Kazakhstan Prohibits Funding Foreign Legionnaires in Sports with Public Money
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan has taken a significant step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in sports funding by signing a new law on April 15. This law prohibits the use of budgetary and quasi-public sector funds to finance foreign legionnaires in sports, as reported by Akorda.
The legislation introduces amendments to the law on physical culture and sports, with a focus on eliminating excessive legislative regulation. It designates an authorized body responsible for defining priority and high-performance sports, as well as setting funding procedures. Under the new rules, priority sports will be selected based on international performance criteria, including Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic, Asian, Para Asian, and national sports.
Furthermore, the law brings reforms to the accreditation of sports federations, which will now be classified as national or local entities. Budget funding will now be allocated to four key areas: high-performance sports, state sports organizations, mass sports, and infrastructure development.
In addition to financial regulations, the law aims to promote traditional values and patriotic education through the development of uniform national standards for sports training. The authorized sports body has also been granted powers to enforce compliance with anti-doping regulations, ensuring fair play and integrity in sports competitions.
This new law marks a significant step towards promoting transparency and accountability in sports funding in Kazakhstan, prioritizing the support for national and high-performance sports while upholding ethical values and standards in the sporting arena.
