KTMU Hosts Tıyın Enmey Qualifying Championship as Part of the 6th World Nomad Games
Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University (KTMU), which conducts scientific studies and projects aimed at preserving, developing, and passing traditional sports on to future generations, hosted the Kyrgyzstan Tıyın Enmey Qualifying Championship as part of the 6th World Nomad Games. The event held at the KTMU Traditional Sports Arena, featured various traditional sports, most notably Kok-Boru, alongside festivals and cultural programs.
The program was attended by Director of the National Sports Directorate Ulukbek Omurbekov, KTMU Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. İsmet Altıntaş, representatives of the Tıyın Enmey Federation, athletes, and a large number of spectators.
In his remarks, Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. İsmet Altıntaş emphasized that, alongside providing high-quality education, the university is making significant efforts to pass traditional sports on to future generations. “In this context, we will organize the 18th Traditional Sports Games Symposium this year, which we have been hosting consecutively for the past four years,” he stated.
As part of the program, athletes competed fiercely in the qualifying rounds of Tıyın Enmey, one of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional equestrian sports. Following the completion of the competitions, awards were presented to the top-performing athletes.
The Tıyın Enmey Game
Tıyın Enmey is a traditional Kyrgyz equestrian sport that tests a rider’s agility, balance, and control over the horse. The main objective of the game is for the rider, while galloping at full speed, to pick up coins or small objects placed on the ground quickly and accurately.
Typically played on a straight track of approximately 100 meters, competitors aim to collect the highest number of objects within a set time. The competition can involve between 2 and 20 participants, with the rider who successfully collects the most items declared the winner.
Historically, Tıyın Enmey was used as a training method to improve horseback riding skills, agility, and reflexes under battlefield conditions. Today, it is recognized as an important cultural heritage element, contributing to the preservation and transmission of traditional sports to future generations.
In the game, maintaining balance on the horse, controlling the reins, and coordinating with the saddle are crucial. Since the rider must control the horse with one hand while picking up objects from the ground with the other, Tıyın Enmey stands out as a discipline requiring a high level of coordination, speed, and reflexes.
