Halyk Foundation Launches Project for Rural Children Covering Six Sports
A large-scale project #AUYLSPORT is launched in Kazakhstan, aimed at involving more than 12 thousand rural children and teenagers in sports. Famous athletes, including Olympic medalists, took part in the presentation of the initiative of the Halyk charity foundation and the signing of a memorandum on the beginning of cooperation with KazAST.
The goal of the project is to engage children and teenagers in sports, promote a healthy lifestyle, and enhance the skills of rural coaches. The initiative will cover six sports: boxing, wrestling, karate, basketball, volleyball, and chess. This is an important step for the development of grassroots sports in rural areas and for creating equal opportunities for children, regardless of where they live.
Many Olympic champions of Kazakhstan come from the village,” said Galymbek Zhaksylykov, director of the Almaty regional branch of the Halyk charity foundation. “We strive to support not only football, as in the #AuylFootball project, but also other sports. We are confident that the #AUYLSPORT project will help develop sports culture and improve the standard of living in rural areas.
The project will be implemented through regional coordinators who oversee different parts of the country. As part of #AUYLSPORT, regional tournaments will be held for children aged 8–14, followed by national finals. Boxing, wrestling, and karate tournaments will take place across four weight categories, while basketball and volleyball competitions will be organized for age groups 10–14 and 14–17. Chess tournaments will feature several age categories, starting from age 6
Winners of regional competitions will receive sports uniforms and equipment, and will also be able to participate in training camps. Finalists of republican tournaments will have the opportunity to compete in prestigious competitions within the country and abroad.
One of the key aspects of the project will be the advanced training of rural coaches. Seminars on modern methods, refereeing, communication and work in social networks will be organized for them. The training of a new generation of coaches will increase the chances of young athletes to succeed.
Developing grassroots sports in rural areas is crucial for improving the health and lifestyle of children and teenagers. Sports help cultivate determination, discipline, and teamwork—qualities that are valuable not only in athletics but in life. #AUYLSPORT enables children to participate in sports, providing conditions for healthy growth and self-realization. This is an important step toward strengthening the nation’s health and nurturing a young generation ready for new achievements.
The #AUYLSPORT project is part of the initiatives of Timur Kulibayev’s Halyk Foundation aimed at supporting the population and improving living conditions in the country. Since the foundation’s creation in 2016, more than 120 social projects worth 85 billion tenge have been implemented, including 500 million tenge for the development of sports in rural areas.
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