On April 3, under the leadership of the Agency's Chairman Asqat Zhumaqali, the Anticorruption Service held an interdepartmental meeting to discuss the elimination of corruption risks in sports financing. The meeting focused on the results of an external analysis revealing serious corruption risks leading to irrational spending of state funds allocated for sports development in the country.
The Agency has registered 39 corruption crimes in the sports sector since the beginning of the year. Corruption within the relevant ministry has led to former deputy ministers, the chairman of the Committee on Sports and Physical Culture, the head of the Sports Development Directorate, and other officials facing criminal charges.
Kazakhstan's global sports ranking is declining due to a funding disparity between "elite" sports, receiving 90% of the sports budget, and grassroots sports. This contrasts with developed sports nations where funding prioritizes grassroots sports.
The funding disproportion has become a breeding ground for corruption schemes. While grassroots sports have a transparent funding program, elite sports lack control mechanisms, leading to opaque payments, widespread affiliations, fictitious fees, and double financing, stated Zhumaqali.
The lack of digitalization in sports processes creates an environment conducive to corruption and fund embezzlement, according to Anticorruption. The delayed implementation of the E-sport information system and the issuance of fake sports titles were highlighted. The meeting also addressed the naturalization of athletes, club budget formation, and payments to foreign players exceeding budget limits.
Recommendations were made to the ministry to enhance departmental control, reduce discretionary powers, establish clear regulations for fund distribution, personalize accountability for violations, and create a unified digital platform to mitigate corruption risks.
Tourism and Sports Minister Yermek Marzhikpayev assured the implementation of all recommendations to combat corruption risks. Earlier, Anticor and Almaty city administration discussed corruption risks in healthcare and construction systems.
