According to the Ministry of Trade and Integration, Kazakhstan’s government has raised its requirements for football fields covered with either natural grass or artificial turf to make them meet FIFA standards.
«All requirements to football fields covered with natural grass and artificial turf in Kazakhstan must be equal to standards by the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), which is the biggest international governing body in the world of football,» the ministry said in a statement.
According to new national standards for soccer fields with a natural or artificial surface, any football field covered with natural grass should be based on a 10-centimeter layer of sand and crushed stone, then a layer of 10% humus and 90% sand and a three-centimeter layer of natural grass on top of it.
The standard also requires a field to be able to absorb 100 millimeters of water per hour when it is brand new and 20 millimeters of water per hour within a year.
Concerning fields covered with artificial turf, the document says what such a field should look like and what kind of characteristics its surface must have. For example, the standard includes detailed technical specifications for the drainage and heating system and says how installation work must be conducted.
Officials highlighted that the key goal of the standard is to guarantee the safety of games within the country including tournaments like the national championship and the popularization of sports among youth in Kazakhstan.
In the future, KazStandard and Kazakhstan Football Federation are going to develop a national technical standard for small football fields installed in residential areas, the ministry said.
On May 3, President of FIFA Gianni Infantino met with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, Infantino confirmed that FIFA is eager to share its experience with Kazakhstan and facilitate the development of football in the country.
More than one million people play football in Kazakhstan. There are 17 football centers and two academies for 7,000 children in Kazakhstan.
According to some media reports, Freedom Finance agreed to support the Elimay football club. At the expense of the company a new Italian artificial turf and an up-to-date LED display will be installed at the Spartak stadium, a base for the Elimay club.
Last year, President of Kazakhstan Football Federation Adlet Barmenkulov and Chairman of the Board of Freedom Finance Timur Turlov signed a memorandum on cooperation. The partnership is aimed at the development of youth football and football infrastructure.
Under the memorandum, the two sides are going to cooperate in constructing new fields in different regions and conduct amateur football tournaments.
Since March 2023, Freedom Holding Corp. has been a general partner and sponsor of the QJ League. In a few years, all young football players from all over the county are expected to take part in this tournament.
