Photo exhibition featuring paralympic athletes opens in Astana

A unique exhibition by two photographers from Kazakhstan and France has opened on the Astana embankment. Dedicated to the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris, it features nearly 50 photographs portraying champions in various Paralympic sports. Notably, some of these athletes will represent Kazakhstan in the quadrennial competition in the French capital scheduled from August 28 to September 8.

«The exhibition is a joint project by French photographer Didier Echelard and Kazakh photographer Ospan Ali, showcasing two galleries of portraits of Paralympic athletes. Around 4,500 Paralympians will gather in Paris to compete across 22 sports disciplines. This exhibition is part of our cultural events program held throughout the year. This year, while we have focused on the Olympic Games, we are also hosting various other events,» said French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Didier Canesse.

Notably, Kazakhstan has secured 21 licenses for the Paris Paralympics. Kazakh female para-canoeist Zhanyl Baltabayeva earned one following her successful performance at the Paracanoe World Championships in Hungary. Currently, the athlete is actively preparing for the upcoming competition.

«First of all, I believe in the support of my coach, I believe in myself, and I think everything will go well. I’ve just returned from Poland, where the weather was suitably windy. I trained there for 30-40 days, and up until the trip to Paris, I will continue to be at training camps in Poland,» said Zhanyl Baltabayeva, the bronze medalist of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.

The photo exhibition, organized with the support of the Kazakh Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the French Embassy in Kazakhstan, is open to all guests and residents of Astana until August 14th.