On Nauryz 22, at 11:00AM please come and join the game Altyn Saka!

Ak Zhaik newspaper invites kids to participate in the annual Altyn Saka competition - the game of asyk (asyk- sheep knuckle bones). 

The competition will take place on March 22 at 11:00 AM at the square in front of the Central Mosque (on Satpaev Avenue).

Boys aged 7-13 are invited. Kids should bring with them the letter from the school principal where information about the grade and the age of the participant should be indicated.

Kids will be competing in the game “Ompy” (the type of national asyk game). The winners will get the following prizes: 1^st place – smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4; 2^nd place- I-Pad Samsung Galaxy 8.0  and the 3d place- smartphone Samsung Galaxy S plus.

Also a bicycle will be presented as a recognition gift to the player who would demonstrate special skills during the game. Please join the game!

Ak Zhaik Editorial Office

The rules of “Ompy” game:

Participants of game are divided into groups. Each participant should have 10 asyks (knuckle bones) for putting on the line and 1 asyk (saka) for hitting.

On a flat ground from the center line the boys count ten steps to both directions and draw another two lines. Each participant puts on the central line 2 asyks. In the middle of ordinary asyks a bigger asyk (ompy) is placed vertically. Then the players identify their turns of playing (the sequence) and the game starts from both lines. The players in turns should try to hit the biggest asyk (ompy). The player who hits the ompy collects all the asyks on the line. If the player hits an ordinary asyk, then he gets the points for each beaten asyk. The participants who win the 1st and 2nd places in their groups will play in the final.

Asyk — is a bone which is a part of a knee joint of a sheep. Up till now asyks game is one of the most popular games among the Kazakh people. It develops good eyesight and skillfulness. There are many different types of this game: “Alsha”, “Tagan”, “Krug” and “Shik-Buk”. The largest asyks were used as a cue ball, which is called “saka”. If the player has a good ’saka’ there is a big chance to win the game. Sometimes in the old days the sultan and khans’ children asyks were filled with gold. And the phrase: “Asygynin alshysynan tussin!” which means “Let your asyk be an alsha” is said when people want to wish good luck.