President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon traveled to Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, on July 29 to attend the opening ceremony of the international Games of the Future 2026 tournament.

He is accompanied by the foreign minister, the presidential aide for foreign relations, the director of the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies, and some other officials, according to the Tajik president’s official website. 

The opening ceremony is also expected to be attended by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov.

The third edition of the Games of the Future will take place in Astana from July 29 to August 9. More than 800 athletes from 50 countries are expected to participate.

The tournament combines traditional sports with competitions in digital disciplines.

The inaugural Games of the Future were held in Kazan, Russia, from February to March 2024 at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The second tournament took place in Abu Dhabi in 2025.

The Games of the Future is an annual international phygital sports tournament organized by Phygital International. The term “phygital” refers to a combination of physical and digital competition.

Athletes compete in two stages within their chosen discipline. In one stage, they take part in a traditional physical competition, such as a football or basketball match. In the other, they compete in the corresponding video game.

The tournament features disciplines including phygital football, basketball and dance.