The 3rd International Youth Tournament born in 2003 in memory of Nurlan Kapparov, a prominent statesman of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has come to an end at the stadium of the Zhas Kyran Children and Youth Football Academy in Almaty.

The festive atmosphere, competitive sporting spirit and the intrigue created by the players on the field created a special atmosphere of warmth, comfort and celebration. The gathered fans were looking forward to the most interesting games between the tournament's strongest teams.

We remind you that this year representatives of OSDYUSHOR (Shymkent), Zhas Kyran (Almaty), DVUFK (Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine), Dordoi (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), Pakhtakor (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) and the Orzu-2026 Academy (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) competed for the main trophy.

As a result of the international tournament, the following results are presented:

1st place — “Pakhtakor” in Moscow. Tashkent

2nd place — FC Dordoi, Moscow Bishkek

3rd place — “DVUFK” in Moscow. Dnepropetrovsk

4th place — “Zhas Kyran” Sports Center in Moscow. Almaty

5th place - “OSDYUSHOR” in Moscow. Shymkent

6th place — FC “Orzu” in Moscow Dushanbe

The best goalkeeper is Klanov Iman — FC Dordoi

Best defender — Prometny Yaroslav — DVUFK

Best midfielder — Kukeev Genre- DUFC “ZHAS KYRAN”

The best forward is Yergashbaev Abbos - FC Pakhtakor

The best player of the tournament is Fayzullayev Abbos - FC Pakhtakor.

The long-awaited final was played by Pakhtakor and Dordoi, teams that played very organized football throughout the tournament with their own tactics and strategy, for which they were especially praised. Students of the Pakhtakor Football Club won the international tournament in memory of statesman Nurlan Kapparov. At the end of regular time, they confidently won 4-2. Thus, Pakhtakors become “gold” medalists of the tournament.

Before the last round, two contenders remained in first place — Pakhtakor Tashkent and Dordoi Bishkek, so the game between these opponents was essentially final. The match was interesting, intriguing and full of goals. Losing 1:2 during the confrontation, Pakhtakorovtsy eventually won 4:2 and won the tournament. They have 4 victories and scored twelve points. Bishkek took second place with the same number of points, but losing to competitors in a personal meeting.

Ukrainians and the hosts competed for the third place. The team from Dnipropetrovsk took the easy 2-0 lead, but at the end of the second half they relaxed and were punished. But even a 2-2 draw and 6 points allowed the visitors to take third place. The Almaty national team, which played under the “Zhas Kyran” flag, remained fourth with five points. On the final day of the tournament, Shymkent defeated Dushanbe and took fifth place, pushing their opponents to sixth.

After waiting for the end, we ask the head coach of FC “Pakhtakor” An Dmitry to share his impressions:

— This is the third time we are taking part in this tournament. We come to gain international experience, as well as to play against strong opponents from different regions and countries. I would like to thank the organizers of the tournament, everything is at the highest level, including meals and accommodation. We would be happy to take part in this tournament more than once. After all, during such events, you can immediately see which of the guys has a great future ahead of them.

— You are coming to Almaty for the third year in a row. Has your roster changed much?

— The team has almost remained the same. The guys have grown, got stronger and improved technically and tactically. Our academy has its own concept and system for training reserves. Adhering to this direction, we are progressing.

— Your pupil Abvos Faizullayev was recognized as the best player. Fans compared him to Arshavin and Messi. He played very brightly and scored beautiful goals. What is the secret behind his strong individual skills?

— Abvos is strong not only individually, but also in team combination play. He has good coordination, fast dribbling and a great game mindset. We develop all this during training and also give special homework assignments.

FC Pakhtakor player Abvos Fayzullayev:

— I am happy to take part in such a large-scale tournament; it is a great experience for me. We tried to win, we moved towards our goal, and we succeeded. I, in turn, will not rest on my laurels; I will develop to achieve all my goals!

Rustam Kurbanov, the head coach of FC ORZU-2026, also said a few words:

— The tournament made the best impression on me. Everything is top notch, from meals to lodging and playing games. I would like to thank the organizers for inviting us to participate in this tournament. We've come to show ourselves and see others. This tournament showed us how and where to move forward. We performed a little poorly, which probably had an impact on the guys being tired, as we took part in various tournaments in a short time. But it's still a great experience for us, and I'm thankful for that.

