Sports
From horseback archery to kok boru, Nomad Games go global
Clutching a bow and arrow and riding helmet in a remote gorge in northern Kyrgyzstan, London-based executive coach Becca Sweetman is a long way from home.
“About eight years ago a friend asked if I wanted to have a go at horseback archery and I just got hooked on this amazing sport,” she said.
“So, I’ve been competing for the last eight years for the Great Britain team.”
Sweetman is one of many Western athletes to make the trek out to Central Asia for the Nomad Games, a biannual tournament of traditional nomad sports, mostly originating from Central Asia. Aside from horse archery, they include various styles of wrestling, falconry, and traditional board games.
Since the inaugural edition in 2014, the Nomad Games have gone from strength to strength.
This year they returned home to Kyrgyzstan, the mountainous Central Asian country of seven million where they were first held, and where traditional sports retain a strong popular following. More than 3,000 athletes from more than 100 countries took part, organizers said.
An opening ceremony in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, was attended by leaders including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi, in town for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Sam Pollard, a London-based consultant, came to Kyrgyzstan as part of the British tug of war team. He said he’d become interested in the Nomad Games after seeing videos of Kok Boru, a nomadic sport similar to polo, but which is played with a sheep carcass in place of a ball.
“That looks awesome,” he told himself. The timing of the games aligned perfectly with when he wanted to visit Central Asia, plus he and his friends “had a bit of background in tug of war,” he said.
Although many athletes have come from countries without a history of nomadism, others come from countries like Mongolia and the Central Asian republics, where nomadic sports retain a major following.
“These games have the nomadic spirit,” said Mumina Daminova, a horseback archer from Uzbekistan, who competed in flowing white traditional robes.
“It’s like Olympic games but for ethnosport,” she said.
The Munzur Mountains in the Ovacık district of eastern Türkiye’s Tunceli province are offering rock climbers challenging and exhilarating new routes to explore.
Stretching about 130 kilometers (81 miles) from west to east between Erzincan and Tunceli, the Munzur range is home to nearly 50 peaks.
Offering different landscapes in every season, the mountains have significant potential for outdoor sports, with their valleys, highland meadows, waterfalls, glacial lakes and canyons.
Mountaineers visiting the region are carrying out daylong expeditions to identify new routes and explore opportunities for rock climbing.
After driving as close as possible to the foothills of the Munzur Mountains, climbers continue on foot toward their destinations. After several hours of hiking, they reach the climbing areas, where they examine the rock face to assess the difficulty of the route and prepare their helmets, climbing ropes, safety systems, specialized footwear and other equipment.
Once they reach the rock face, climbers begin their ascent while teammates secure them from below. They use natural protrusions and handholds in the rock to climb dozens of meters above the ground.
On steeper sections, climbers sometimes stop to rest, taking in the natural scenery surrounding the mountain peaks.
The climbs offer a different thrill at every step, while the mountaineers also have the chance to encounter wild goats roaming the high peaks.
Bülent Ak, Tunceli provincial representative of the Turkish Mountaineering Federation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Munzur Mountains are an extension of the Taurus Mountains and are largely composed of limestone.
Ak said the range’s most prominent and highest peaks include Akbaba in Erzincan province and Gediktepe in Tunceli.
“The Munzur Mountains have suitable holds, steps and routes of varying difficulty for rock climbing. This potential should be developed,” he said.
Ak said climbers can reach Goman Plateau in the Gediktepe Valley after about a 1 1/2-hour hike, where they climb the area’s steep rock faces.
Describing the expedition as challenging, Ak said: “We completed a six-pitch, Grade 7 rock climb. The route was quite long and pushed us hard. Because of that, we had to descend at night. If mountain huts can be built in the Munzur Mountains, the area could be transformed into a climbing destination. We also aim to establish low-grade bolted routes in Çemişgezek for climbers who are just starting out in rock climbing.”
Şahin Akdağ said he has been involved in rock climbing for about seven years and has climbed in many parts of Türkiye.
