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Cycling

Alexey Lutsenko Makes Asian Games History With Sixth Gold

Kazakhstani cyclist Alexey Lutsenko won the men’s road race at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, becoming his country’s most successful athlete in Asian Games history. The victory gave the 34-year-old his sixth Asian Games gold medal as he prepares to end his professional career. On September 23, Lutsenko completed the 160.5-kilometer race in 4 hours, 13 minutes, and 11 seconds. His teammate Yevgeniy Fedorov finished second, 1 minute and 58 seconds behind. Another Kazakhstani rider, Nicolas Vinokurov, the son of Olympic champion Alexander Vinokurov, helped control the race for the team and finished seventh. His second gold at the current Games came on September 20, when he won the individual time trial for the fourth consecutive Games, a discipline in which riders race individually against the clock. Lutsenko covered the 32.4-kilometer course in 41 minutes, 24.05 seconds, beating silver medalist Shunsuke Imamura of Japan by more than a minute and a half. Before the Games in Japan, Lutsenko had won four Asian Games gold medals. He won the individual time trial in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and also took gold in the road race in Jakarta in 2018. His fifth gold brought him level with Kazakhstan’s previous record holder, canoeist Konstantin Negodyayev, who won three titles at the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima and two more at the 1998 Games in Bangkok. His sixth victory put Lutsenko alone at the top. “I did my job,” Lutsenko said after the race. “The Asian Games, like the Olympics, take place once every four years. As a national team athlete, I prepared responsibly for these events and didn’t think about any records. I did my maximum and brought a medal to the country. That is what matters most. I’m not such a young rider anymore, because cycling is now increasingly focused on youth. A new generation is coming through. But I’m glad they believed in me, gave me a chance, and I fully justified their trust.” Lutsenko plans to retire in the near future. He said he had made the decision at the end of last year. “Time passes. Cycling is changing. Young riders are coming through and producing strong results from an early age. I have done my maximum. Six Asian Games gold medals, stage wins at the biggest Grand Tours. I am proud of what I have done over 15 years in professional sport. Now I have won two gold medals. And this is the best moment to end my career in the near future,” he said. During his professional career, Lutsenko has won stages at two of cycling’s three Grand Tours, the sport’s most prestigious stage races: the Vuelta a España in 2017 and the Tour de France in 2020. By the evening of September 23, Kazakhstan was fourth in the medal standings with seven gold, four silver, and eight bronze medals, behind China, Japan, and South Korea. All five Central Asian countries had won medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Tajikistan had won two gold medals and Uzbekistan...

TCA Interviews

Kazakhstan’s Ruslan Kurbanov on Reaching the World Fencing Elite

Ruslan Kurbanov is a Kazakhstani épée fencer, a Master of Sport of International Class in Kazakhstan, a World Cup medalist, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist, and a two-time Olympian. He began his journey in a children’s fencing club in Ust-Kamenogorsk and has since risen to fourth in the world rankings. Today, he competes on the biggest stages, where a single touch can decide the outcome of a bout and the pressure from the stands can be overwhelming. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, he explains how he handles that pressure, maintains focus amid crowd noise, and stays in control when everything is at stake. TCA: Congratulations, you’ve already won two World Cup medals this year, gold and silver. That’s an impressive result. Ruslan: Thank you. I’m pleased with these medals because, in reality, very few athletes can deliver consistent results across two consecutive competitions. TCA: How did you manage it? Ruslan: With experience, you gradually learn more about your body and how to prepare for competitions. You also become more familiar with the fencing world, you get to know many athletes, understand their strengths and weaknesses, study them, and prepare accordingly. Over time, you mature as an athlete and become more consistent. You develop a clear understanding of the level of results you are capable of. [caption id="attachment_47744" align="aligncenter" width="300"] @kazfencing.kz[/caption] TCA: You won silver in Astana. Do home conditions give you an advantage? Ruslan: There are two sides to that. On the one hand, the advantages are obvious: you’re at home, with familiar food, climate, and time zone, all of which help you prepare in a comfortable environment. On the other hand, there is pressure. When you compete at home, people expect you to deliver your best result. TCA: So winning a medal was a must? Ruslan: Of course. But I also had another goal. This was the first World Cup event held in Kazakhstan, and I understood that many local spectators would attend, perhaps seeing fencing for the first time. First impressions are crucial. People either fall in love with the sport or they don’t. For me, it was important to present fencing at its best, dynamic, exciting, and worthy. Maybe “present” is too strong a word, but I wanted people, especially children, to feel inspired, to have that spark. When kids see victories and the emotions athletes experience afterward, they start thinking, “I want that too,” and they come into the sport. TCA: Do you think you managed to inspire them? Ruslan: I hope so. After the final, when I stepped off the piste, many children came up to me, and parents asked for photos and autographs. It’s very rewarding to see that it resonated with someone and may have stayed with them. TCA: You were ranked seventh in the world? Ruslan: Now I’m fourth. After the tournament in Astana, I moved up to fourth place. TCA: In the final, you lost only to Ukraine’s Roman Svichkar. Do they have a particularly strong...

