Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
Almaty, formerly known as Alma-Ata, is the largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of over two million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1936, while the country was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union, then from 1936 to 1991, a union republic and finally from 1991, an independent state. In 1997, the government relocated the capital to Akmola.
Football Club Kairat is a professional football club based in Almaty, which plays in the Kazakhstan Premier League, the highest level of Kazakh football. Founded in 1954 as Lokomotiv Alma-Ata, they became Urozhay in 1955 and Kairat in 1956. The club's home ground is the Central Stadium which has a capacity of 23,804. The club's home kit colours are yellow and black striped shirts, black shorts and black socks.
The Medeu, is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level. It consists of 10.5 thousand square meters of ice and utilizes a sophisticated freezing and watering system to ensure the quality of the ice.
The 2011 Asian Winter Games was a multi-sport event that was held in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan, that began on January 30, 2011, and ended on February 6, 2011. It was the first time that Kazakhstan hosted such a large event since independence from the Soviet Union. The documents for the hosting city were signed in Kuwait on March 4, 2006.
Kazakhstan's former long-term President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has challenged sports organizers to engage 30 percent of the country's population in sports. The state has numerous sports clubs where people participate in various types of sports; sport facilities are available to the general public. Kazakhstan currently hosts major international tournaments; Astana and Almaty hosted the VII Asian Winter Games 2011, which drew teams from 27 countries.
The Central Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Almaty, Kazakhstan and the largest sports complex in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is shared by FC Kairat Almaty. It also serves as the home stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team.
Ahmedjan Smagululy Essimov is a Kazakh politician who served as the chairman of Samruk-Kazyna from 2017 to 2021. Prior to that, he was the director of Expo 2017 from 2015 to 2017, akim of Almaty from 2008 to 2015, Minister of Agriculture from 2006 to 2008 and 2001 to 2004, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2002 to 2006 and 1994 to 1996, First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 1996 to 1998, Acting Head of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan and State Secretary of Kazakhstan in 1996.
AFC Kairat is a professional futsal club based in Almaty, the biggest city of Kazakhstan. The club was founded in 1995. Since 2012 the club has been one of the strongest teams in Europe, having reached UEFA Futsal Cup semi-finals four times and winning it in 2012–13 and 2014–15 seasons.
Sochi Olympic Park is an Olympic Park in Sochi, Russia. It situated in the urban-type settlement of Sirius in Imeretinsky Valley, on the coast of the Black Sea. The Olympic Park houses the main Olympic Stadium used for the Games' ceremonies, and the venues that were used for indoor sports such as hockey, figure skating, curling, and speed skating. It also houses training facilities, the Olympic Village, the international broadcasting centre, and other amenities. The park was designed so that all of the venues would be accessible within walking distance of each other. The venues are situated around a water basin containing a fountain known as "The Waters of the Olympic Park".
Winter Universiade 2017, the XXVIII Winter Universiade, was a multi-sport winter event which took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 29 January to 8 February 2017. On 29 November 2011, FISU announced that Winter Universiade 2017 would be hosted in Almaty.
The Baluan Sholak Sports Palace or Bolyan Sholak Sports Palace is a Palace of Sports in Almaty, the former capital of Kazakhstan. It was built in 1967 and extensively renovated in 2009–2011. It is named after Baluan Sholak, a celebrated Kazakh composer, singer, poet, dombra player, dzhigit and wrestler.
Almaty 2022 was an unsuccessful bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics by the city of Almaty and the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The IOC selected the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics at the 128th IOC Session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 31, 2015, in which Beijing won. Under the slogan “Keeping it Real,” Almaty had emphasized their traditional winter setting with tall mountains and plenty of natural snow coverage as well as compactness — most venues are within half an hour’s travel through Alpine scenery. Almaty was the only contender to have never hosted the Olympics before. Almaty previously hosted the 2017 Winter Universiade.
The 2019 Winter Universiade, the XXIX Universiade, was a multi-sport event for student and youth athletes which took place from 2 to 12 March 2019 in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. The 2019 Winter Universiade was the third Universiade hosted in Russia and second as an independent country. The first Universiade, when Russia was a Soviet Republic, was hosted by Moscow in 1973, whereas Kazan, capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, hosted the 2013 Summer Universiade. It is the first Winter Universiade hosted by Russia, and the second time that the event was held in a former USSR republic.
Soldatskoe Valley Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Stadium, also known as "Alatau" Cross Country Skiing and Biathlon Stadium is a cross-country skiing and biathlon venue located at the Soldatskoye Valley in the Talgar District of Almaty Region, Kazakhstan.
Astana is home to many sports teams.
Kamshybek Kunkabayev is a Kazakhstani professional boxer. As an amateur, he won a silver medal at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships, and bronze at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Astana Square or Old Square is a city square in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It is the second largest square in Kazakhstan, after Republic Square. It hosts many public events, concerts, and ceremonies. The square is in front of the Kazakh-British Technical University, the monument of Aliya Moldagulova and Manshuk Mametova, and is on the left side of the Panfilov Street Promenade The square used to be named after Vladimir Lenin and a statue of him stood in the center of the square until 1991.
Aiza Evfratkyzy Imambek or Mambekova is a Kazakh figure skater. She is the 2019 Reykjavik International silver medalist, the 2018 FBMA Trophy bronze medalist, and a five-time Kazakhstani national silver medalist (2014–2018). She represented Kazakhstan at the 2018 Winter Olympics, placing 30th.
Halyk Arena Ice Palace is a palace of sports and culture in Almaty, Kazakhstan, built in 2016 for the 2017 Winter Universiade. The venue is designed for such sports events as ice hockey, figure skating and other sports.