Noting that Tunceli’s mountains are well suited to rock climbing, Akdağ said they had completed a six-pitch alpine route with relatively demanding grades.
“It was an enjoyable climb, and I invite the entire alpine climbing community to come and see the Munzur Mountains. There are many new lines, long walls and traditional routes here,” he said.
Akdağ said the climbs provided moments of intense excitement.
“Rock climbing is an addiction, and that happiness is impossible to describe,” he said. “When you reach the summit, it feels as if you are inside an endless expanse. When we reach the top and see the surrounding peaks, they become tempting as well. That is why I will return to the Tunceli region.”
Como enjoyed a dream Champions League debut Thursday as the Italian club trounced RB Leipzig 4-1 at home, but fellow new boys Sabah were crushed 4-0 at Manchester United.
Six-time winners Bayern Munich opened their group phase campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Norway’s Bodo/Glimt while Fenerbahçe made their long-awaited return to the competition with a 1-1 draw at home with AS Roma.
Como’s first-ever qualification to Europe’s elite club competition meant a race against time to get their lakeside Stadio Sinigaglia home upgraded to meet UEFA guidelines.
Failure to do so would have meant playing their home games 200km away at the home of Sassuolo, but Cesc Fabregas’s side were spared that and celebrated in style.
Marti Baturina got the party started with a 15th-minute opener before Taso Douvikas doubled their lead.
Assane Diao made it 3-0 early in the second half before Andrija Maksimovic pulled one back for the visitors, but Maximo Perrone wrapped it up in stoppage time.
Azerbaijan champions Sabah did not even exist a decade ago, but after winning the domestic title they moved into the qualifying rounds and beat Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva to proudly take their place in the group stage alongside Europe’s big guns.
A visit to Old Trafford for United’s return to the Champions League after a two-season absence proved a step too far, though, as they were rolled over by Michael Carrick’s side.
Matheus Cunha began the rout in the 27th minute before Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko struck shortly before halftime. Lisandro Martinez added United’s fourth.
Bayern were frustrated before halftime by Bodo/Glimt but cruised once Jamal Musiala smashed in the opener two minutes after halftime and the floodgates opened.
Harry Kane headed the second on the hour – his 34th goal in 39 Champions League appearances for Bayern – and Alphonso Davies made it 3-0 with a powerful half-volley.
With Vincent Kompany’s side in full flow, Michael Olise completed the scoring with a superb late brace.
Roma took the lead in Istanbul in the 39th minute when Donyell Malen rolled a pass to Bryan Cristante, who beat Ederson with a bouncing finish. It was Cristante’s first goal in the Champions League proper, 15 years since making his debut in the competition as a 16-year-old for AC Milan.
Fenerbahçe, back in the Champions League after an 18-year absence, rallied through and equalized three minutes after halftime when Mason Greenwood slipped a pass through to Archie Brown, who clipped a finish over Mile Svilar.
The hosts almost won it late on when Nathan Ake headed against the Roma crossbar.
PSV Eindhoven avoided a sixth successive matchday one defeat in the competition as they drew 1-1 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.
The Dutch club trailed at halftime after Gleiker Mendoza cut in from wide and sent a stunning low shot beyond the dive of Matej Kovar. However, Sergino Dest’s deft finish soon after the break ensured they began with a point.
Ten-man Slavia Prague suffered heartbreak at home to Lens as they conceded twice in stoppage time to lose 3-2.
Mikulas Konecny was sent off for the hosts just after halftime after a tackle was reviewed by VAR, but minutes later Danijel Sturm put the hosts ahead.
Abdallah Sima broke Slavia’s resistance with an equalizer, only for Sturm to send the home crowd into raptures with his second in the 88th minute.
Florian Thauvin struck in the 91st minute and there was still time for Lens to snatch victory with a pinpoint strike by Ruben Aguilar.
Fenerbahçe and Roma both ended long absences from the Champions League but neither could celebrate a winning return in a 1-1 draw Thursday.
