Bibisara Asaubayeva’s Appeal Leaves The Sports Ministry Explaining Itself

Kazakhstani grandmaster Bibisara Asaubayeva, has recorded a video appeal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, asking him to help resolve problems with funding for her preparation for international competitions. The athlete posted the video on her social media page. A few hours later, the relevant ministry announced an urgent briefing on the issue, Orda.kz reports.

The 22-year-old athlete said she holds the title of international grandmaster and is currently ranked fifth in the world among female chess players. According to Asaubayeva, she secured victory at Norway Chess 2026 one round before the end of the tournament, but had to pay for her preparation using her own prize money and her parents’ funds.

The chess player also spoke about problems with financing her preparation for the Candidates Tournament for the world chess crown. According to her, she received only part of the promised support through the Sport Qory Foundation, which meant her seconds had to work remotely. Asaubayeva said she was the only participant in the tournament who could not bring assistants to the competition.

In addition, the athlete said that she had been awarded the Order of Barys, II degree, by presidential decree back in December 2025, but still has not received the award. According to her, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports postponed the award ceremony three times.

At the end of her appeal, Asaubayeva said she had sent several letters to the president through eOtinish, but had not yet received a response.

There are major competitions, training camps and a lot of work ahead. What should I do, Mr. President?the world’s fifth-ranked chess player appealed to the head of state.

Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov reported a similar situation at the end of May 2026. Orda.kz previously covered how the Ministry of Tourism and Sports resolved that conflict.

After Asaubayeva published her appeal, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports announced an urgent briefing to present its official position. Officials immediately disagreed with the grandmaster’s claims.

Should the money have been enough?

Deputy Minister Serik Zharasbayev said at the briefing that state support for the chess player had not decreased, but had instead grown from year to year. According to him, until 2025, Asaubayeva received a salary through the Directorate for Sports Development at the level of Olympic athletes. However, after legislative changes, the financing terms were revised because chess was not included in the list of sports eligible for such payments.

Zharasbayev separately commented on the financing through the Sport Qory Foundation. He said that in 2026 the fund allocated 100 million tenge for Asaubayeva’s preparation for international competitions. The ministry acknowledged that the additional support the athlete had expected could not be provided because the fund’s resources are limited and other sports projects also need financing. Officials also said her discipline was not included in the list of priority areas for sponsorship.

If we look at the dynamics, 64 million tenge was allocated in 2024, 79 million in 2025 and already 100 million tenge in 2026. (…) I think that for one athlete and for preparation, this money should at least be enough for the athlete to compete at a high international level. (…) This is the programme, for example, for future Asian Games and international competitions. If chess were included in the programme, it would remain a priority,Zharasbayev said.

According to the deputy minister, taking into account funds from the federation and other sources, the total amount allocated for Asaubayeva’s preparation this year reached about 160 million tenge.

The deputy minister also commented on the Order of Barys, II degree, which Bibisara Asaubayeva was awarded by presidential decree in December 2025. According to Zharasbayev, the award has not yet been presented because of the athlete’s busy schedule. He said the chess player had been invited to official events, but could not attend because she was preparing for tournaments.

The ministry also said it supports the development of chess and considers Asaubayeva’s results among the main achievements of Kazakhstani sport in recent years. According to Zharasbayev, the ministry will continue to support the athlete within the existing financing mechanisms.

Original author: Daria Malkova

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