Swift attacks by golden eagles, the skill of falconers and the thrill of national competition — the hunting-with-birds-of-prey events of the first open Asian Cup "Shyghys Salburyny – 2026" have wrapped up in the village of Bozanbay in the Ulan district, the website infohub.kz reports.
Masters of traditional hunting from various regions of Kazakhstan and other countries competed for the top honors. Winners were determined in three disciplines: competitions with golden eagles, qarshyga and itelgi.
It is especially gratifying that among the prize-winners was a representative of the East Kazakhstan region, Mubarak Khalifa Altai. He took bronze in the qarshyga competitions, sharing the third step of the podium with Yerasyl Serikbekuly of Astana.
The main awards of the Asian Cup went to the Zhambyl, Turkistan and Karaganda regions.
In the golden eagle competitions, Zhalgasuly Serikbolsyn of the Zhambyl region won. Serikbekuly Yerasyl of Astana took silver. Bronze went to Tastanbek Bergenbay of the Akmola region and Daniyarkyzy Ayazhan of Almaty.
Among the competitors who performed with qarshyga, Makhmudkhan Zaki of the Turkistan region was judged the strongest. Babazhan Berikbolsyn of the Zhambyl region took second place. Third place was shared by Mubarak Khalifa Altai of the East Kazakhstan region and Serikbekuly Yerasyl of Astana.
In the itelgi competitions, Tolegenuly Temirali of the Karaganda region won gold. Babazhan Bakdaulet of the Zhambyl region took silver. Bronze medals went to Kenes Anuar and Tastanbek Yeraly, representing the Akmola region.
This year "Shyghys Salburyny" took on an international scale. The festival, now in its 5th edition, brought together 228 participants, including 176 eagle hunters and 52 breeders and trainers of tazy. The geography is impressive: Kazakhstan, Turkey, Russia, China, Hungary, Spain, Georgia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
But "Shyghys Salburyny" long ago became more than just a sporting contest. It is a chance to touch centuries-old traditions and to witness the unique art of interaction between humans and birds of prey, passed down from generation to generation. Qusbegilik holds a special place in the cultural heritage of the Kazakh people. And today the main task is not only to preserve the ancient craft but also to spark young people's interest in it.
For East Kazakhstan, hosting the Asian Cup was another opportunity to present itself as a region with a rich history, a distinctive culture and considerable tourism potential.
It is symbolic that it was precisely this year that "Shyghys Salburyny" was included in the calendar of major events of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2026.
The first Asian Cup identified the strongest, but the main victory of these competitions extends far beyond sporting awards: the ancient art of qusbegilik continues to live on, to unite countries and to find new followers.