On October 20, 2018, a solemn event was held in Almaty to mark the opening of the “Zhas Kyran” football training center for children and youth and the legendary Almaty stadium “Sputnik” after reconstruction. This event took place thanks to bilateral support from the Mayor's Office of Almaty and businessman, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lancaster Group Kazakhstan Holding, President of the DUFL, Berik Kaniev, who initiated this social project.
The goal and idea of this project is to comprehensively support the development of youth football in Kazakhstan, improve the infrastructure of training centers, improve the skills of the coaching staff, and identify talented guys who will soon become Kazakhstan's future football players and bring quite a few victories to their homeland. The renovated stadium is designed for 800 spectators with a suspended roof and is equipped with rooms under the stands, a field with a drainage system and the latest generation of Italian artificial turf certified by FIFA. More than 500 young players will be able to train here. The total coaching staff of the football center is 50 people.
This event was attended by Mayor of Almaty Bauyrzhan Baibek, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Yerbolat Dossayev, President of the Kazakhstan Football Federation Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, and the country's Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly. Kairat's legendary footballers Yevstafiy Pakhlevanidi, Alexander Zhuikov and Vahid Masudov, famous masters and former players of the national team, were also invited.
The Zhas Kyran Children's and Youth Football Center was created on the basis of Almaty Sports School No. 2, one of the most famous in Kazakhstan, which opened in the last century in 1964. In Soviet times, football school, then Sports School No. 3, was famous for its coaches, success and graduates, but with the onset of market relations, it was on the verge of extinction. Last October, the Sputnik Stadium was an emergency destroyed facility with a football field that was not even suitable for training.
As part of a public-private partnership with the Mayor's Office of Almaty, Zhas Kyran Children and Youth Football Center LLP became an investor, investing hundreds of millions of tenge in reconstruction and construction. All major works, which began in June, were carried out efficiently and on time! Now, on the site of the ruins of the old Sputnik, there is a modern football training complex.
Berik Kaniev, Head of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center.
My friend Marat Abdildabekov and my entire team were also shocked by what we saw when we came here at the end of last year, Berik Kaniev recalls. Nevertheless, we decided, on the basis of a public-private partnership, to revive the arena and open a football center for children and youth. Careful monitoring, routine paperwork, a difficult preparatory phase, and finally, in June this year, we started construction.
Looking at the ruins of Sputnik and at the scrupulous step-by-step qualitative approach to all construction and installation issues, the pessimists did not believe that the facility would be completed this year.
On behalf of the entire Zhas Kyran Football Center, I also express my gratitude to the Kazakhstan Football Federation and its President Adilbek Dzhaksybekov, Almaty Mayor's Office and Mayor Bauyrzhan Baibek, and the Department of Physical Education and Sports to all our partners. Together we have shown and proved how public-private partnerships can successfully implement projects for the benefit of children, football, the people and the country. Our contractors did a great job. Many thanks to the friendly construction team of Techno-Lux Company and Citadel, which covered the artificial turf.
This is not our first social project; we love football and support children. Here we have built a futsal center according to all European standards. The main goal is for children to enjoy sports and grow up as patriots, and for football to bring happiness to all our parents, to have positive emotions from every match played.”
Marat Abdildabekov, himself a former football player, told the guests about the revived arena.
We are now present at a modern football training complex certified by FIFA and UEFA, said Marat Mukhtarovich. “A stadium with 800-seat seats under the roof, administrative offices cozy as stands, changing rooms, offices, a standard field with a modern drainage system and the latest generation of Italian artificial turf, sports grounds, and a well-equipped adjacent area.”
I think everyone who is here right now is happy. First of all, coaching veterans who worked at this school and are invited to the opening ceremony today as guests of honor — Yuri Pavlovich Builov, Umerbek Rakhimzhanovich Bekposynov, Anatoly Andreevich Zhitkeev, Boris Vladimirovich Bazhmin, Azat Abdrakovich Nildibayev, Valery Vladimirovich Malygin, Alexander Malyshev, Boris Bessonov, Mikhail Severgin and others.
On this day, representatives of the Kazakh media are happy in front of coaching elders, children and parents alike. Of course, the graduates of this sports school, who successfully played for Kairat in the USSR Premier League, in other teams of masters and for the Kazakhstan national team, were also happy.
They are Sergey Volgin, Boris Jumanov, Sergey Burakov, Ruslan Baltiev, Ali Aliev, Renat Abdulin, Igor Yurin, Sergey Chekmezov and many others. The management of “Zhas Kyran” and the entire team will be happy to see them at the center. And let's hope that together with them, the good traditions of continuity between generations and the preparation of a decent reserve for Kazakh football will be revived.
Along with the creation of modern infrastructure, other construction has also begun last year — the construction of an advanced football model within the walls of the Zhas Kyran Center. Alexander Kuznetsov, a promising young coach, has been invited to the post of sports director. He has developed a concept for the system and development of a new football educational institution. By the way, he himself is a graduate of this school and trained with Boris Andreyevich Tulayev, a famous mentor. With Kuznetsov's participation, modern advanced projects were studied and consultations were held with leading experts in teaching methods from Europe. Taking into account Kuznetsov's own international experience while working for Kazakhstan's junior teams, a training program for the Zhas Kyran Football Center has been prepared aimed at training smart, physically strong and technical players.