Snow Leopard Run 2025

Bishkek to Host Kyrgyzstan’s First-Ever Full Marathon as Part of Snow Leopard Run 2025

The Bishkek Snow Leopard Run 2025 will take place in the Kyrgyz capital on September 21, combining long-distance running with wildlife conservation. This year’s event will mark a milestone for the country, featuring Kyrgyzstan’s first-ever 42.2 km marathon. Organized by the Public Association Nomad Sport, the race is part of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) calendar and has also joined the Turkic Alliance of Long Runs (TAN), the first such alliance in Central Asia and the Caucasus. In addition to the full marathon, runners will compete in 5 km, 14 km, and 21.1 km races. All routes will begin at Bishkek’s central Ala-Too Square and pass through the city's main thoroughfares. Nomad Sport General Director Arslan Maldybaev said more than 5,000 runners are expected this year, including participants from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. “It is important to us that people learn about Kyrgyzstan and our symbol, the snow leopard, through sport. This is an opportunity to make a name for ourselves and become a magnet for sports tourism,” he told local media. A portion of the entry fees will support snow leopard conservation. Proceeds from this year’s race will fund the purchase of telescopes for wildlife monitoring. First held in 2019, the Bishkek Snow Leopard Run drew 3,600 runners from 20 countries in its inaugural year. The event highlights the growing symbolic role of the snow leopard in Kyrgyzstan. In December 2023, The Times of Central Asia reported that President Sadyr Japarov had signed a decree officially designating the snow leopard as a national emblem.

Chess Prodigy

Kazakhstani Chess Prodigy to Represent France at Age 8

At just eight years old, Iskander Zhakupov has earned a spot on the French national youth chess team. This fall, the Kazakhstani citizen will represent France at the World Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and the European Championship in Budva, Montenegro. In France, non-citizen children can compete internationally under the national flag if they attend school in the country and are part of a chess club. For adults, however, citizenship is required. Iskander was born in 2017 and is growing up to be an active and inquisitive boy. He enjoys soccer, playing guitar, solving Rubik’s Cubes, and studying math. In preschool, he was even awarded the title “Math Student of the Year.” Although both of his parents are citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, they currently live and work in France. His mother, Marzhan Kamardina, told The Times of Central Asia that his passion for chess began at the age of three, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, his older brother was taking online chess lessons with a coach, and Iskander became fascinated while watching him play. “In the summer of 2021, we happened to visit a science museum,” his mother recalled. “As part of a chess promotion exhibit, there were tables set up for casual play. The organizers were amazed to learn that Iskander was only four years old. By then, he already knew so much. It was the first outside confirmation of his abilities and a real discovery for us.” Iskander soon began competing in online tournaments. During one hosted by a Kazakhstani chess school, a referee noted his use of a wide range of openings, including unconventional ones. Unlike Kazakhstan, France lacks a formal ranking system, so Iskander earns his titles through online qualifiers. He reached the equivalent of a second-level rank six months ago and will need to compete in an in-person tournament in Kazakhstan to advance to the first level. Iskander’s first major tournament took place in 2021, when he entered the qualifying round of the French under-8 championship at just four years old, competing against children three or four years older. He competed in seven games, winning four, drawing one, and earning 4.5 points, which was enough to advance to the regional Ile-de-France Championship. As the youngest player to qualify, he received a special prize. At the time, he didn’t grasp the significance of the achievement. He was simply enjoying the game. By age seven, Iskander had taken second place in the Ile-de-France tournament. In 2025, he became the French under-8 champion. The 62nd French Junior Chess Championship was recently held in Vichy, drawing more than 1,800 young players from across the country. The under-8 and under-10 categories competed over five days, each playing nine intense rounds. In the final rounds, Iskander faced regional champions from all over France. He lost only one game, to a player who had earlier been defeated by someone Iskander had beaten. Both players finished with 8 points, and the outcome remained uncertain until the very end. Iskander had...

