QJL Awards 2026: Introducing the Dias Omarov Award!

As a reminder, each award is named in honour of a prominent figure in Kazakhstan football. The award for the best media team of the season is named after Dias Omarov.

Dias Ilyasovich Omarov was a Soviet and Kazakh footballer, sports journalist and commentator.

He developed a love for football at an early age and trained under renowned coach Georgy Kozelko. In 1959, Omarov joined Kairat. He made more than 20 appearances for the Almaty club’s first team and scored three goals.

Omarov later discovered another talent – journalism. It all began with the team’s wall newspaper, before he was asked to write an article for the Sovietsky Sport newspaper.

Dias Ilyasovich devoted his entire life to journalism, becoming one of the defining voices of sports broadcasting in Kazakhstan. He covered the major sporting events of his era, including the Olympic Games and World Championships.

Notably, it was Omarov who commentated on the first match in the history of the Kazakhstan football championship.

Dias Ilyasovich became a mentor and role model for an entire generation of sports journalists in Kazakhstan. His final commentary assignment was a 2019 veterans’ match between Kairat and Pakhtakor, meaning he devoted more than half a century to the profession he loved.

Freedom QJ League Best Media Team award winners by year:
2023 – Aksu.
2024 – Astana.
2025 – Atyrau.