ASTANA — With three months remaining until the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, Yermek Marzhikpayev, Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports, shared his expectations for Kazakh athletes, reported Kazinform news agency.
Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev shared his expectations for Kazakh athletes at the Olympic Games in Paris. Photo credit: Kazinform
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Kazakh athletes have secured 51 licenses.
“There are still 25 licensed rating tournaments ahead. We must determine the lineup, who we will box with, and the competitors. For the first time in the history of Kazakhstan, our women wrestlers and weightlifters were left without a license,” said Marzhikpayev.
Despite the challenges, Marzhikpayev highlighted new sports where Kazakhstan is making strides.
“There have never been six shooting and five archery licenses,” he said, noting the possibility of new “surprises”.
The leading sports in the nation remain boxing, tennis, and wrestling.
Achievement highlights of Kazakh athletes
Last month, Kazakh athletes secured 43 licenses across 14 sports for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Since then, the Kazakh national cycling team has obtained the 51st Olympic license, earning the right to compete in keirin and sprint.
Elzhana Taniyeva. Photo credit: Olympic.kz
At the Asian Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Elzhana Taniyeva secured a gold medal on May 3, earning a pass to Paris.
Kazakhstan will have three freestyle wrestlers, including Azamat Dauletbekov (86 kilograms), Alisher Yergali (97 kilograms), and Yusup Batyrmurzayev (125 kilograms), and four Greco-Roman wrestlers, Aidos Sultangali (60 kilograms), Demeu Zhadrayev (77 kilograms), Nursultan Tursynov (87 kilograms), and Alimkhan Syzdykov (130 kilograms).
Samirkhon Ababakirov and Batyrkhan Toleugali. Photo credit: Tengri Sport
The Kazakh taekwondo team qualified for the Paris Olympics with two athletes, Samirkhon Ababakirov and Batyrkhan Toleugali, who secured a quota in the weight category up to 80 kilograms, defeating athletes from India and Saudi Arabia.
“When I went to fight for the Olympic ticket, I was aware of the responsibility. I was motivated to justify the trust of the coaching staff who, no matter what, believed in me and gave me a chance to prove myself at a high level (…) I hope the Olympics will bring success to me, my friend Samirkhon and our country,” said Toleugali in his interview with Kazinform.
Ruslan Kurbanov. Photo credit: Olympic.kz
The men’s fencing team achieved a historic result for Kazakhstan at the World Cup in Georgia on March 23. Previously, the national team of Kazakhstan did not participate in team fencing competitions at the Olympic Games. For the first time, the Kazakh fencing team, including Ruslan Kurbanov, Vadim Sharlaimov, Elmir Alimzhanov, and Yerlik Sertai, secured a license for the Olympics.
Sarybay Aigerim. Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Additionally, from the women’s fencing team, Aigerim Sarybay won an Olympic license at the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, defeating King Chu from China with a score of 15:13.
Meanwhile, the latest Paralympic license was obtained by Zhanyl Baltabayeva at the World Para Canoe Championship in Szeged, Hungary, on May 13. On the second day of the competition, Baltabayeva, who competed in the VL3 class at a distance of 200 meters in final B, came second with a time of 1:05.83.