Fenerbahçe were last in Europe’s top-tier competition in the 2008-09 campaign, while Roma had missed seven Champions League seasons since reaching the last 16 in 2018-19.
Roma took the lead in Istanbul in the 39th minute when Donyell Malen rolled a pass to Bryan Cristante, who beat Ederson with a bouncing finish. It was Cristante’s first goal in the Champions League proper, 15 years since making his debut in the competition as a 16-year-old for AC Milan.
Fenerbahçe rallied through and equalized three minutes after halftime when Mason Greenwood slipped a pass through to left-back Archie Brown, who moved into a center-forward position and looked like a natural striker as he flicked the ball over Mile Svilar.
The hosts almost won it late on when Nathan Ake headed against the Roma crossbar.
In a surprise after the match, Fenerbahçe head coach Ismail Kartal announced his resignation, but minutes later the club president said he would stay in the job.
The 65-year-old Kartal told a press conference he was leaving “never to return,” adding that he had taken the decision “to clear the way for the club.”
Minutes after the press conference, Fenerbahçe President Aziz Yıldırım told reporters that Kartal “continues in his role.”
“Some fans threw a bottle at the coach’s head this evening during the game. He is upset about it,” Yıldırım said.
“I just spoke to Ismail Kartal. He mentioned the bottle incident and he also complained about being under pressure.”
Asked if Kartal had told him that he would stay, Yıldırım said: “There’s no need for him to say (openly) that he’d continue. I am his elder. I told him to continue and that’s it. We are a family.”
Kartal, who spent a decade at Fenerbahçe as a player, coached the club in 2014-15, then on an interim basis in 2021-22 before returning for a full campaign in 2023-24. He was assistant manager at Fenerbahçe the last two times the club won the Süper Lig and returned for a fourth managerial spell in June.
Fenerbahçe have finished second in the Turkish top flight in the last five seasons and have reached the league phase of the Champions League for the first time in 18 years.
Fenerbahçe head coach Ismail Kartal announced his resignation Thursday after his side drew 1-1 with Roma in their Champions League opener, but the club president said shortly afterward that he remained in charge.
The match ended 18 years of Fenerbahçe’s absence from Europe’s top-tier competition.
“I am resigning from my position as of this evening,” Kartal said at a post-match press conference. “I have made this decision to clear the way for my club.”
“I have resigned from my post while there is still time, so that I can help my beloved Fenerbahçe, my players and the coaches who will come after me,” said the 65-year-old, adding that he was leaving “never to return.”
Shortly afterward, however, Fenerbahçe President Aziz Yıldırım insisted that the coach would remain in his position.
“Ismail Kartal remains in charge. But the entire Fenerbahçe community should stand behind the coach,” Yıldırım told reporters.
He attributed the coach’s emotional state partly to an incident during the match.
“They threw a bottle at Ismail Kartal’s head tonight. That’s why he is upset. That’s the reason,” Yıldırım said.
“As long as I am here, Ismail Kartal is the head coach. He cannot leave until I leave.”
Asked if Kartal had told him that he would stay, he said: “There’s no need for him to say (openly) that he’d continue. I am his elder. I told him to continue and that’s it. We are a family.”
Yıldırım also defended the coach and the team’s progress in Europe, saying Fenerbahçe had achieved their objective of qualifying for the Champions League with Kartal at the helm.
“We said we would qualify for the Champions League, and we did. Who did we do it with? Ismail Kartal,” he said.
Kartal said Fenerbahçe could have won Thursday’s game.
“We had very clear chances, but in the end the first match ended in a draw,” he said.
Roma took the lead on Bryan Cristante’s low shot from outside the box in the 39th minute.
Fenerbahçe left back Archie Brown moved into a center forward position and looked like a natural striker as he flicked the ball over the goalkeeper to level the score in the 48th.
Nathan Ake headed against the bar late on with a chance to win the game for Fenerbahçe.
Yıldırım urged supporters to remain patient and criticized what he described as a tendency to question the coach and management.
