This year, for the first time, the Student Sports League, organized by NU, is being held as a single tournament for all universities.
“The organization of today’s event is at a very high level. The best athletes from all over Kazakhstanhave come to compete in the finals. These students are our future Olympic champions, who will represent Kazakhstan at global tournaments. I wish all the participants the best of luck,” said Akerke Abylaikhan, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Higher and Postgraduate Education of the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in her welcoming speech.
The opening ceremony also featured three-time Olympic swimmer Yekaterina Vyshegorodskaya and five-time world champion in MMA, jiu-jitsu and karate Aidar Makhmetov.
Student teams compete in eight disciplines: table tennis, Kazakh kuresi, chess, togyzkumalak, basketball, swimming, kickboxing and taekwondo. Chess tournament winners, in addition to medals, will also receive a cash prize sponsored by the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
“At NU, we are always open to collaborating with other universities in Kazakhstan, and today’s league is a testament to that. Previously, each university took upon itself the organization of only one sport. However, this year, our colleagues, along with student sports clubs, developed a project for a unified tournament and presented it to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education,” explained NU Vice-President Assel Uvaliyeva.
The closing and awards ceremony for some sports will take place at NU on May 31.
