Kazakh schoolchildren among the world's top five drone pilots
Young Kazakhstani athletes achieved strong results at two international drone sports competitions in the United States. On their return home, Minister of Enlightenment Zhuldyz Suleimenova greeted the students, Qazinform News Agency reports.
At Astana International Airport, the minister congratulated the young athletes on their achievements and wished them success at upcoming competitions.
At the MultiGP World Championship 2026 in Dallas, 12-year-old Alikhan Nsanbayev took fifth place. 830 athletes from 44 countries competed, and only 69 pilots qualified. After the qualifying flights, the Kazakhstani reached the 12-pilot final and finished fifth.
The young athlete trains at the regional technical creativity center in Uralsk and competes for Team Aspan. His coaches are Kaisar Yessengali and Andrey Tishin.
Another success was achieved at the USA Drone Soccer International Cup 2026 in Long Beach. Kazakhstan's national team finished fifth among 16 teams from six countries.
Schoolchildren from Uralsk and Atyrau — Nauryzbek Yessetov, Aldiyar Bauyrzhan, Alikhan Nsanbayev and Altair Abilgaziyev carried Kazakhstan's colors.
The team was prepared by coaches Kaisar Yessengali, Nurbol Kyrykbayev, Didar Sakhratov and Alexandr Shimanovskiy.
The students earned their berths at the international competitions based on the results of the Kazakhstan Drone Championship & Cup, organized by the National Educational and Methodological Center for Additional Education of the Ministry of Enlightenment together with the Aspandrone association and with support from Dronly Ltd.
With the assistance of these partners, the national team's participation in the international competitions was also arranged.
During the meeting, Minister Zhuldyz Suleimenova thanked the young athletes' parents and coaches, noting the importance of developing children's interest in technical creativity and building engineering skills.
The Ministry of Enlightenment stressed that drone sports competitions are held in Kazakhstan at the regional and national levels. They help identify talented schoolchildren, develop engineering thinking and interest in robotics and advanced technology, and prepare young athletes for international championships.
As reported in July, Kazakh teams secured positions among the world’s best at the FIDA Intercontinental Cup 2026 drone soccer tournament in South Korea. The teams claimed sixth and seventh places, while one of the club teams finished in the top 10 overall.