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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.

Sports

Central Asia’s First Rowing Canal Opens in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has inaugurated Central Asia’s first-ever rowing canal in the southern city of Turkestan. Opened on September 15, the facility is the only one of its kind in the region and meets the standards of both the International Canoe Federation (ICF) and the International Rowing Federation (FISA). Spanning 100 hectares, the canal stretches 2.5 kilometers and is equipped to host international competitions, including World Cup and Asian Cup events in rowing and canoeing. It will also serve as a dedicated training base for athletes. The complex includes spectator grandstands, a one-kilometer city beach, and an on-site hotel. In addition to its sporting function, the canal will contribute to environmental sustainability by supplying water for irrigating Turkestan’s green belt. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, more than 6,000 people in Kazakhstan regularly participate in rowing and canoeing. Officials highlight rowing as one of the most “medal-rich” sports, with 14 medal sets awarded at the Olympic Games and more than 20 at the World Rowing Championships, offering strong opportunities for national athletic achievement. Authorities expect the new facility to significantly advance the development of rowing in Kazakhstan and to strengthen Turkestan’s profile as a regional hub for both culture and sports.

Sports

Kazakhstan Wins Team Gold at World Boxing Championships in Liverpool

Kazakhstan's national boxing team has clinched the team gold medal at the inaugural World Boxing Championships held in Liverpool, England, edging out Uzbekistan by securing more gold medals. A total of 554 athletes from 68 countries participated in the competition, including 20 boxers from Kazakhstan, 10 male and 10 female. On September 14, eight Kazakhstani and eight Uzbekistani boxers advanced to the finals. Heading into the decisive final bout, both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan had secured six gold medals each. The tie-breaker unfolded in the super heavyweight category (over 90 kg), where Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay faced Uzbekistan’s Jahongir Zokirov. Zokirov had the upper hand after the first round, but Oralbay mounted a comeback and ultimately won by a 3:2 split decision. With this victory, Kazakhstan topped the overall medal table with seven gold medals. Uzbekistan followed with six, while India claimed third place with two. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev congratulated the national team, praising gold medalists Sanzhar Tashkenbay, Mahmud Sabyrkhan, Alua Balkibekova, Aida Abikeeva, Torehan Sabyrkhan, Natalia Bogdanova, and Aibek Oralbay, as well as silver medalist Nazym Kyzaibay and bronze winners Victoria Grafeeva and Eldana Talipova. He wished success to those still competing in Liverpool and emphasized that while Kazakhstan’s performance at the championships was a major success, intensive preparation must continue ahead of the upcoming Olympic Games in the United States. This tournament marked a significant milestone as the first world championship organized by World Boxing, a breakaway international federation established in 2023 in response to ongoing governance and financial issues within the International Boxing Association (IBA). Following the IBA’s failure to implement required reforms, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) revoked its accreditation, placing boxing's Olympic status in jeopardy. World Boxing, now recognized by the IOC as of spring 2025, brought together more than 100 national federations and was granted the authority to organize Olympic qualifying events. Liverpool thus became the historic venue for the first world championship under the new structure. Athletes from Brazil (4), India and Poland (3 each), Turkey, Australia, and England (2 each), as well as France, Mongolia, Spain, Japan, Bulgaria, the USA, Taiwan, and Ireland (1 each) also reached the finals. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Olympic champion Lazizbek Mullojanov, who won gold at the 2024 Games, was not included in Uzbekistan’s lineup. Mullojanov was suspended in mid-2025 amid an ongoing anti-doping investigation.

