Ministry of Tourism and Sports responds to Shaidorov payment controversy

Last week, Kazakhstani Olympic figure skating champion Mikhail Shaidorov stated he had not received his salary for several months following his victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. After around a week of silence, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports provided an official comment on the situation.

At the beginning, Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev noted that Shaidorov is a legend in Kazakhstan’s sport, and that the ministry supports him in all his endeavors and wishes him great victories.

In addition, the ministry said that the athlete signed a widely discussed contract for a new Olympic cycle, which was the reason for the delay.

«The signing took place within the legal framework. The parties reached mutual agreement and discussed all the clauses… Immediately after it was signed, we took it into processing,» the ministry clarified.

The ministry promised that all salary obligations set out in the agreement would be fulfilled on time.

Zharasbayev added that on June 5, Shaidorov and his team will travel to the U.S. for preparations for the upcoming season.

The ministry also announced a meeting with the athlete to discuss the issues jointly, including preparations for the Olympic cycle and upcoming season, as well as the development of figure skating in Kazakhstan.

Context

Shaidorov said that due to the salary payment delay, his preparation was affected, including attendance at training camps and the development of a new program. He assumed the situation may be related to earlier public comments about his remuneration.

Later, the Sports Development Directorate explained the situation. According to it, the salary for January and February 2026 was settled. However, for March, due to the start of a new Olympic cycle, a new contract had to be signed. At that time, the terms of the new contract were under discussion.

The story caused a stir in the Kazakh internet segment. Head coach of the Kazakhstan Freestyle Moguls Team, Yelena Kruglykhina, rebuked Shaidorov for bringing the matter into the public domain. According to her, his managers were the ones who missed the contract signing.

Later, prominent Kazakhstani boxer Angelina Lukas joined the discussion. She said that Kazakhstani athletes frequently encounter pressure and a lack of support.

Previously, Kursiv.media reported that Shaidorov issued a new statement against the backdrop of the unpaid salary controversy.