Kazakhstan's most popular sports of 2024 revealed
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has released a ranking of the ten most popular sports in the country based on year 2024 data, Kazinform News Agency reports.
The ranking highlights the most popular sports among both urban and rural population, reflecting participation in both recreational and organized activities and providing a clear view of current sports trends in Kazakhstan.
"Football tops the list, with 1,113,299 people playing the sport nationwide. Interestingly, more than half of them live in rural areas, highlighting football’s accessibility and widespread popularity across the country," the Ministry of Tourism and Sports stated.
The rest of the top ten includes:
- Classic volleyball – 767,580 participants (421,035 in rural areas)
- Basketball – 541,819 participants (238,853 in rural areas)
- Futsal – 368,349 participants (130,744 in rural areas)
- Athletics – 347,654 participants (174,261 in rural areas)
- Chess – 278,101 participants (128,243 in rural areas)
- Table tennis – 262,835 participants (127,416 in rural areas)
- Checkers – 213,490 participants (115,198 in rural areas)
- Togyzkumalak – 202,217 participants (119,302 in rural areas)
- Kazakh Kuresi (Kazakh wrestling) – 160,399 participants (87,030 in rural areas)
"These numbers reflect a strong interest in both traditional and modern sports, highlighting the population’s growing commitment to an active and healthy lifestyle," the ministry noted.
The Ministry emphasized that it will continue to advance programs aimed at developing mass sports and expanding access to sports infrastructure across the regions.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstani weightlifters have claimed five medals at the Youth World Weightlifting Championships.
