The VI Kazakhstan Youth Games in handball have started in Astana. From April 7 to 13, seven teams made up of girls born in 2004 will compete for medals. Participating teams include Astana, Shymkent, and the regions of Pavlodar, Turkistan, Aktobe, Karaganda, and Kyzylorda.
“We thoroughly prepared for the tournament. We held training camps not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. Our goal for this competition is to reach the final. I consider Shymkent and Karaganda as our main rivals. Pavlodar is participating for the first time, so we also expect them to be competitive. Handball is developing rapidly in the capital. For example, in 2024, 34 teams participated in the school league, and this year that number has grown to 84. Currently, 2,155 people regularly play handball in Astana. Thanks to this, 68 of our athletes have been selected for national teams of various age groups. In the senior team, we have 12 players. If all goes well, the senior team will participate in the world championship at the end of the year, which will be held in Germany and the Netherlands,” said Dias Akmurzayev, senior coach of the Astana handball team.
Astana’s girls started the tournament yesterday with a confident 34:15 victory over the Aktobe team.
For reference, the VI Youth Games began in February and will continue until October. Held once every four years, these large-scale competitions bring together athletes from all over Kazakhstan competing in 34 different sports.
