9 stadiums in Kazakhstan certified by UEFA

Nine stadiums in the country can now host international games, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Football Federation Vice-President Viktor Katkov as saying at a presentation. Vice-President Katkov said that stadiums in Aktobe, Karaganda, Almaty, Kostanai, Astana, Taldykorgan and Kokshetau obtained the UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) certificates starting from January 1 this year. Katkov also said that UEFA representatives strictly evaluated the stadiums' under many criteria. As for the quality of artificial grass surface, there are five heated and nine unheated synthetic fields in Kazakhstan. Katkov reminded that starting from 2012 one of the requirements to premier league clubs will be having a reserve field with heated surface. First league clubs will also be required to have a reserve field, but the surface won't necessary have to be a heated one. As per the technical director of Adiana Sport Stroy, Vladimir Moor, construction of an artificial field surface without heating costs around 120 million tenge ($822 thousand), whereas heating of this surface costs another 120 million tenge ($822 thousand).