From The Village to The World Podium: Auyl Sport Children Win Gold in Serbia
The world’s largest multi-sport Olympiad for schoolchildren, ISF U-15 Gymnasiade 2025, recently concluded in the scenic Zlatibor region of Serbia. The event brought together over 2,500 young athletes from 55 countries. Representing Kazakhstan were 22 participants—12 of whom were winners of the Auyl Sport project, implemented with the support of the Halyk Charitable Fund, founded by philanthropist Timur Kulibayev.
Kazakhstan’s team earned a total of 11 medals, with four of them won by Auyl Sport athletes—young talents who had trained on rural school sports grounds just a year earlier.
Kazakh athletes stood out in boxing, where 160 competitors from 19 countries vied for medals. Three Auyl Sport representatives became absolute champions:
- True Makarov (52 kg)
- Aibek Sadyk (60 kg)
- Nurtas Alimbay (57 kg)
All three were winners of the 2024 Auyl Sport tournament.
“The Auyl Sport project gives talented children from villages a chance to step onto the global stage. It’s more than a sports initiative—it’s a true social elevator. Today’s success is the result of systematic, dedicated work that began last year,” said Galymbek Zhaksylykov, Executive Director of the Halyk Charitable Fund.
In freestyle wrestling, Kalybek Nurkozha from the village of Shaldar in the Turkestan region won a bronze medal. He, too, was a prizewinner in the Auyl Sport national tournament.
In chess, held in rapid and blitz formats with over 100 participants from 17 countries, Auyl Sport winners Zhanat Nurym and Oltinay Algapparova earned special prizes for their outstanding performance.
“A gold medal at the Gymnasiade is priceless for a boy from a village. It means I’ve lived up to the trust of my parents and my community. Thanks to the Auyl Sport project and the Halyk Fund—this victory belongs to everyone who believed in me,” said Shyngys Makarov.
To honor their achievements, the young athletes received additional awards:
- Gold medalists: 1 million tenge each
- Bronze medalist: 300,000 tenge
- Chess players: 200,000 tenge each
Their coaches were also recognized with cash rewards for their contributions.
Launched in 2024, Auyl Sport has become one of Kazakhstan’s largest national sports initiatives for rural youth. Over 12,000 young athletes from 200 localities participated in qualifying rounds, with 1,300 advancing to the finals.
The project currently includes competitions in boxing, wrestling, karate, basketball, volleyball, and chess. Table tennis will be added in 2025.
The Halyk Charitable Fund, under the leadership of Timur Kulibayev, continues to implement impactful social projects focused on supporting low-income communities and regional development. To date, the Fund has allocated approximately 500 million tenge toward the development of rural sports.
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