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the grass . I had never seen dancing like this , energetic and yet gentle , it seemed as if a bottle of the most beautiful liquid had been poured and each droplet found its path in unison .
Outside of the arena an archery tournament had begun . Traditionally competition would take place with teams of ten and each archer having four arrows , here there was just a handful and more just a display of the techniques . From seventy-five metres men , dressed in deel , the traditional silk coats of the steppe , aimed at cylindrical targets called sur . It was a lively affair that saw many onlookers encouraged to try their hand , most with little success .
With a festival atmosphere food was again passed around , dancing continued , wrestlers practised on the grass . A small group had gathered under one tent to witness what can
only be described as ten pin bowling with a bone and ones ’ fingers .
A relatively new addition to nadaam , ankle bone shooting was added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014 . Teams of players flick domino sized marble blocks from a wooden device that aims at a traket platform that resembles a downsized bowling alley , the pins are knuckle bones called shagai . Each competitor constructs their own tools for the sport following a strict code of ethics and traditions . Clothing is ornate and represents a story of rank and merit . Competition takes place while competitors voice traditional song and chant that is said to bring everyone together as equals regardless of age , position , standing , and belief .
A final dance heralded the end of proceedings and quietly the crowd walked away from the celebrations with insight into one of the worlds oldest cultural and sporting competitions , we had been part of nadaam .
Amongst the steppe of Mongolia , we had been treated to an aspect of life that is rarely seen by outsiders and is something that needs to be witnessed , to be a part of , as it gives a rare glimpse into what it truly means to be a Mongol and what it means to take part in the three games of man .
LW
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