Dmitry Balandin and Three Other Kazakhstanis Join World Aquatics Committees

Olympic champion Balandin was elected to the Athletes’ Committee as Asia’s representative.

Kazakhstan has expanded its representation within the structures of the International Swimming Federation (World Aquatics) — four Kazakhstani representatives have joined various committees of the organization, reports insports.kz citing the press service of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan. Secretary General of Qazaqstan Aquatics and Olympic champion Dmitry Balandin was elected to the Athletes’ Committee as the representative of Asia following a vote. A total of 44 candidates contested 20 seats. Gender balance and geographical diversity were taken into account when forming the committee. In addition, by decision of the leadership of World Aquatics, Mirat Utepov (Advisor to the Audit Committee), Ilya Gusakov (Swimming Technical Committee), and Enlik Ultarakova (Sports Medicine Committee) were appointed to federation committees. It should be noted that earlier, during the World Aquatics Congress in Singapore, President of the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan, Gennady Golovkin, held a working meeting with the head of the federation, Husain Al-Musallam, to discuss expanding the participation of Qazaqstan Aquatics representatives in international structures. The election and appointments of Kazakhstani specialists represent an important step in implementing the Head of State’s instructions to expand the country’s representation in international sports federations and strengthen its position in world sports.