ASTANA – Kazakhstan is set to host up to 40 major international sporting events across Olympic, Paralympic, non-Olympic, national, and inclusive sports disciplines by the end of this year.
Photo credit: Olympic.kz
The upcoming events will take place countrywide. Among the highlights are high-profile tournaments in basketball, boxing, weightlifting, table tennis, figure skating, and climbing, as well as an expanded focus on traditional national sports, reported the Ministry of Tourism and Sports on May 14.
Notable competitions include the Virtus World Basketball Championship in June in Astana, and the World Boxing Cup for both men and women, which will also take place in the summer months. The Asian Weightlifting Championships for juniors and youth are scheduled for July, while Almaty will host the WTT Youth Contender table tennis tournament and the Asian Cup in Sport Climbing during the same period.
In the fall, Almaty will welcome athletes for the WTT Contender Almaty in September, and Astana will stage the Denis Ten Memorial Challenge in figure skating in October. Additional major events in the capital include the World Pankration Championships (October–November), two stages of the World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Cup (November), and the Kazakhstan Grand Prix in Archery in Memory of Lee S.N. In December, the Astana International Challenge badminton tournament will conclude the year’s schedule.
Kazakhstan will also host dozens of international competitions in combat sports such as jiu-jitsu, grappling, kickboxing, NOMAD MMA, and breaking.
In 2025, special emphasis will be placed on national sports, with over 15 key events planned. Among them are the World Tenge Ilu Championship in June in Almaty, the Asian Championship in Qazaq Kuresi for adults, youth, and teenagers in Astana in August, and the World Championship in Dala Mergeni in Shymkent. The Mangystau Region will host the Asian Championships in Zhamby Atu among youth and young men.
