Kazakhstan Prepares for Asian Winter Games

    In preparation for the Asian Winter Games, which begin on January 30, the government of Kazakhstan held a promotional event in New York City last week.
    Through art and video, it showed what this Central Asian country is all about.
    Kazakhstan is the 9^th biggest country in the world, the size of Western Europe.
    Over 2,500 athletes fr om 45 nations are expected to arrive at the capital city of Astana and the biggest city of Almaty for the Asian Winter Games in just a couple of months.
    Among 11 sports participating in the Games, some find hockey to be the most exciting one.
    Serik Kurmulzayev, vice president, Asian Winter Games Organizing Committee stated, “I think the ice hockey competition will be very well-known and exciting, because Kazakhstan beats all the teams from Asian countries, so other countries will join the competition, and will try to beat the Kazakhstani team.”
    The projected cost of the Asian Winter Games to the government of Kazakhstan is $726 million dollars, and tourism is one way to help replenish the state budget.
    Luckily, Kazakhstan boasts one of the most varied landscapes, spanning from steppes, wh ere nomadic tribes used to wander, to rock-canyons and snow-capped mountains. Local arts and crafts are said to be unique as well.
    Nurlan Zanybeck, Department of Tourism & Sport said, “We have a really great diversity of things to offer. Kazakhstan’s craftsmen are real professionals, so you can find different national souvenirs as well as national instruments.”
    Some of the national instruments were played at the event in New York and the department of tourism promises more activities if you choose to travel to the country. If you decide to go for the Asian Winter Games or summer fun, remember to dress appropriately, as temperatures in Kazakhstan range from -31 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NTD News (New York).