The Umit Kubogy – Cup of Hope tournament is part of the large-scale social initiative People’s League, funded by the Halyk Charitable Fund and JSC Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan.

Throughout the year, children from 17 orphanages in 15 cities and towns across the country train in basketball under the guidance of professional coaches. The championship is held annually and serves as both a sporting event and a platform for personal development.

In 2019, more than 170 teenagers participated in the tournament—many of whom were preparing to leave the orphanage system and begin independent lives. As part of the motivational program, the Halyk Charitable Fund organized a special meeting with Marat Zhylyanbayev, a Guinness World Record holder, legendary marathon runner, and entrepreneur who himself grew up in an orphanage. His story of resilience and success inspired the young athletes. The Fund allocated over 33 million tenge to support the 2019 championship.

The 2018 tournament, held at the Dostyk Sports Complex in Almaty, brought together 216 children from 18 teams representing 18 regions of Kazakhstan. The judging panel included international-category referees from the National Basketball Federation. Honored guests included Olympic champions Alzhan Zharmukhamedov and Ivan Edeshko—participants in the historic 1972 USSR vs. USA match in Munich—who led a master class for the tournament participants and students of the Almaty Basketball Academy.

As another motivational highlight, the children also met the cast of the film Moving Up. The Halyk Charitable Fund allocated more than 35 million tenge to support the 2018 championship.

Over the history of the project, 12 Cup of Hope tournaments have been held, involving more than 2,500 children. Among them, 110 participants from orphanages and boarding schools have earned the title of Candidate for Master of Sports.