The Nazarbayev University team successfully competed in the qualifying stage of the Student Games League grappling tournament in Astana, securing a well-deserved spot in the finals.
A total of eight universities from the Astana and Kokshetau regions competed in the qualifiers. The event organizers, SGL, previously ran a successful basketball tournament (where NU placed an impressive 2nd out of a bracket of 16 universities) and are now heavily focused on promoting inter-university grappling. The tournament’s unique “5×5” rules allow all forms of grappling, such as jiu-jitsu, judo, sambo, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, to be well represented.
The NU team was represented by five students:
- Abdulaziz Khalmetov
- Nurdaulet Sembay
- Daryn Beketayev
- Alisher Kaliyev
- Alikhan Smailov
Matthew Courtney, NU’s Director of Institutional Research and Head Coach of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) team, shared his thoughts on the team’s impressive performance:
“Our team’s success was largely due to our consistent training over the many months prior to the event. We also leveraged niche skill sets such as specific throws and innovative submission techniques to be successful in the qualifying round. We are now focused heavily on our preparation and will make strategic improvements before the finals. We are all proud to represent NU in this tournament and are all looking forward to the build up and online marketing campaign as we approach the finals!”
Organized under the “Astana – a city without drugs” initiative, the final stage of the tournament is scheduled for April 25, 2026. We congratulate our team and wish them the best of luck in the battle for the championship!
