Kazakhstan Eyes Bigger Role on Global Winter Sports Stage

Kazakhstan is looking to deepen its presence on the global winter sports map as Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Johan Eliasch, President of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS).

During the talks, the head of state emphasized that skiing is steadily gaining popularity in Kazakhstan, with more than 85,000 people actively involved, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

Tokayev highlighted the country’s modern sports infrastructure, noting the availability of world-class alpine and cross-country skiing facilities as well as ice arenas that meet international standards.

The president also underlined Kazakhstan’s strong focus on preparations for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Italy, stressing the importance of international cooperation to raise athlete performance and organizational expertise.

Johan Eliasch, in turn, thanked Kazakhstan for its consistent support of sports development and praised the strong showing of Kazakh athletes at international competitions. He also spoke positively about the socio-economic reforms currently underway in the country.

The sides discussed concrete opportunities to expand cooperation between Kazakhstan and FIS, including experience sharing, athlete training programs, coach education, and the development of refereeing standards.

In recognition of his contribution to the development of skiing and snowboarding in Kazakhstan, Tokayev awarded Johan Eliasch the Order of Dostyk (Friendship), II degree.