National sports are
gaining popularity among Kazakh citizens. The number of people engaged in these
sports has grown by 35 percent over the past three years. According to
statistics from the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Sports, there were 432,000
athletes involved in national sports in 2020, and by the end of last year, the
number had increased to 584,000. The largest increase was observed in the
Turkistan region, followed by the Zhambyl and Almaty regions. Additionally, the
number of athletes participating in national sports has also risen in the
Kostanai, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan and Shymkent regions. It is
worth reminding that the most popular traditional sports in Kazakhstan include
Togyzkumalak, Kazaksha kures (wrestling), Kokpar, Assyk Atu, and Baiga.