“Everyone will remain calm. Everyone will wait,” Yıldırım said.
He also defended the club’s transfer policy, saying the board was trying to sign players requested by Kartal while considering the financial impact on the club.
“I could spend 200 million [on] a footballer, but nobody discusses what damage that would do to the club,” he said.
During the summer transfer window, Fenerhaçe signed several high-profile names, including Mason Greenwood, Ake, Romelu Lukaku and Vedat Muriqi.
Greenwood was signed from Marseille for a reported 39 million euros ($45.27 million), while Muriqi returned to the club from RCD Mallorca for 15.5 million euros. Ake was acquired from Manchester City for roughly 8.1 million euros, while Lukaku joined from Napoli for 6 million euros.
Their last signing was young Ghanaian defender Kojo Peprah Oppong, who arrived from OGC Nice for a reported 12 million euros.
Yıldırım criticized the pressure surrounding the club, saying Fenerbahçe’s players and staff were being affected by expectations and social media criticism.
“Everyone is under stress,” he said. “They are affected by this.”
Kartal, who spent a decade at Fenerbahçe as a player, coached the club in 2014-15, then on an interim basis in 2021-22 before returning for a full campaign in 2023-24.
He was assistant manager at Fenerbahçe the last two times the club won the Süper Lig and returned for a fourth managerial spell in June.
Fenerbahçe have finished second in the Turkish top flight in the last five seasons and reached the league phase of the Champions League this season for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign.
Turkish rider Deniz Öncü will return to action this weekend as the 2026 Moto2 World Championship heads to Italy for the San Marino and Rimini Riviera Grand Prix, the 14th round of the season.
Öncü, riding for ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, will take on the 4.226-kilometer Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on the Adriatic coast near Rimini as he looks to build momentum during his first season with the Belgian team.
The 23-year-old Alanya native is competing on a Boscoscuro chassis alongside Spanish teammate Aron Canet after joining Marc VDS for the 2026 season.
The move followed two seasons with Red Bull KTM Ajo, during which Öncü claimed his first Moto2 victories in 2025 at the Aragon and German Grands Prix.
Öncü finished 12th in the 2025 championship with 100 points but has endured a more difficult campaign this season while adapting to new machinery.
After 13 rounds, he sits 17th in the standings with 31.5 points.
His strongest result so far came at the season-opening Thai Grand Prix, where he finished ninth and scored half points. He has also produced several encouraging performances later in the season, including an eighth-place finish at Aragon.
The Misano weekend will give Öncü another opportunity to improve his understanding of the Boscoscuro package and challenge for a stronger result as the championship enters its final stages in Europe.
The 16-turn Misano circuit, which features 10 right-hand and six left-hand corners, is known for its technical layout and combination of medium- and high-speed sections.
The track was renamed in honor of Italian rider Marco Simoncelli following his death in 2011 and has regularly hosted the San Marino Grand Prix since 2007.
The Moto2 weekend begins Friday with the first free practice session at 10:50 a.m. Türkiye time, followed by the main practice session at 3:05 p.m.
Saturday’s program starts with second free practice at 10:25 a.m., before qualifying begins at 2:40 p.m. The session will determine the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
The main Moto2 race is scheduled to start Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Türkiye time.
More than 2,000 trail runners from more than 60 countries are expected to descend on Türkiye’s northeastern Black Sea province of Rize on Friday for the second edition of Kaçkar by UTMB, putting the region’s mountains, culture and sports tourism ambitions on an international stage.
The Sept. 11-13 event is Türkiye’s first and only UTMB World Series race and will bring competitors from six continents to the rugged Kaçkar Mountains.
Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak said the event represents far more than a major endurance race, describing it as an opportunity to introduce Rize’s natural and cultural attractions to a global audience.
“Kaçkar by UTMB is not just a sporting event,” Bak said. “It is also an important opportunity to introduce Rize’s unique natural and cultural riches to the world.”