The decisive matches of the tournament were attended by a lot of spectators; famous Kazakh football veterans Sergey Gorokhovodatsky, Dias Omarov, Kuralbek Ordabayev, heads of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center, businessmen, politicians, Nurlan Kapparov's widow and his friends attended. Famous football player Andrey Arshavin also attended the last match.

While next to him in the VIP bed, we had a heart-to-heart talk. I will definitely post our conversation on Sportinfo.kz as a separate article, if, of course, Andrey allows us to publish our communication without censorship, and he noted about the past competitions:

— Football brings joy to everyone and it is very nice to see the conditions in which young men play. It is also comfortable for fans to be at such a stadium. I heard that this place used to be ruined, and now it's a modern football center. Respect to the people who created it. As for the tournament, Pakhtakor probably rightly took first place: the Uzbek school has always been famous for its technical players who profess the Brazilian style. I would like to wish all participants of these competitions, as well as all Kazakh boys, to simply love football and work hard.

It should be noted that Andrey Arshavin was in great demand both before and after the awards ceremony. And what's nice is that he didn't say no to anyone for a protracted photo shoot.

“I have always said and will continue to say that football is a sport, a business, an art, a social phenomenon, and the country's prestige,” Berik Kaniev, head of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center, said in a conversation with Sportinfo.kz. “But above all, first of all

is a game that should bring joy. I hope that all participants got happy and positive emotions at this tournament, talked and became friends. Young players showed their best qualities and the fans saw future stars in the games. And maybe in 5-7 years we will be proud to say and journalists will write that high-class masters participated in our tournament in Almaty.

The closing ceremony, which took place at the Sputnik Stadium at the Zhas Kyran Children and Youth Football Center, was attended by the leaders of the Zhas Kyran League, Berik Kaniev, Marat Abdildabekov, Gaukhar Kapparova, Nurlan Kapparov's widow, Kazakh football veterans Kuralbek Ordabayev and Mikhail Gurman, as well as FC Kairat player Andrey Arshavin:

“Dear friends, children, coaches and teams. I am glad to welcome everyone at the closing of the annual international tournament dedicated to the memory of public figure Nurlan Kapparov,” Berik Kaniev, head of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center, began his speech.

At the age of less than 45, Nurlan did a lot of good deeds, both in public terms and in social projects. Today we remember him again. Everything went well. His bright memory will always be in our hearts. He loved football very much, and as we can see, today it was an uncompromising fight. I congratulate Pakhtakor on their victory, who participated for three years in a row and won prizes each time. I would like to thank the organizers of the tournament for the good atmosphere. I wish all children success and prosperity!

Marat Abdildabekov, Head of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center

I congratulate all of us on the completion of a wonderful tournament dedicated to the memory of our friend, a prominent person. The tournament took place on a very high note. The teams were impressed. I would like to especially thank the teams that responded to our invitation. The level of football demonstrated by the children is very high quality. Many teams already think like adults and play sincerely like boys; this is due to the coaching staff and countries. I would like to thank the fans for supporting us. Good luck and success to everyone!

Gaukhar Kapparova, Nurlan Kapparov's widow:

I would like to express my deep gratitude from our entire family. Honestly, coming here makes my heart happy. Because children have the opportunity to participate in such good competitions. I would like to wish all participants further success; you did a great job for playing sports so seriously.

Mikhail Gurman, a veteran of Kazakh football:

I think these competitions will be remembered by the guys for the rest of their lives. All the guys did a great job. I would like to thank Marat Abdildabekov and Berik Kaniev for creating such conditions for this tournament. It doesn't matter who won, the main thing is that the guys still have positive emotions.

Andrey Arshavin, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, FC Kairat player:

I would like to wish you success and good luck. Always remember that football is not just a game. It is also important that organizers arrange off-field events for you, because communication is the most important thing. This is how football ends for me in a week. (Laughter in the stands) The organizers did a great job, I would like this tournament to be held as long as possible.

Genius Tulegenov

Natalya Donskikh

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