Central Asia's Best IT Talents Identified at the Central Asia Programming Championship 2026

The Central Asia Programming Championship 2026 — a competitive programming event bringing together the strongest participants aged 20 and over from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan — was held in Shymkent as part of the international digital forum Digital Qazaqstan 2026. Participants competed for a prize fund of 3 million tenge and the opportunity to showcase their skills before international experts.

The international competition allowed each participant to demonstrate their algorithmic and analytical abilities on problems of international standard in ICPC format. Following an online selection round on 28 February, the final took place in an offline format, where the region's best developers came together in a single venue for the decisive stage.

Based on the results of the final, the winner was Farkhod Khakimjon (Tajikistan), second place went to Aybar Kuanyshbay (Kazakhstan), and third place to Altair Ashurov (Kazakhstan).

The total prize fund of 3 million tenge was distributed as follows: 1.5 million for first place, 1 million for second, and 500,000 for third.

"I am very pleased to have been able to demonstrate my skills at such a high level and to meet the best programmers from neighbouring countries. This championship inspires me to continue developing and to apply algorithmic knowledge in real-world projects," said championship winner Farkhod Khakimjon.

Particular attention was paid to the expert programme this year. The final featured representatives of international technology companies, including Meta senior developer Bakhytzhan Baizhikenov, AGI Lab and Khan Group CEO Zhomart Sadykov, Higgsfield AI VP for Talent Dalida Yerkuliyeva, Google senior developer Aman Utemuratov, Booking developer Narikbi Maksut, and TON Core representative Alexander Kirsanov. The experts assessed participants' solutions, shared their experience, and provided career guidance for opportunities at global companies.

"The Central Asia Programming Championship demonstrated an incredible level of preparation among participants and became a genuine platform for the exchange of experience between the region's best IT talents. We are proud to have brought together so many strong specialists and created a space for professional dialogue with international experts," stressed Adina Magavina, Director of Alem.ai Foundation.

The organisers note that the championship proved to be not only an intellectual event but also an effective platform for developing the regional IT community. Participants had the opportunity to test their competencies, attract the attention of international companies, and establish professional connections that could form the basis for employment and participation in global technology projects.

The championship was organised by Alem.ai Foundation, the Kazakhstan Sports Programming Federation, and Astana Hub, with the support of Higgsfield.ai and AGI Lab.

This year, the organisation of the forum was made possible through the support of partners and sponsors. All costs are covered by sponsorship funds.

General partner — Freedom Bank. Platinum partner — Alageum Electric. Gold partner — Kazakhtelecom. Innovation partners — WSE, Damumed. Partner — Visa.