Forty countries
For the first time more than half the delegations came from outside Central Asia.
II · 3–8 September 2016
Twice as much world
In two years the number of countries doubled and the number of sports more than doubled. The Games stopped being a regional festival.
Cholpon-Ata
Kyrgyzstan
0
participating countries
0+
athletes
0
sports
II
Games
Story
The second Games showed the appetite was not limited to neighbours. Delegations arrived from Europe, the Americas and Africa — often with one or two sports, but with their own wrestling and archery traditions that turned out to be strikingly close to the local ones.
The programme grew to twenty-three sports. Demonstration events appeared, shown outside the medal count: this is how the Games test something new before it earns medals.
That is also when the Games found their tone: this is neither re-enactment nor show. The people on the field do this at home every day.
It turned out that belt wrestling exists everywhere. It is simply called different things.
What stayed
Demonstration programme
A format for sports not yet ready for the medal table.
Television
The first full broadcast of kok boru to an international audience.