26 medals were brought by Karaganda para-athletes from the IWAS World Games

Para-athletes of the Karaganda region as part of the national team won 26 medals at the IWAS World Games in Portugal.

About 500 para-athletes from 34 countries of the world took part in the wheelchair and amputee competitions. Kazakhstan was represented at the competition by 27 people in three sports: powerlifting, swimming and athletics. Seven of them are athletes of the Karaganda region.

Swimmers Natalia Zvyagintseva, Sergey Kinakh, Oksana Mityakova and Dias Kenzhebek brought the team 19 medals. Thirteen of them are gold, five silver and one bronze. They competed in 100-meter freestyle swimming, backstroke and butterfly.

– Sergey and Natasha have been training with me since 2013. And Oksana – since 2007. Diaz came relatively recently. They performed very well. But there is no 50-meter swimming pool in the area. It's like football players would play in the hall, and then they would be released on a large field," Honored Coach of the Republic of Kazakhstan Natalia Manokhina believes.

Natalia Zvyagintseva has been swimming since she was 33. She was injured as a child and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. But, despite this, Natalia always sets new goals for herself and achieves them.

– I couldn't even imagine that I would be competing at international competitions. When I came, the coach taught me to stay on the water, swim in all styles, helped me gain self-confidence. In 2017, she became the world champion in Rio de Janeiro. After that, she performed at the Asian Games," the athlete says. – The coach's attitude and hard work helps me win. I can wish novice athletes not to be afraid of anything. This is life, you need to set goals and try to achieve them.

Karaganda athletes Dastan Mukashbekov, Rufat Khabibullin and Igor Khlystov brought seven medals to the national team. They competed in the shot put, javelin throw and 100 and 800 meters.

18-year-old Igor Khlystov has been running since May of this year. At the World Games, he covered the distance of 100, 200 and 400 meters and won two bronze medals. The guy has no hands since birth.

– I was born without arms, they replaced my legs. I studied at an ordinary school, now I am getting an education at the Bolashak College, at the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports. It was a little difficult for me at the competitions, because I didn't have such experience before, and there were experienced athletes nearby. But I tried very hard, – says Igor. – I am also fond of football, I have been playing for the Abai team for seven years now. I come from Abai. A few years ago, he won two gold medals in ball juggling.

The athletes' trip was paid for by the Sports Training Center for People with Disabilities and the Department of Physical Culture and Sports.

IWAS Games is an international sport for wheelchair users and amputees. The World Games are held every two years. The I WAS organization includes 73 States.