Over the past 30 years, the need to develop mass and children’s sports in the country has been discussed both at the highest level, in the media, on social networks, and even at the level of the most uninformed taxi driver. There were plenty of beautiful words, programs and decisions, as well as patriotic calls to raise domestic mass and children’s sports to heights to which it had not previously risen. But things are, if not entirely there, then at least dynamic progress and qualitative shifts are quite difficult to notice, reports Matrica.kz.
I would like to rely on the most recent (in my lifetime) official document, which should (or can, according to officials) give a powerful impetus to the development of mass and children’s sports – the Concept for the development of physical culture and sports in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029, approved by the government in March last year under number 251 and signed by Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov.
The concept is replete with the positive dynamics of the official figures. And I am not at all against these reports from officials regarding victories on the front of mass and children’s sports.
Officials report (let’s take the period from the Concept), over 25,000 sporting events were held in 2020-2022 with an annual reach of 1.2 million people, 500 thousand of whom are my beloved villagers. Wait a minute, this was in that 2020, when there was a ban on holding mass sporting and other events and almost every family was busy looking for medicines and ventilators?! Interesting and curious information: in the same covid year of 2020, 1.2 million of our citizens took the presidential test. If not all, then they participated!
The victorious reporting march in terms of the development of mass and children’s sports does not end here. For example, they write that in 2020–2022 the number of citizens systematically involved in physical education and sports in the country increased from 31.4% to 38.4%.
I am not aware of the methodology of the calculation (they could hardly go from yard to yard), but if you take my street in my village, there is no sign of 31% before 2020, nor of 38% after 2022. They did not “systematically engage in” physical exercise, and they are still not engaged in it. But they find time for another activity that is sharply different from a healthy lifestyle.
And even if my fellow villagers had a great desire to engage in “systematic” physical education and sports, it is unlikely that this desire would be satisfied. And the reason is quite banal – nowhere. The government is also talking about this disappointing situation – well, without self-criticism.
It (the government) recognizes that the main reasons for the insufficient development of mass sports are the lack or deterioration of sports infrastructure, the high level of urbanization, which results in a reduction in the number of young people in rural areas, and a shortage of professional personnel, which in turn negatively affects the quantity and quality of sports services provided to the population.
And the government’s next message contradicts its own figures about growth from 31 to 38 percent – “despite the work being done to popularize mass sports among the population, most of it, due to various factors, remains uninvolved in physical education and sports.” What I talked about a little higher.
The main reason for the insufficient development of mass sports is precisely the lack (and even poor condition) and often the absence of at least any sports infrastructure. By the way, in my Raiymbek rural district, with a standard of 60-80 square meters of gyms, instead of 6-7 thousand square meters there are only 1800-2000 square meters. More than three times less than the norm. And this situation is everywhere – in every region, in every district and rural district.
What can we say if in total in Kazakhstan, according to official data, about 13-14 percent of the country’s schools (out of 7,862 schools) do not have their own gyms. Obviously, this applies primarily to rural schools.
In addition, according to a survey by the #AuylFootball project on social networks in 2020, more than 600 villages did not have mini-football fields with artificial turf. And this figure should probably be much higher.
And against the background of these figures, statements about some kind of development of mass and children’s sports are, to say the least, strange and in no way can claim objectivity.
The government itself states (again contradicting itself) that the state of physical education, health and sports work requires the adoption of urgent, concrete measures for the further development of mass sports and the intensification of physical education and health work among the population.
And again we have to ask the eternal Russian “what to do”, what measures to take, how to intensify the work?! In my opinion, the government and officials do not need to do this – it is no secret that, despite the directives of higher management, the competencies of the majority of civil servants do not allow them to work strategically, on a large scale, and at the same time engage in targeted events, such as holding certain sports events. mass events.
The government and the authorized body need to create conditions (bills, by-laws, etc.) to activate and mobilize the resources of civil society, social activists, businesses, to support social entrepreneurship and with the involvement of sports clubs on mutually beneficial terms. It is in civil society, in the market, that there are competent specialists, professionals in sports, and there are interested entrepreneurs who, with the presence of state, primarily organizational and financial support, can, and effectively, develop certain areas for the development of mass and children’s sports.
Mass and children’s sports must be transferred to the market, into the hands of professionals. Of course, with the strong support of the state and, accordingly, under its strictest control.
Serik Mambetov, head of the #AuylFootball project
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2024-06-27 13:23:51