The Path to International Fame: Auyl Sport Finalists Head to Serbia
From April 4 to 14, the annual ISF U15 2025 sports festival for schoolchildren will take place in the picturesque Zlatibor region in western Serbia. This year, it will bring together over 2,500 young athletes from 55 countries. Kazakhstan will be represented on the international stage by 22 schoolchildren, 12 of whom are winners of the unique national project Auyl Sport, implemented with the support of the Halyk Charitable Foundation of Timur Kulibayev.
Auyl Sport – a large-scale initiative for rural athletes
Launched in 2024, the Auyl Sport project has become one of the largest national sports initiatives for children from villages. Last year, 12 thousand young athletes from 200 settlements took part in regional tournaments, and 1,300 best athletes from 17 regions of Kazakhstan competed in the final.
The main goal of the Auyl Sport project is not only to promote sports, but also to create equal opportunities for children, regardless of where they live. The participation of rural athletes in the Gymnasiade in Serbia is a vivid confirmation of this. For many of them, it is the first step onto the international stage, where they will compete with the strongest young athletes in the world, representing not only their region but all of Kazakhstan. It is a powerful and inspiring start for the Auyl Sport project. We wish our participants the best of luck!’ — said Galymbek Zhaksylikov, Executive Director of the Halyk Foundation.
The Auyl Sport project includes competitions in boxing, wrestling, karate, basketball, volleyball and chess. Since 2025, table tennis has been included in the program.
Stories of the winners
“Auyl Sport for me is not just a competition, but a path to a new life. I became the winner of the republican tournament of this project and now I am going to the international Gymnasium in Serbia. This is a huge achievement for me, and I will try to justify the hopes of my family and native village,” shared the winner of the project Aibek Sadyk.
‘I am incredibly proud of my child and his achievements. Thanks to the Auyl Sport project and the Halyk Foundation, he has had the opportunity to showcase himself on the international stage, which not long ago seemed unattainable. We, as parents, feel immense gratitude for the support and belief in our children. This project gives every child a chance to unlock their potential and pursue their dreams,’ — said one of the parents of the project finalists.
Halyk Foundation – Reliable Support for Rural Sports
Timur Kulibayev’s Halyk Charity Foundation implements a number of social initiatives aimed at supporting low-income citizens and improving the quality of life in various regions of the country. The foundation has already allocated about 500 million tenge for the development of rural sports.
ISF U15 2025 will be an important milestone in the sports career of Kazakhstani young athletes. Let’s wish them good luck and new victories in the international arena!
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