ASTANA : Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed to intensify work to improve competitiveness of Kazakh sports ahead of the ninth Asian Winter Games during a Jan. 14 meeting.
Bektenov reviewed the progress of preparations for the Asian Winter Games, which will be held on Feb. 7-14 in Harbin, China, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
According to Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yerbol Myrzabossynov, the national team of Kazakhstan will compete in six sports in 10 disciplines. The quantitative composition was accepted today with 138 athletes. The upcoming Asian Winter Games will allow for thorough training for the Olympic Games, which will be held in Milan in 2026.
It was stated that organizing large sporting events increases the country’s interest in winter sports while also contributing to tourism growth. In this regard, it is important to ensure accessibility of sports infrastructure facilities for the population.
“All sports facilities should remain accessible to the citizens. This will increase the number of people engaged in sports, while also positively impacting the development of businesses in the service sector around these facilities. Akimats (administrations) and businesses need to work more effectively in this direction. Only in this way can we count on mass participation, and this will have a multiplier effect for business and settlements around such sports and tourist facilities,” said Bektenov.
Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Tourism and Sports together with akimats to intensify work on attracting investors and creating favorable conditions for the construction of sports infrastructure, including ski slopes in Almaty, the Almaty Region, the East Kazakhstan and other regions. Today, the workload of one of the most popular winter resorts – Shymbulak, exceeds its design capacity per day. In 2024, the number of visitors totaled 1.5 million people.
The country takes comprehensive measures to develop a healthy lifestyle and active participation of the population in physical culture. Over five years in Kazakhstan, 215 sports complexes, 17 swimming pools, 57 sports arenas and over 1,500 sports grounds have been built. Some 92 projects have been implemented at the expense of private investors.
Bektenov stressed the need for enhanced work to create effective training programs oriented to Olympic standards. Today, the country witnesses a lack of spot training of athletes, a shortage of coaching staff, and low competition between regions in various sports.
“The President has established clear objectives for high-performance sports. At the same time, the sports we choose should be scientifically sound and based on our country’s specifics. The resolution of this matter should also streamline the activity of sports federations at the international, national, and municipal levels. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, in collaboration with local executive authorities, should take steps to promote youth and children’s sports, as well as establish and support sports schools and sections. We need to intensify work on the development of sports medicine. We must all work together to increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstan’s sports,” Bektenov noted.
