Only 22% of schoolchildren go to sport clubs in Kazakhstan

Only 22% of Kazakhstan schoolchildren go to sport clubs, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing the Majilis (the lower chamber of the Parliament) press-service. Aitkul Samakova, Kazakhstan Majilis deputy, raised the issue during a visiting session of the Social Council of Nur Otan National Democratic Party’s parliamentary faction and the Majilis Commission for Social and Cultural Development that Aitkul Samakova chairs. Only 22% of Kazakhstan schoolchildren are covered by sport clubs at schools. One third of pre-school facilities don’t have gyms and only few of them have swimming pools. The problem of sport development in villages is especially acute at present. Only 8% of sports facilities – stadiums, swimming pools and sport complexes - are indoors facilities. The other two-thirds are outdoors sport grounds that can be used only during warm season,” the deputy said. She reminded that Kazakhstan President’s State-of-the-Union Address of 2010 set a task for the Sport and Physical Education Agency to ensure involvement of 30% of the population into regular sports activity. This year’s Address has set the task for the local executive authorities to ensure better availability and accessibility of sport facilities for popular sport activities. According to Samakova, there are too few sport facilities to sustain development of popular sports in Kazakhstan. There is lack of sports gear and equipment at the existing sports sites. 40% of sport grounds and gyms require full or minor repairs. Young people can’t afford sports and fitness activity because of high prices. She added that there were no sport grounds at places of residence and public entertainment sites. There were no promotion of physical education and sport among children, teenagers and adults, she said. At the meeting dedicated to development of the capital of Kazakhstan in the middle of April this year President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the country’s sports authorities to make Astana Sport and Cultural sites accessible for population. He charged Talgat Yermegiyayev, head of Kazakhstan Sport and Physical Education Agency, to ensure involvement of Kazakhstan residents into popular sports.