Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, May 12, 2021: The Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, Andrey Kryukov, has informed the Olympic Council of Asia that the recent election of Ms. Umut Shayakhmetova as the first female Vice President was a clear sign of gender equality in sport in the country.
In a letter sent on Tuesday, May 11 to OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam, the senior Kazakhstan NOC official stated that Ms. Shayakhmetova’s candidacy was supported by all members of the Kazakhstan Olympic Committee at the extraordinary General Assembly held on April 26.
“We are pleased to announce that Ms. Umut Shayakhmetova was elected, for the first time in the NOC Kazakhstan history, as female Vice President. Her candidacy was supported by all members of NOC Kazakhstan GA,” Kryukov wrote.
Shayakhmetova, who is also the President of the Kazakhstan Gymnastics Federation, was elected unopposed to the position until 2024.
“This demonstrates the commitment of the Kazakhstan Olympic Family to achieving gender equality in the management of the NOC Kazakhstan,” Secretary General Kryukov said.
“NOC Kazakhstan assures its respect to all members of the Olympic Family and hopes to continue cooperation for the benefit of sport and the Olympic Movement.”
Addressing last month’s virtual General Assembly, Kazakhstan NOC President Timur Kulibayev had informed members that gender equality in Kazakhstan sport was reinforced by statistics: “The number of female athletes on our national teams in Olympic sports is 46 percent, and female employees represent 59 percent of the NOC administration.”
Kryukov’s letter also informed the OCA that the Kazakhstan NOC General Assembly had unanimously decided to elect Ernst & Young Global Limited as an independent external auditor of the NOC for 2021.
