The 2025 IBSA Judo Asian Championships, staged in Astana, Kazakhstan, is a major milestone in the planning for Kazakh Para-judo and for ensuring there is exposure and awareness of Para-judo throughout the domestic judo community.
“I oversee competition organisation, training systems, co-operation with coaches and international relations, but most importantly, my role is to make Para-judo an integral part of Kazakhstan’s judo family and to ensure that it receives the recognition and respect it deserves in our society. For me, Para-judo is not just a sport, it is a story of spirit, resilience and human potential despite the absence of sight."
"Everything began back in 2016, when I was part of Kazakhstan’s Paralympic delegation at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where we entered two athletes for the first time in history. That was our small beginning in the big world of Para-judo. It was there that I realised how much potential this sport has in Kazakhstan. When I first saw how athletes with visual impairments train and compete, I understood that they are people of incredible willpower. Their example inspires everyone around them.
I took this role because I saw a real mission in Para-judo, to give people with disabilities the opportunity to believe in themselves, to feel confidence and pride in representing their country. What makes Para-judo special is that it reveals not just physical strength but inner strength, strength of character, respect and dignity.”
Kazakhstan is very active with event organisation in both sighted and Para-judo, hosting Asian opens, grand slams, an IJF world championships and this year the IBSA Judo World Championships as well as the current IBSA continental event. The organisation team is becoming more and more synchronised and strives to improve at every event.
“For Kazakhstan, hosting the 2025 IBSA Judo World Championships in May and now the Asian Championships is a great achievement and brings recognition from the international community, IBSA and the IJF. Firstly, it demonstrates that Kazakhstan is capable of organising events of the highest international level professionally, efficiently and in line with the high standards that Para-judo deserves. Secondly, these events inspire our society. They show that Kazakhstan is not just a participant but an active and creative contributor to the global judo movement, shaping the future of the sport. Lastly, it’s about legacy. After every tournament, we see new athletes, new coaches and greater attention from society. Each event leaves a mark, both sporting and human.
Para-judo is an essential part of the Paralympic sport system in Kazakhstan. Today, it is considered one of the most successful Paralympic sports in our country, a core sport. The key values of judo are reinforced here time and time again: respect, courage and mutual support. Moreover, the example of our Para-judo athletes inspires both children and adults. When you see an athlete with visual impairment winning at the international level, you realise that there are no limits in life. This changes the mindset of society, making sport and daily life itself more open, inclusive and truly human.”
On the face of it, the 2025 IBSA Judo Asian Championships appears to be successful, especially for the Kazakh team which will leave the event with a lot of medals and a lot of judoka embracing a new level of performance and preparation but measuring success can be subjective and so it is necessary to define parameters.
Rauan Satzhanov is clear that in this context, success has layers and may not be open to assessment simply in terms of medals won, “For me, the success of a championship is not only measured in medals. It’s about the organisational level, the atmosphere and the legacy it leaves behind. When international athletes and officials say that the tournament in Kazakhstan was held at the highest level, that is success! When our volunteers and local specialists gain new experience and grow professionally, that is success! When our athletes step onto the tatami with pride for their country, that is also success.
We measure success not by numbers, but by impact; how much the championship inspired people, advanced the development of Para-judo and strengthened Kazakhstan’s image as a true sporting nation.”
It is clear that the Para-judo movement in Kazakhstan is driven by well-communicated goals and that the sport leaders are seeking engagement, improvement and excellence at all levels. The main priorities for Para-judo in Kazakhstan’s are:
• Developing regional centres and coaching schools • Training professional coaches and referees • Hosting major international tournaments in Kazakhstan • Turning Kazakhstan into the Asian hub for Para-judo • Organising what the Asian region still lacks: educational programmes for coaches, athletes, referees and classifiers.
“Our goals include systematic and sustainable development. We are building a structure where every child, regardless of physical ability, can practise judo in their region and develop all the way to the national team level. Our strategic goal is to see our athletes standing proudly on the Paralympic Games podium. That is the peak we are moving towards, step by step, year by year.”
Kazakhstan’s Paralympic Judo Federation is now looking forward to organising the IBSA Judo Grand Prix in May 2026 which will follow the IJF Qazaqstan Barysy Grand Slam. These two events will provide a new opportunity for integration and development for all stakeholders.