On November 3, the presentation of the country’s first professional athletics club Altay Athletics took place in Ust-Kamenogorsk in a solemn atmosphere.
The first seven athletes who will represent the team at national and international competitions were introduced to the audience and fans. These are pupils of East Kazakhstan athletics javelin throwers Arthur Gafner and Varvara Nazarova, Kenyan runners Shadrack Koich, Karolina Kipkirui, Nora Giruto and Daisy Gypkemy. The undisputed leader of the club is the Olympic champion in the triple jump, the winner of the 2017 Diamond League, Olga Rypakova.
The main goals and objectives of the new project are to unite the strongest Kazakhstani track and field athletes and world-class athletes into a professional club, promote the Altay Athletics brand in the international arena, develop the club system in Kazakhstan and train athletes for the national team of Kazakhstan.
Akim of the East Kazakhstan region Danial Akhmetov, who became one of the initiators of a unique project for Kazakhstani sports, made a welcoming speech at the presentation of the club. After his congratulations, the head of the region awarded the winners of the last final of the Diamond League – Nora Giruto became the third in her discipline, Caroline Kipkirui – the second. And Olga Rypakova became the winner of the final stage of the tournament in Zurich and won the main award.
Danial Akhmetov also presented Olga Rypakova with a prize from the Asian Athletics Association, as one of the best representatives of this sport on the continent in 2016.
– Thank you all for such a reception, – the most titled Kazakhstani track and field athlete Olga Rypakova said in response. – Dear Danial Kenzhetaevich, on behalf of all the athletes of the club, I want to thank you for your active participation in the development of our sport. We have big tasks and lofty goals ahead of us. Of course, we will try our best, and we will do our best to meet your hopes and the hopes of all our fans. Thank you all for your support and love of athletics.
Shadrack Koich, a member of the team specializing in long-distance running, is also confident in the successful future of the club:
– I am very happy to become a part of the Altay Athletics club, we have a great team and we must work together harmoniously to achieve success. We have to be one and give our all for the team. I am absolutely sure that we will declare ourselves loudly, and we will be known all over the world.
The coaching staff of the team included Denis Rypakov and Kenet Koich. Askhat Seisembekov became the sports director of Altay Athletics, and Swiss specialist Guido Tognoni became the general manager.
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