Two teams from Karaganda region will play at the Games of the future

Two teams from the Karaganda region will represent Kazakhstan at the international multisport tournament "Games of the Future – 2026" in Astana. The UEL Team and the Academy of Cyber Football Allur (ACF Allur) will compete for medals in the phygital football discipline. This is the first time that two teams from the same region will defend the country's honor at the largest international competitions in phygital sports.

The games of the future combine classic sports, esports and modern technologies. This year's tournament brought together more than 800 athletes from 34 countries. In the discipline of "phygital football", teams first play a match in a football simulator, and then continue the confrontation on the field. The winner is determined by the sum of the results of both stages.

According to Evgeny Nabiulin, President of the Karaganda Region Esports Federation, the UEL Team is the strongest team in the country.

— The application includes eight people — esports and football players. First, four players compete in the phygital discipline, then five enter the football field. This format makes the competition especially spectacular: first, the fans worry about the team in a virtual match, and then in a real one. The preparations for both stages are equally serious," he said.

The UEL Team received the right to compete at the Games of the Future as a representative of Kazakhstan, the host country of the tournament. The team is reinforced by international players, including Arnold Knaub, a native of the Karaganda region, a member of the Kazakhstan national futsal team, a finalist in the UEFA Champions League and a bronze medalist in the European Championship.

The Academy of Cyber Football Allur team won a ticket to the tournament, having successfully overcome the international qualification. In the group stage, the UEL Team will face the national team of Argentina, and ACF Allur will play against the Brazilian team.

Evgeny Nabiulin is confident that representatives of the Karaganda region are able to compete for the highest places.

— We are focused only on winning. If we implement everything we have planned, we can win the tournament. We are not even considering another result. The competition will be very high, even stronger than at the Abu Dhabi Games," he stressed. Сегодня киберспорт — одна из самых быстрорастущих цифровых индустрий в мире. Его популярность обусловлена сочетанием инновационных технологий, соревновательного формата и высокой вовлечённости аудитории.