Six countries to attend International Wheelchair Dancing Tournament in Astana (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

“This is the third year in a row when Astana hosts the tournament. At least eight countries send their teams to the competition usually, but this year there are only six – Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Taipei, Russia, Austria and Kazakhstan. By the way, sportsmen from eight regions will represent Kazakhstan at the event,” President of the National Federation of Contemporary and Sport Dance Aliya Tussupbekova said.

The two-day competition will test the participants in four programs: combi style (standing athlete + wheelchair user), duo style (two wheelchair users), single (solo performance) and freestyle (combi and single).

The participants’ scores will define whether they will attend the Asian Championships scheduled for November in China’s Taipei. 

In three years the number of tournament participants rose almost threefold, Aliya Tussupbekova says. For instance, in the first year their number was only 36. 80 participants applied for this year competition. In 2016, more than 100 wheelchair users will attend the international  tournament in total.

One of them is Kazakhstan’s three-time champion, bronze medalist of the World Wheelchair Dancing Championship 28-year-old Nargiz Akhmetova. In 2013 she participated in the Continental Cup for the first time.

“I am dancing for myself, for my soul, and I win. I love to win. Victories make me feel great, they are the indicators of my efforts. Dancing is my life. When I dance, the world around me changes and I change myself. Of course, there are difficulties  in any kind of sport, in any kind of activity. We need to train despite them. We need to set goals and try to achieve them,” N.Akhmetova says.

Wheelchair dancing is developed now in 12 regions of Kazakhstan. The Federation has been working since 2009. Dancing classes are provided for free. In general, there are about 400 wheelchair dancers in Kazakhstan.