ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s national team concluded its performance at the Third Asian Youth Games, held from Oct. 22 to 31 in Manama, Bahrain, with a historic achievement. Kazakhstan secured third place in the overall team standings, winning 93 medals: 24 gold, 29 silver, and 40 bronze.
Kazakh athletes competed in more than 20 sports. Photo credit: National Olympic Committee’s press service.
China topped the medal table with 147 medals (63 gold, 49 silver, and 35 bronze), followed by Uzbekistan in second place with 81 medals (37 gold, 16 silver, and 28 bronze).
Kazakh athletes competed in more than 20 sports, not only earning awards but also setting new records, reported the National Olympic Committee’s press service on Oct. 31.
Weightlifter Alikhan Askerbay set youth world, Asian, and Asian Youth Games records in both the snatch and clean and jerk events. Track and field athlete Maxim Sazhnev, swimmer Alexander Rumynsky, and weightlifter Nurzhan Zhumabay also broke Asian Youth Games records.
Kazakhstan achieved its greatest success in boxing, winning five gold medals. Judokas brought home four golds, and weightlifters added three more.
This year’s performance marks a record for Kazakhstan in the Asian Youth Games. At the inaugural 2009 Games in Singapore, the team won 14 medals (four gold, six silver, and four bronze) and finished eighth overall. At the 2013 Games in Nanjing, China, Kazakhstan earned 13 medals (one gold, four silver, and eight bronze), placing 13th in the standings.
