate federation entries. Donyamali said the upcoming edition will mark the first time Iran competes as a single, coordinated delegation.
According to the minister, the Iranian contingent is expected to include around 120 athletes and coaches, along with approximately 20 accompanying officials.
The sixth edition of the multi-sport event will kick off on August 31, with the closing ceremony scheduled for September 6.
Donyamali said Iran intends to strengthen both the size and quality of its participation in order to increase its medal prospects.
“For the first time, we are sending the teams in a serious and integrated manner, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and we want to enhance the medal-winning capacity of our delegation,” he said.
The minister added that Iran also aims to use the event to showcase its cultural heritage, with athletes set to wear traditional costumes representing the country’s various ethnic groups during the opening parade. Six zurkhaneh athletes will also take part in exhibition performances showcasing Iran’s traditional ritual sport.
Donyamali also said contingency plans had been prepared in case Iran’s airspace becomes unavailable amid the military tensions in the region.
“If air borders are closed, we must evaluate alternative transit routes from now and, if necessary, send the delegation overland through neighboring countries. Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is one possible route,” he said.
“Even if we are in the midst of war, it is important for us that the team is dispatched because it demonstrates our strength, and we want to achieve the best possible result,” Donyamali said.
Ambassador Yadegari said about 100 countries and roughly 3,000 athletes are expected to participate in the 2026 Games. He added that the event has gained additional significance as it coincides with the fifth anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit process.
Yadegari said around 20 presidents and heads of state have been invited to the opening ceremony, which will coincide with Kyrgyzstan’s National Day. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is among the invited leaders, and an SCO summit meeting is also expected to be held alongside the Games.
Donyamali noted that each participating country has been granted permission to introduce and demonstrate selected traditional sports during the competition.