Prospects for the development of school and student sports discussed in Astana

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The purpose of the meeting is to develop a systematic approach to the development of physical culture among schoolchildren and students, popularize an active lifestyle, modernize infrastructure, discuss regulatory issues and create new forms of cooperation.

In his welcoming speech, Arman Tashmetov, Director General of the National Scientific and Practical Center of Physical Culture of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, noted the important role of sports in the education of young people and stressed that physical education is an integral element of the formation of a healthy and active society.

"Physical education is not just a lesson in the schedule. This is an investment in the health of the nation. Today's schoolchildren are tomorrow's champions and leaders of society. Our task is to create all conditions for them," Tashmetov stressed.

During the meeting, an analysis on physical education teachers was presented: 29,636 specialists work in public schools today, including international—class sports masters, current coaches and master candidates. Volleyball, football, basketball, togyzkumalak, table tennis, asyk ata — these sports cover thousands of children across the country.

As part of the Calendar Plan, the Center organizes major events annually.:

Winter and Summer Gymnasiums;
National School League for 10 Sports;
Multi-level competitions in 23 sports.

The federations spoke about their initiatives. Yelsiyar Kanagatov, Vice President of the Table Tennis Federation, proposed launching a joint project to train teachers to continue working as coaches. According to him, today there are more than 262,000 table tennis fans in the country, but there is an acute shortage of professional mentors.

Nikita Mozgomov, a representative of the Kazakhstan Football Federation, noted the success of the UEFA Playmakers project, designed for girls aged 5-8. This is the second year that the program has been helping to introduce children to football in a playful way.

Vice-President of the Tennis Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Dias Doskarayev presented the "Baby Tennis" project, which covers more than 100 kindergartens and 2,000 preschoolers.

Vice-President of the Volleyball Federation Ermek Syrlybaev noted that more than 357,000 children are engaged in volleyball, and this area is showing rapid growth.

President of the National Basketball Federation Alizhan Tulembayev emphasized the high interest of high school students in basketball, as well as the growing number of leagues and competitions across the country.

Chairman of the Sports Committee of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan Arman Abeuov spoke about interdepartmental cooperation with the Ministry of Education. As part of the joint plan, systematic measures are being worked out to strengthen the teaching staff in the field of basic military and technological training and physical education. In particular, the possibility of employment of military retirees and professional trainers as physical education teachers and instructors of military technical training in schools is being considered.

"We see that today the school needs qualified personnel, especially in terms of physical training. Military retirees have unique experience and discipline, while trainers have methods and motivation. A joint approach will help us fill the shortage of staff and improve the quality of student education," Abeuov said.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Sports and Physical Culture of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan Amanbai Nurmukhanbetov recalled that the Head of State in his annual Messages to the People of Kazakhstan pays special attention to the development of mass sports and sports among children. He expressed confidence that through joint efforts it would be possible to achieve tangible results in this direction.

Concluding the meeting, Arman Tashmetov expressed gratitude to all participants and stressed the importance of involving sports federations in the development of school and student sports.:

"If we want to see healthy, strong and successful youth, we must act together. Thanks to everyone who helps us with this."