Without the development of youth football, this sport has no future, no matter how much the state pays foreign coaches and football Varangians. Success at the expense of foreign players should not be deceived. Raising a healthy generation, finding talents and training high-level domestic football players who can join the national team and professional teams not only in our country but also abroad are important priorities.
In the future, “Zhas Kyran” plans to form its own team of masters from its students and thus build a football pyramid with a strong foundation and create its own club.
Today we can proudly say that the joint public-private partnership project between the Almaty Mayor's Office and the Zhas Kyran Football Center has made both Almaty boys and all residents of the southern capital who love football happy.
We offer you a short interview with participants of the opening ceremony of the “Zhas Kyran” Sports Center:
Alexander Zhuykov, a legendary veteran of FC Kairat:
— Football will always be football! I'm happy to see Sputnik's revival, it's great! Now it is the “Zhas Kyran” center. Great coaches have worked and are working here. If we recall, highly qualified specialists Viktor Novotorzhin, Boris Lyakh, Tolya Ovsiyenko, Boris Tulaev, Anatoly Zhitkeev and others worked here. And after finishing my career as a player, I trained at this school. I walked around the complex and was happy. With this infrastructure, we can talk about the future of Kazakh football. Thanks to the people who implemented this project for the benefit of all Kazakh football. It is very important that children play professionally.
FC Kairat's legendary scorer Yevstafiy Pahlevanidi:
— Congratulations on the opening! I can only wish you to have as many such centers as possible. The impressions are great, because seeing in the photo what happened before and what is now, it is certainly heaven and earth. A lot of work has been done. Well done, all the workers and managers did a great job.
Alexander Malyshev, a well-known coach:
— I've been working here for twenty-two years. It was the biggest school with a winning tradition. All the best players graduated from here. In the 90s, the school lost its appearance and status, but what we have done now is certainly impressive. Great happiness and joy for the city. I would like to see as many schools like this as possible. After all, children are something worth living for!
Hamid Kushukov, CEO of Techno-Lux Company:
— Thanks to good funding from customers, it was possible to complete the reconstruction and construction of the facility in a short time. By joint efforts, we have brought the football center to such a good condition. I think we did it! I wish FC Zhas Kyran to raise more children, namely its own Messi in Kazakhstan. As our President says, it is necessary to build as many such structures as possible. And “Zhas Kyran” is undoubtedly one of them; it is a huge contribution for its people to the development of children's football.
Nikita, a graduate of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center:
— I love it here, I'm incredibly happy to be in the football center. In the future I want to become a great football player like Artem Dzyuba. I will try hard for this, train hard, and I hope that FC Zhas Kyran will make my dream come true.
Famous children's coach Azat Nildybayev:
— It's a great field, our dream has come true. I think we must raise world-class players on this field. I may not be able to take part in this anymore due to my age. But there are a lot of young coaches who will raise great players. I wish you success and good luck!
Alexander Kuznetsov, Sports Director of the Zhas Kyran Sports Center:
— I congratulate Almaty residents, young boys and their parents on the opening of the “Zhas Kyran” football center. Systematic work will be carried out, and construction has been completed. We saw the attitude of our sponsors Marat Mukhtarovich Abdildabekov and Berik Seralievich Kaniev. Recently they have been constantly at the site and have personally monitored everything. Thanks to the Sports Department and the Administrative Department, who also actively participated in the creation of this project. Our program is yet to be implemented to improve the qualifications of coaches, the organizational and training process and the skill level of our young players.
Valery Belgibaev, coach of the “Zhas Kyran” Sports Center:
— I came from Pavlodar and was very interested in this project. It has a modern infrastructure that allows both coaches and children to develop. Everything is designed for learning, the best conditions for children and for improving their skills. As ambitious as this project has been launched, we would like it to continue like this. I would like to wish talented students that the coaching staff is friendly, then, of course, we will achieve the results that the management will give us.
Bakhyt Yeshmukhambetov, a graduate of Sports School No. 2:
— I was brought up at this stadium, which used to be called Sputnik. The stadium is unrecognizable, I don't even have words! I would like to thank all the sponsors. I myself played here when I was 10 years old and went to training from Kapchagay. Many professional players have been trained at this stadium. I want Kazakhstan's best players to be brought up at this stadium. Of course, this is a huge holiday, both for the kids and for us.
Mayor of Almaty Bauyrzhan Baibek commented on the opening of the Zhas Kyran sports complex, Prosports.kz reports.
— On the city side, we have transferred this facility to management for 15 years. As you can see, huge amounts of money have been invested. The stadium and sports stands have been reconstructed, and the roof has been built. There are all conditions in accordance with international standards. In the near future, FIFA will also provide appropriate certification. First of all, I would like to congratulate the parents of our young athletes. The main thing is that they will be worthy citizens of our country. Patriots, successful people. I would like to congratulate everyone on this great event and thank Mr Kaniev for believing in our city as a resident of Almaty, he is investing a lot. I believe that together we will have a lot of achievements. Almaty residents, I congratulate you on this event.
