X. International Symposium of Traditional Sports Games of Turkic Peoples Held

X. International Symposium of Traditional Sports Games of Turkic Peoples was organized by Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University and Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality. In the symposium, rector Prof. Dr. Fethi Ahmet Polat made the opening speech.

In the symposium attended by many academicians from Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, USA and Russia, papers prepared under the theme of “establishment and development of common sports games in the Turkish world” were presented. Selected papers compiled from the proceedings of the Symposium Scientific Committee were published in a book. In the book, the opening speeches of the head of KTMU Traditional Sports Research Center, who is a faculty member of our university, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Türkmen, Vice Rector of KTMU Prof. Dr. Mustafa Orçan, Rector of KTMU Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan and our Rector Prof. Dr. Fethi Ahmet Polat, and speeches by Aminta H. Breaux from Bowie State University, Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Mayor Hayrettin Güngör and the president of World Ethnosport Confederation Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan were included.

“Traditional Sports Games one of the most important bearers of tradition”
  
Emphasizing the importance of national cultural elements in his opening speech, rector Prof. Dr. Polat said, “one of the most important elements of the social entertainment culture that helps to preserve the national identity and traditional connection among the generations is the traditional sports games that are specific to the peoples. As one of the strongest bearers of the tradition, sports games that keep societies alive have features that hold societies together not only as a physical activity, but also as an intellectual and moral action." Emphasizing that traditional games include traces of culture, rector also touched upon the importance of traditional games in preserving national culture, which helps in renewing the belief structures of nations and rooting value judgments and customs.

Rector Prof. Dr. Fethi Ahmet Polat ended his speech by thanking everyone who contributed to the organization of the symposium, especially Necmettin Bilal Erdoğan, President of the World Ethnosports Confederation.