Sport

Kyrgyzstan Prepares for First-Ever Ultramarathon Around Lake Issyk-Kul

Kyrgyzstan is set to host its first-ever ultramarathon around Issyk-Kul Lake, one of the world’s largest high-altitude lakes, between May 5 and 10. The event, titled the 1st Issyk Kul Six-Day Challenge, is billed as the world’s longest six-stage foot race, covering a total distance of 460 kilometers. The ultramarathon will take place over six days and six grueling stages: 90 km, 74 km, 87 km, 85 km, 79 km, and 45 km. Participants will race on a mix of asphalt, gravel roads, and dirt trails at elevations reaching up to 2,000 meters above sea level. Participation is capped at 100 runners. The racecourse has been carefully planned not only to circumnavigate the entire lake but also to showcase some of Kyrgyzstan’s most dramatic landscapes, including the otherworldly Fairy Tale Canyon and the striking rock formations of the Seven Bulls. “Issyk-Kul has been a place of power for many great marathoners, including Olympic champion Valentina Egorova and Olympic bronze medalist Satymkul Dzhumanazarov,” said Alex Golowin, Race Director and Head Coach at Running Expert. “We at Running Expert have been coming here for years to train for both marathons and ultras. The working altitude, mild weather, food familiar to Europeans, and the stunning nature make training here not only effective but also inspiring.” Organizers hope the event will help establish Kyrgyzstan as an emerging destination for sports tourism, drawing endurance athletes from around the world to the heart of Central Asia.

Sports

Kazakhstan Bans Use of Public Funds to Pay Foreign Athletes

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a new law prohibiting the use of state budget funds and funds from the quasi-governmental sector, to finance the participation of foreign athletes in Kazakh sports clubs. Under the legislation, foreign “legionnaires” may now only be contracted using money from private sponsors. The move aims to refocus state support on domestic talent in professional sports. According to the presidential administration, athletes holding Kazakhstani passports who compete at elite levels, including in Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic, Asian, and national sports, will remain eligible for public funding. Funding Priorities and Implementation “The priority sports will be defined based on achievements on the international stage,” Akorda stated. These will include sports featured in the programs of major multi-sport events, along with traditional national disciplines. Budget allocations will also continue for state-run physical culture and sports organizations, grassroots sports initiatives, and the development of sports infrastructure. The final list of high-performance priority sports, along with detailed budget allocation procedures, will be finalized by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. In addition to the funding changes, the new law introduces unified standards for athlete training and outlines measures to promote traditional values and patriotic education. A new concept, “national standards of sports training”, has been formally introduced into legislation. Financial Impact and Transition Period Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev previously estimated that Kazakhstan allocates around 400 billion tenge (approximately $797 million) annually to high-performance sports through national and regional budgets. Currently, football and hockey clubs can receive up to 1.2 billion KZT ($2.4 million) per year, while basketball and volleyball clubs are limited to 450 million KZT ($897,000). The new rules, however, will not affect existing contracts, as Kazakh law is not retroactive. Nevertheless, authorities have advised clubs across all sports not to sign new agreements with foreign athletes in 2025. Potential Legal Challenges Observers note that the restrictions may conflict with Kazakhstan’s obligations under the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Treaty, which guarantees the free movement of labor among member states. The move could impact the future participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, in particular, in Kazakhstan’s domestic leagues. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, legal interpretations of the EAEU Treaty’s provisions may play a decisive role in how these new restrictions are implemented in practice.