The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, attended the grand opening ceremony of the international multisport tournament "Games of the Future 2026" held in Astana. A delegation from Turkmenistan also took part in the event.

The guests of honor at the event, hosted at the Barys Arena stadium, included President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and other officials.

In his speech, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed his gratitude to the heads of fraternal states, honorable guests, and athletes who arrived in Kazakhstan to participate in the international tournament.

According to the President of Kazakhstan, the "Games of the Future," which combine athletic energy, intellectual power, and the immense potential of the digital era, fit very well into our shared agenda of creative development.

Additionally, a video message from Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed to the participants of the competition was shown during the opening ceremony.

During the festive event, Dan Merikli, Director General of the "Games of the Future," also delivered a speech.

Following this, spectators were treated to an impressive theatrical show and concert program featuring stars of the Kazakh pop scene.

From July 29 to August 9, Astana will for the first time host the international tournament that combines esports, traditional sports, and modern technologies. This year, more than 800 athletes from 34 countries are expected to participate.

The competitions in Astana will be held across eight disciplines: phygital football, phygital basketball, phygital martial arts, phygital shooter, phygital dances, Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and PUBG: Battlegrounds.

Yesterday, a phygital sports summit was also held, attended by ministers of sports and technology, heads of diplomatic missions, and other high-ranking representatives.

The inaugural "Games of the Future" sports tournament took place in 2024 in Kazan. The second tournament was held in 2025 in Abu Dhabi.