Bak, whose family roots are in Rize’s Pazar district, said athletes, teams and visitors will have an opportunity to experience some of the region’s best-known destinations, including Ayder Plateau, Zil Kale, Fırtına Valley and the highlands of Pokut, Sal and Huser.
The minister also pointed to the event’s expected economic impact, saying increased reservations for accommodation and other tourism services are already being recorded ahead of the races.
“We expect significant economic activity across many sectors, especially accommodation, transportation, food and tourism,” Bak said. “We are very pleased to show Rize’s sports tourism potential to the world.”
A global trail-running stage
Kaçkar by UTMB is part of the UTMB World Series, an international circuit of trail-running events held in major mountain and outdoor destinations around the world. The series provides a pathway for runners seeking places in the prestigious UTMB Mont-Blanc finals in Chamonix, France.
Depending on the race category, competitors can earn Running Stones, which provide entries into the lottery for the finals, while their performances also contribute to their UTMB Index. Top performers in selected categories can secure direct qualification.
For Rize, hosting a UTMB World Series event provides an opportunity to connect the province with a global community of endurance athletes while promoting its mountain environment as a destination for adventure tourism.
The inaugural Kaçkar by UTMB was held in September 2025 in the Çamlıhemşin district, with Ayder Plateau serving as the main hub. The first edition attracted roughly 1,600 to 1,900 participants from dozens of countries, although severe weather and safety concerns at higher elevations forced the cancellation of the longest race.
The 2026 edition is expected to be larger, with organizers projecting more than 2,000 runners representing over 60 countries.
The event is being held under the auspices of the Youth and Sports Ministry and coordinated by the Rize Governorship, with support from sponsors including Turkcell, Turkish Airlines and TOGG.
Racing through the Kaçkars
The races take competitors through one of Türkiye’s most dramatic mountain environments, combining steep climbs, forests, valleys, alpine meadows and high-altitude terrain.
The flagship Kaçkar 100K features roughly 76 to 82 kilometers of running and about 5,600 meters of elevation gain, taking competitors across high passes, technical trails and remote sections of the Kaçkar range.
The Kaçkar 50K covers roughly 43 to 44 kilometers with about 3,000 meters of climbing, while the Kaçkar 20K provides a shorter but still demanding route through the region’s forests, valleys and highlands. A shorter Ayder 4K community or discovery race has also been included in event programming.
Ayder Plateau, located at about 1,350 meters, serves as the heart of the event. The highland is known for its traditional wooden architecture, thermal springs and waterfalls and provides access to some of the region’s higher mountain settlements.
Beyond the race routes, visitors can explore the Fırtına Valley, where the Fırtına River cuts through steep gorges beneath historic stone bridges. The valley is also known for rafting and other outdoor activities.
Zil Kale, a medieval fortress dramatically positioned above the valley, offers one of the region’s most recognizable historical landmarks. Higher up, Pokut and Sal plateaus are known for traditional wooden houses and sweeping views, while Huser is particularly popular for its panoramic sunsets and views above the clouds.
Together, the Kaçkar Mountains and surrounding highlands offer a combination of alpine landscapes, glacial features, endemic plant life and traditional Hemşin highland culture that organizers hope will appeal to visitors beyond the racing community.
Tourism ambitions beyond tea
Rize has long been identified with tea production, but officials increasingly want the province to be recognized for its wider tourism potential.
The arrival of thousands of international runners, support staff, media members and spectators is expected to generate activity across hotels, restaurants, transportation providers, guides, retailers and other tourism businesses.
Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş has also highlighted the event’s potential to strengthen sports tourism across the province and the wider Eastern Black Sea region.
The presence of Rize-Artvin Airport provides an additional gateway for visitors traveling to the region, while the event’s annual return could help establish the Kaçkar Mountains as a more recognizable destination on the international adventure-tourism map.
Bak said Rize’s appeal extends well beyond its reputation as Türkiye’s tea capital.
“Rize is not only the capital of tea,” he said. “With its nature, culture and sports tourism potential, it is one of Türkiye’s most special cities. We will bring the world together in the Kaçkar Mountains.”
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