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Tengrinews.kz – Kazakh MP Sergey Ponomaryov has urged the government to postpone the upcoming Games of the Future tournament due to budget shortfalls and the difficult economic situation.
In his request addressed to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, Ponomaryov noted that while the tournament is important for the development of the IT sector and the country’s image, spending billions of tenge now is not reasonable.
According to him, the state budget missed 570.8 billion tenge in revenues in 2024, mainly due to lower tax collections. Hosting the Games of the Future could cost the government around 62 billion tenge.
“These funds are equivalent to building at least six modern schools, which our children need much more. Given the current situation, I believe it would be reasonable to postpone the Games of the Future for several years,” Ponomaryov said.
He added that delaying the event would allow Kazakhstan to prepare more thoroughly under challenging economic conditions.
Kazakhstan was awarded the right to host the international Phygital Games of the Future in 2026. The UAE will host the event in 2025, while Kazakhstan is scheduled to stage it in Astana from July 18 to August 1, 2026.
The Games of the Future is a global multi-sport tournament based on the concept of phygital sports, combining traditional athletic competitions with digital and esports disciplines.
