The first national round of the 9th season of the KARDO International Street Culture and Sport Competition-Awards took place in Algiers. The TV BRICS International Media Network is the event’s international media partner.

The Street Culture and Sport Competition-Awards enable dancers, musicians, and artists from all over the world to make their mark on the international stage. The national stages of the competition take the form of in-person contests and festivals in individual countries, identifying the top talents in skateboarding, parkour, graffiti, hip-hop and other disciplines covered by the project. Winners of each stage earn the chance to advance to the grand final and compete for awards and prizes.

Photo: press office of the KARDO Competition-Awards

The Algerian stage of the competition took place during one of the country’s biggest sporting events – Algiers Sport Festival. A total of 120 representatives from local street communities took part in the "freerun", "rollerblading" and "graffiti" competitions. Their performances were watched by 3,500 spectators.

This year, the qualifying rounds will cover 18 countries. Participating countries include, in particular, Argentina, Brazil, The Gambia, China, Colombia, Tajikistan, and Chile. Algeria, Vietnam, India, Kenya, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Indonesia, and South Africa are holding their own national qualifiers for the first time. The winners of the national rounds will represent their countries at the KARDO Grand Final in Vladivostok.

"The national stages are one of the key outcomes of KARDO’s international expansion. Whereas a few years ago the project was only present in certain regions, today [...] in addition to the countries hosting their own national stages, representatives from dozens of other nations will join KARDO via an international online selection process. The project will thus bring together participants from more than 150 countries around the world. For us, this is a sign that a global community of street culture and sport is forming around KARDO, uniting people regardless of language, nationality or place of residence. KARDO creates equal opportunities for self-expression, uncovers new talent and enables young people from all over the world to make their mark, share experiences and become part of a large and friendly street culture team," noted Mikhail Gusev, Director of Marketing and Analytics at the Presidential Platform "Russia – Land of Opportunity".

The project’s global expansion is supported by the international network of KARDO ambassadors. Today, it brings together more than 80 representatives and project managers across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The ambassadors organise national rounds, work with local communities, help participants through the selection process and put together national delegations to take part in the grand final.

Photo: press office of the KARDO Competition-Awards

According to Bendaho Ahmed Nadir, the KARDO ambassador in Algeria, hosting the first national round was a significant event both for the local community and for the project’s international movement as a whole.

"For me, Russia is an amazing country with a rich culture and very open-minded people. You won’t believe it, but I’m even learning Russian. Thanks to KARDO, I’ve seen how street culture can bring people from different countries together, and that’s exactly why I’m delighted to be part of this international community," said Ahmed Nadir.

The KARDO International Street Culture and Sport Competition-Awards is being implemented as part of the federal project "Russia – Land of Opportunity", which forms part of the national project "Youth and Children". The project aims to identify, support and develop talent in the field of street culture and sport, as well as to create real social and professional opportunities for members of street communities around the world.