This year, the World Nomad Games took place in the beautiful Issyk-Kul province of Kyrgyzstan. These nomadic games offer an opportunity to showcase nomadic heritage to the world through sport.

Today, we've chosen to highlight the remarkable photographic work of Eleanor Moseman, who set out to capture the women competing at the nomadic games, who came from across Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Through her lens, we explore the challenges and obstacles these remarkable athletes faced as participants.

Darima Cyrendodopova, from the Buryatia Federation of Russia. Darima believes that traditional archery is a way to express the spirit of her nation and the heritage of her ancestors. Archery is a traditional pursuit deeply rooted in her, marked in her very blood. She hopes that by continuing to practice this sport, people will learn and ultimately preserve nomadic traditions. The excitement of playing with chance and knowing that the angels have chosen to bless her helps her greatly in continuing this ancestral sport.

Eliza Tynalieva, from Kyrgyzstan, took second place in traditional Hungarian women's archery. Tynalieva has only been practicing this sport professionally for 2 years and qualified for the World Nomad Games last spring. Without any experience in high-level competition and tradition, she draws inspiration from her grandfather, a World War II veteran, who performed horseback tricks and acrobatics. Her parents support her in all her sporting activities, including football and basketball. This beautiful young woman is a mother of two who, along with her husband, supports her continued sports career.

Katerina Chenova from Russia placed second in traditional Turkish archery. She has been practicing this sport for 3 years and participated in an international competition for the first time at the World Nomad Games. Katerina believes that archery gives her skills she could never obtain in everyday life, such as concentration and emotional control. In this photo, she is about to release an arrow while waiting her turn to compete.

Baktygul Rakymbaeva is just 16 years old and is one of the rare women able to recite the epic of Manas, a poem dating from the 18th century that contains approximately 500,000 lines and tells the story and events of the Kyrgyzstan region. She began learning it at age 4 but stopped when she was told it was inappropriate for a woman to recite the Manas. Full of perseverance, Baktygul resumed her studies at age 12 and began winning competitions. Her results also earned her the support of her family and friends.

Serena Caballero receives support from her teammate Susannah Winfield before competing in the final rounds of archery, where she will place 3rd. Despite the competitive nature of these sports, the women support each other mutually. Many say that the best thing about the competition is meeting people from around the world, learning about other cultures, and making new friends.

Aizhanat Okasheva from the Altai region of Russia participates in a game of toguz kumalak with Jansaya Toilybai. Okasheva began playing chess before taking up toguz kumalak a few years ago. Toguz kumalak has almost as many female players as male players—it's an intellectual game rather than a physical sport, although the rules state that men and women cannot compete against each other.

Meerim Momunova wrestles with her Kyrgyz teammate Anara Ryskulova during a performance of traditional wrestling called «Alysh». Momunova is a champion in Asia and has been competing since 2015. According to Momunova, one of the advantages of this wrestling is the ease of the uniform for women—even Muslim women who cover their faces can compete. Momunova holds a degree in sports coaching and hopes to see more women in this sport.

A group of Kyrgyz female riders take time to play together and chat. Their performance consists of fleeing from men who pursue them to steal a kiss. The roles reverse when the women come back to chase the men to whip their thief. This is not an actual game of the nomad games but rather seen as a moment of relaxation and fun for everyone.

Aida Akhmatova, from Kyrgyzstan, shoots at three targets on a 120-meter course before placing second in the women's horseback archery division. To make the competition fair, no athlete is familiar with or accustomed to their horse, and women must alternate horses among themselves. Not only are they faced with the challenge of hitting their targets, but also that of controlling their mount.

A young Kyrgyz girl wearing traditional clothing watches the activities and spectators at the World Nomad Games.

Saleha Rashidi, from Singapore, is competing in archery at the international level for the first time at the World Nomad Games. She believes that sport allows women to be competitive and is proud to be a female archer. Saleha says that archery has also given her strength and focus in her spirituality. The emphasis on discipline, inner strength, awareness, unity, and harmony with nature resonates with her and the archery community.

Saadat Beisheeva from Kyrgyzstan began practicing traditional archery as a hobby. She believes that women face certain difficulties that men do not encounter in this sport, such as lack of government support for traveling to competitions. However, she firmly believes that with work and dedication, these challenges can be easily overcome.

Ayana Rustam, 16 years old and from Kyrgyzstan, is the youngest archer at the World Nomad Games. This is her first competition and she says she was drawn to this sport out of sheer curiosity. She sees this competition as a true challenge she must face as a woman. She has different thoughts that come to her mind and she must learn to overcome them to win. After high school, she plans to pursue studies in law to "defend others and fight for justice".

Ellana, eight years old, is being trained by her father, Kostumov Farhat, on how to hold the reins to control her horse. Both of her parents compete in archery—they say it's an excellent way for the family to be together and support each other. Ellana tells all her classmates and friends about her love for the sport and horses, which has inspired other young girls to take an interest in it.

Aliya Kamalova from Kazakhstan trains with men before the final of horseback archery. At 21 years old, she has been practicing the sport for two years. The first year simply allowed her to learn to ride a horse. Although she was told that archery was not a sport for women, she wished to pursue it because, to her, this sport is part of Kazakh blood.

Photo Credit: Eleanor Moseman