2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony to Take Place on the Night of February 6-7
Images | Sports.kz
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will officially open today, February 6, in Italy, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 00:00 Astana time.
A total of 36 Kazakh athletes will compete in ten sports at the Games, with the first competitions featuring Kazakhstan’s team set for February 7.
The Olympics will be broadcast live on the Qazsport, Qazaqstan, Jibek Joly and Khabar TV channels.
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Promotion of Kazakhstan’s Tourism Potential at European Largest Basketball Competition
Images | gov.kz
As part of one of Europe’s largest sporting events, the EuroLeague basketball match between Belgrade’s Partizan and Athens’ Panathinaikos, a presentation of Kazakhstan’s tourism potential was held, along with the promotion of the recently launched direct air route Astana-Belgrade, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports.
At the initiative of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Serbia, an interactive promotion was organized among the 18,000 spectators at the Belgrade Arena. Randomly selected fans were given the opportunity to take part in a free-throw shooting contest offered by the Partizan basketball club.
The prize for the winner - a certificate for a tourist trip to Kazakhstan for two - was presented by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Serbia, Madi Atamkulov. Congratulating the winner, the Kazakh diplomat greeted the multi-thousand audience and invited to visit Kazakhstan.
The atmosphere of the contest was enhanced by tourism videos titled "Born Bold Kazakhstan" broadcast on the arena’s screens, a promotional video of the direct Astana-Belgrade flight launched by Kazakhstan’s airline SCAT Airlines, as well as girls in traditional Kazakh national costumes who distributed "Born Bold Kazakhstan" T-shirts and baseball caps among basketball fans.
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Kazakhstan signs host country agreement for 2029 Winter Asian Games
Images | olympic.kz
The Winter Asian Games are returning to Kazakhstan in nearly two decades, after the host country agreement has been signed in Milan confirming Kazakhstan as the host of the 2029 Games, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The host country agreement was signed between the Olympic Council of Asia and the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan at a ceremony attended by the Committee’s President Gennady Golovkin.
In 2022, the Olympic Council of Asia originally awarded the rights to host the 2029 Winter Asian Games to Saudi Arabia. Last month, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia announced the suspension of the 2029 Winter Asian Games for an indefinite period.
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2029 Asian Winter Games moved to Almaty - OCA
Images | Xinhua
The 2029 Asian Winter Games will be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Xinhua reports, citing the Olympic Council of Asia.
The event was originally scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia.
The OCA and Kazakhstan are set to formalize the agreement by signing the Host City Contract Thursday in Milan, Italy.
Saudi Arabia was awarded the hosting rights in 2022. However, last month, a joint statement from the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the OCA announced the event had been indefinitely postponed.
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Kazakhstan's Bakbergenova pockets gold at international wrestling tournament
Images | olympic.kz
Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan’s women’s wrestling team captured gold at the Ivan Yarygin Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Qazinform News Agency cites the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Bakbergenova claimed victory in the women’s 72 kg weight category, defeating Mongolia’s Zorigt Bolortungalag in the final. Bronze medals were awarded to Nurzat Nurtaeva of Kyrgyzstan and Russia’s Kseniia Burakova.
It is worth noting that earlier in the tournament, Laura Almaganbetova (55 kg) and Viktoriia Khusainova (59 kg) finished in second place.
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Kazakhstan pockets bronze at Short Track Junior World Championships
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The junior short track team of Kazakhstan earned a bronze medal at the ISU Short Track Junior World Championships in Salt Lake City, the U.S., Qazinform News Agency cites the Kazakh National Olympic Committee.
Polina Omelchuk, Nuria Alpysbay, Guldana Zhalmukhan, and Anastasia Galechina represented Kazakhstan in the Group A finals, winning the bronze medal in the women’s 3000m relay.
South Korea claimed gold, while China took home silver.
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Rybakina resists Sabalenka to reign at Australian Open
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Elena Rybakina delivered a thunderous display to dismantle firm favourite Aryna Sabalenka and win a maiden Australian Open title on Saturday, turning the tables on the world number one in their Melbourne Park final rematch from three years ago, reuters.com reports.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has congratulated Kazakhstan’s tennis player Elena Rybakina on her triumph in the Australian Open 2026 final, Qazinform News Agency learnt from the Akorda press service.
In his message, the Head of State praised Elena Rybakina’s sporting achievement.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sincerely congratulated Elena Rybakina on her outstanding sporting success — a brilliant victory at the Australian Open. He stressed she once again convincingly demonstrated her perfect technique and will to win, achieving a result admired by the entire global tennis community.
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