Sports

Astana to Host 2027 UEFA Under-19 Futsal European Championship

Astana has been selected to host the 2027 UEFA Under-19 Futsal European Championship, marking the first time Kazakhstan will stage a youth futsal tournament at this level. The decision was announced during a UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Tirana, Albania. According to the Kazakhstan Football Federation (KFF), the joint bid submitted by the KFF and the Kazakhstan Futsal Association received UEFA’s approval, granting Astana the right to organize the final tournament. The matches are tentatively scheduled to take place from September 26 to October 3, 2027, at the Zhekpe Zhek Sports Palace in the capital. Launched in 2019, the UEFA Under-19 Futsal Championship has been held every two years. The inaugural edition was held in Latvia's capital Riga, followed by tournaments in Spain (Jaén, 2022) and Croatia (2023). The 2025 edition is set to take place in Chișinău, Moldova, from September 28 to October 5. The final tournament features eight teams: the host nation and seven group winners from the qualification rounds. The lineup for Euro 2025 includes Moldova, Ukraine, Slovenia, Czechia, Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Portugal, the defending champions. Spain previously claimed back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2022. For Kazakhstan’s U-19 team, Euro 2027 will mark their debut in the finals, as host nations qualify automatically. While the youth squad has yet to make an international impact, the senior national futsal team has built a strong reputation. Kazakhstan secured bronze at Euro 2016 in Belgrade, reached the semifinals again in Slovenia in 2018, and advanced to the quarterfinals at Euro 2022 in the Netherlands. The senior team is currently competing for a spot in Euro 2026, which will be co-hosted by Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovenia. After missing direct qualification, Kazakhstan will face Italy in play-off matches on September 18 (away) and September 23 (home in Astana). Despite generational changes, naturalized Brazilian players such as Leo Higuita, Douglas Junior, and Edson continue to play key roles. Earlier this year, Kazakhstan introduced a legislative ban on the use of public funds to pay foreign athletes. Hosting Euro 2027 represents a significant milestone in Kazakhstan’s efforts to promote youth sports and strengthen its standing in European futsal. UEFA’s decision highlights the country’s growing role in international sport and provides a platform for the next generation of Kazakh futsal players to compete at the highest level.

Sports

Paulo Bento Declines Offer to Coach Uzbekistan National Football Team

Portuguese football coach Paulo Bento has reportedly declined an offer to lead Uzbekistan’s national team, despite the country’s historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to the Portuguese sports daily A BOLA, the 56-year-old coach turned down the proposal from the Uzbekistan Football Association, stating that the terms did not align with his current career plans. Bento, who was dismissed as head coach of the United Arab Emirates in March 2024, is still available on the international coaching market. His departure from the UAE team came as a surprise, particularly since the squad remained in contention for what could have been its first-ever World Cup appearance. Bento previously managed the Portuguese national team from 2010 to 2014, leading them through UEFA Euro 2012 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup. More recently, he coached South Korea at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Uzbekistan’s reported interest in Bento reflects the country’s broader ambitions to elevate its football program ahead of its World Cup debut in 2026. The national team secured qualification earlier this year, marking a landmark achievement. Officials have emphasized ongoing reforms within the country’s football infrastructure, with goals to professionalize the domestic league and enhance international competitiveness.

Sports

Real Madrid to Play Kairat in Almaty in UEFA Champions League

Almaty’s Kairat will face European giants, including 15-time champions Real Madrid, in the UEFA Champions League group stage, marking a historic milestone for the Kazakh club. Kairat has never before reached this phase of the competition. Earlier this summer, the club became only the second team from Kazakhstan, after Astana, to qualify for the group stage by overcoming four rounds of qualifiers. Prior to the August 28 draw, head coach Rafael Urazbakhtin expressed a wish to be grouped with Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Liverpool. The draw delivered on one of those wishes: Kairat will now face Real Madrid, the most decorated club in European football history. Also in their group are Inter Milan, three-time Champions League winners, and Arsenal, a top English club with 13 domestic league titles but still seeking their first Champions League crown. Kairat's group stage schedule includes away matches against Sporting Lisbon and Copenhagen, while they will host Belgium’s Club Brugge, Greece’s Olympiacos, and Cyprus’s Pafos in Almaty. The group stage will be played between late September 2025 and the end of January 2026. “We are delighted to be playing Real Madrid. It's not often that such a club comes to Kazakhstan,” said Urazbakhtin. He acknowledged the disparity in skill levels but emphasized the importance of home support and maximizing their advantage in Almaty. A total of 36 clubs are competing in this season’s group stage. Each team plays eight matches, four home and four away, against different opponents. The top eight teams overall will advance directly to the playoffs, while clubs ranked 9th to 24th will enter a playoff round in February 2026 to fight for the remaining spots in the round of 16. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kairat earned their Champions League berth after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Celtic, with reserve goalkeeper Temirlan Anarbekov playing a decisive role in the victory.