Togyz Kumalak is developing quickly both as a national intellectual sport in Kazakhstan and as an international mancala discipline. From December 2025 to May 2026, the game saw several important updates: federation changes, junior championships, international events, and a stronger focus on digital training.
Here is a concise overview of the main events and numbers shaping the sport.
Federation Updates and a Digital Focus
New Leadership
In early 2025, the Republican Togyz Kumalak Federation changed leadership. Akim Tursun, previously a vice president, became the new president. Alikhan Baimenov, who had led the organization since 2004, became honorary president while continuing as president of the World Togyz Kumalak Federation.
The updated leadership also includes vice presidents Batyrbek Kulekeev, Sholpan Kadyrova, Maksat Shotaev, and Daulet Abdikarimov. Journalist Rishat Askarbekuly took over PR direction.
Expanded Meeting in Astana
On February 14, 2026, Astana hosted an expanded meeting of world, national, and regional federation representatives. The agenda covered international growth, educational programs, cooperation with foreign federations, and referee development.
Technology was a major theme: online platforms, digital learning materials, and artificial intelligence for training were discussed as practical tools for making the game more accessible.
Major Tournaments
II Youth World Championship in Almaty
From November 17 to 23, 2025, Almaty hosted the II Youth World Championship for U-15 and U-17 players. The event at the Zenit sports center became a major international milestone for the youth segment.
- 180 participants from 21 countries;
- classical, rapid, and blitz formats;
- Kazakhstan won 30 medals and finished first in the team standings;
- the field included Central Asia, Europe, China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Korea.
Organizers emphasized Almaty's role as one of the centers of development and highlighted the game's value for logical thinking and calculation.
International Tournament in Kyzylorda
From March 3 to 7, 2026, Kyzylorda hosted an international tournament dedicated to the memory of Nalkozha Ergeshbayev. About 450 players came from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan.
The program covered youth, women, men, and adult categories, with both classical and blitz formats.
XXIII Kazakhstan Championship
At the end of March 2025, Uralsk hosted the XXIII Kazakhstan Championship for youth and junior players. The event brought together more than 400 participants from three cities of national significance and 17 regions.
Pavlodar Region won the team standings, followed by Turkestan Region and Almaty Region.
International Growth
Online Platforms
Togyz Kumalak continues to grow on international gaming platforms. Public online platforms such as PlayOK, PlayStrategy and igGameCenter show that the game now has a broader digital shelf than a single federation website or offline tournament calendar.
For new players, this matters because digital platforms remove geographic barriers and make it possible to train with opponents of different levels.
Artificial Intelligence
Digital analysis is becoming part of the training conversation. Tools like this can change methodology when they explain mistakes, evaluate positions and recommend candidate moves, but any exact claim about a new engine, dataset size or strength should be treated as unverified until a public methodology is available.
Parasport and Deaf Sport
The federation has stated its intention to develop divisions for para-athletes and deaf athletes. In the longer term, Togyz Kumalak is being discussed as a candidate for future Paralympic and Deaflympic programs.
New Countries
After the V World Nomad Games, interest increased in Pakistan, Mexico, Romania, and South Korea. In Pakistan, Kazakhstan is supporting sports infrastructure for kazaksha kures and Togyz Kumalak.
Key Numbers
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan citizens practicing Togyz Kumalak | 200,000+ |
| People involved in national sports | 600,000+ |
| Countries at the 2025 Youth World Championship | 21 |
| Participants at the 2025 Youth World Championship | 180 |
| Participants at the Kyzylorda tournament | about 450 |
| Online-platform signal | Multiple public game platforms list or host Togyz Kumalak / Togyzqumalaq play |
Sources and How to Check Updates
News pages age quickly, so every dated event or participant count should be checked against public organizers and federation sources. Toguz Arena does not claim endorsement by UNESCO, the World Togyzqumalaq Federation or any national federation; these links are provided for verification and further reading.
- Toguz Arena events hub - dated tournament rows, confirmed event context and watchlist items.
- Toguz Arena federation and source hub - UNESCO, federation and public institutional links in one place.
- Toguz Arena wiki - rules, names and historical context before reading news items.
- gov.kz / Ministry of Sport - public source for the 2025 youth world championship completion and participation context.
- Kazinform - public news source for parasport, deaf sport and international development context.
- World Togyzqumalaq Federation - federation source for rankings, tournaments and international development.
Conclusion
The main trends are clear: institutional renewal, stronger youth development, wider international geography, and the adoption of digital tools. Togyz Kumalak is becoming not only cultural heritage, but also a modern sports ecosystem.
The next important step is balance: preserve tradition and offline tournaments while making learning, analysis, and international play more accessible online.
