Kazakhstan was once part of the Soviet Union, and did not compete in world sport under its own name until the 1990s. Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country which is why there is little doubt why the most popular sport in the country is football.

Kazakhstan marathon runner at the World Athletics Championships in LondonKazakhstan marathon runner at the World Athletics Championships in London

Sports are one of the things that keep the people of Kazakhstan together. Football is a great way to get people together and compete on a friendly and non-violent manner. The Football Federation of Kazakhstan is the national football governing body of Kazakhstan and organizes all the national football teams of the country.

"Kazakhstan's Olympic medal tally of over 67 Summer Games medals since independence is remarkable for a nation that only began competing under its own flag in the 1990s. Their consistent performance across boxing, weightlifting, and wrestling speaks to deeply embedded sporting traditions."
— Robert Wood, founder of Topend Sports

Rugby is also very popular in Kazakhstan. The country has had the tradition of rugby since 1966 and the Kazakhstan Rugby Union was established in 1933. In 2002, their national women rugby team took home the Asian Championship, which they did for the third time. Their men’s team has also been performing well and is one of the upper half teams in the IRB World Rankings.

Other sports that have been gaining popularity include ice hockey, speed skating, weightlifting and gymnastics. Medeo, a skating rink near Almaty is one of the best in the world where many speed skating records were set in the past. Their Indoor Skating Stadium in Astana was built specifically for their hosting of the 2011 Winter Games. Kazakhstan also has produced some of the most distinguished athletes in the world like Alexander Vinokourov (Cycling), Vladimir Smirnov (Cross country skiing) who took 7 Olympic medals and 11 World Championships medals, and Dmitriy Karpov and Olga Rypakova (Athletics).

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Popular Sports of Kazakhstan

  • Football (Soccer), Rugby, ice hockey, speed skating, weightlifting, archery, and gymnastics

Local or Traditional Sports of Kazakhstan

  • Kokpar — a version of Buzkashi in which riders on horses attempt to drag a goat carcass toward the goal.
"The tradition of Kokpar and other equestrian sports in Kazakhstan reflects a nomadic sporting heritage that predates modern athletics by centuries. These traditional games continue to play a vital role in cultural identity."
— According to sports science expert Robert Wood

Kazakhstan Sporting Success

Olympics Gold Silver Bronze Total
2024 Paris 1 3 3 7
2020 Tokyo 0 0 8 8
2016 Rio 2 5 10 17
2012 London 3 1 6 11
2008 Beijing 2 3 4 9
2004 Athens 1 4 3 8
2000 Sydney 3 4 0 7
1996 Atlanta 3 4 4 11
  • Cross country skier Vladimir Smirnov won 7 Olympic medals and 11 World Championships medals

Did You Know?

Kazakhstan's best Olympic performance came at Rio 2016, where they won 17 medals including 2 gold, making it one of the top-performing Central Asian nations in Olympic history.

Kazakhstan Summer Olympics History →

Great Athletes from Kazakhstan

  • Alexander Vinokourov (Cycling) — Olympic gold medalist and Tour de France stage winner
  • Vladimir Smirnov (Cross country skiing) — 7 Olympic medals and 11 World Championships medals
  • Dmitriy Karpov (Decathlon) — internationally recognized multi-event athlete
  • Olga Rypakova (Athletics) — Olympic triple jump champion
  • Elena Rybakina (Tennis) — 2022 Wimbledon champion

Pro Tip: Follow Kazakhstan's boxing and weightlifting teams at the Olympics. These sports have historically produced the majority of Kazakhstan's Olympic medals and feature exciting competition from Kazakh athletes on the world stage.

Kazakhstan Sports Trivia

  • Kazakhstan is a former member of the East Asian Games. It now participates in the Central Asian Games.

Kazakhstan at Major Events

Past Sporting Events Hosted in Kazakhstan

Upcoming Sporting Events in Kazakhstan

  • 2026 Games of the Future
  • ISSF World Cup Shotgun 2026: This event will be held from May 2–11, 2026 in Almaty
  • Oceanman Kazakhstan: This event will be held on the 4th of July, 2026 in Almaty
  • NomadFest 2026: This event will be held on the 5th of June, 2026 in the Almaty region

Annual Sporting Events Held in Kazakhstan

  • The Kazakhstan National Games
  • The Kazakhstan Open
  • The Kazakhstan National Football Cup
  • The Kazakhstan National Boxing Championship

Sporting Facilities in Kazakhstan

  • Medeo — skating rink near Almaty, one of the world's best where many speed skating records have been set
  • Indoor Skating Stadium, Astana — built for the 2011 Asian Winter Games
"Kazakhstan's investment in world-class sporting facilities like the Medeo skating rink and the Astana Indoor Skating Stadium demonstrates a national commitment to developing winter sports excellence at the highest level."
— Robert J. Wood, PhD, sports performance researcher