European сlubs and global brands to help Kazakhstan’s football
Freedom QJ League, promoting youth football in Kazakhstan, has signed an agreement with Red Bull, making the well-known global brand the league’s partner.
«As a league, we are going to cooperate with new partners whose names are well-known worldwide. We have already signed such an agreement with Mastercard. This company is one of the sponsors of the UEFA Champions League and now, they are supporting youth football as well. Today, we are proud to announce our partnership with Red Bull. We’re delighted that these global brands are paying attention to the development of youth football in Kazakhstan,» said Rokhus Shokh, the president of Freedom QJ League.
Freedom QJ League was established in 2023. Currently, there are 32 teams in the league; they will be divided into three divisions in two age categories.
«QJ League not only promotes football, prepares a reserve and builds a bridge between youth and professional football, but it also creates new jobs for specialists in media and marketing, football analytics, coaches and administrative staff,» Shokh emphasized.
Furthermore, by 2025, QJ League is expected to double its activities and establish a separate league for girls.
«We have managed to turn youth football into something quite prestigious in Kazakhstan. Kids have switched to regular training cycles, they participate in various tournaments and they play almost like professional teams. Football matches are broadcast on television and more and more people are visiting stadiums in person. If you want to play in QJ League, you have to prove that you deserve it. Clubs have been boosting their spending on youth football, even though we have already done a lot for them,» highlighted Timur Turlov, chair of the league’s board of guardians and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.
The most important part of the agreement between QJ League and Red Bull is increasing the qualification of Kazakhstani football players and specialists through experience exchange with their colleagues from Germany and Austria.
«There is a plan to organize friendly matches with youth football teams from the Red Bull structures, as well as joint tournaments. This is going to be very useful for many of our young talents playing in QJ League. For our part, we are going to support sporting and football initiatives by Red Bull. We will also take part in Red Bull Four 2 Score, a street football tournament in Shymkent. I am convinced that there are many more interesting projects ahead of us,» Turlov said.
Red Bull is well-known as a global sporting brand and organizer of various sporting events for racing, cycling, snowboarding, cyber sports and football.
«Many years ago, Red Bull was established as a small startup. The founder of the company believed in a big dream. This is why the motto of our company is ‘Red Bull Gives You Wings.’ And we are all now dreaming about Kazakhstani football players becoming champions. Red Bull runs several professional football teams and supports thousands of athletes all over the world. They have everything they need: training camps, access to expertise and great opportunities. All our athletes are number one champions. And we want players from QJ League to get a chance to travel, develop and train in the best possible conditions,» said Irina Karlova, general manager of Red Bull Kazakhstan.
As Turlov pointed out, the more active the development of young sportsmen is, the bigger the progress will be for Kazakhstan’s football as a whole.
«The popularity of football is growing in our country. A new generation of young and talented people is emerging. These teams might unleash their potential if someone works with them like a professional manager. We can’t rely only on ourselves as sponsors and organizers. We have to invite international partners and I am very happy that Red Bull and Mastercard have joined us to contribute to the development of football in our country. They are going to invest not just their money but their knowledge and best practices. I want football in Kazakhstan to become more professional and interesting for people. They should have an opportunity to watch not only the English Premier League but to cheer for our guys as well. This is a big dream of mine,» Turlov emphasized.
Freedom Holding launched the youth football league on March 10, 2023. The company has already allocated $767,176 to cover expenditures associated with teams’ travel, referees, inspectors and the prize fund.
