Rokhus Shokh: «This project makes a great contribution to the education of not only football players, but also a new generation of fans»

– Mister Rokhus, the first season is over. Let's summarize the first season of the project.

 

– There is every reason to say that the season was a success. When we started this work, many were skeptical that the project would be implemented. There were also those who said: «You are going to conquer space; it is impossible to do such a project in Kazakhstan». Many also pointed to staffing shortages. It’s true, we received so many resumes and had about a hundred interviews. We have selected girls and boys from all over the country who are able to organize the QJ League aged 21 to 35 years. They worked tirelessly for more than six months. They created everything from nothing. And you saw the result yourself.

 

I will not tire of repeating that the QJ League is a large-scale, national and systemic project. This is a project that proves that the step that paves the way for our tomorrow must begin today. That is, we are shaping the future today. We must not forget this. The project has been completed and its progress today is truly pleasing.

 

– A Matchday festival was organized in several cities, and you personally took part in them. In which of them was the public most active?

 

– Matchday is a special event. Nobody thought that the youth tournament would be in such great demand among spectators. I am a native of the city of Taraz. This historical city is the football factory of Kazakhstan. This was the case before, and this trend continues to this day.

 

I was very happy to see the fans gathered for the game in Taraz. The stadium was full – 12 thousand people! This hasn’t happened for 20 years, so many people came to watch the match of 17-year-olds. The youth of «Taraz» and «Kairat» showed themselves. It was as if professionals were playing. Tickets are completely sold out. Yes, the price is low, but this is an excellent indicator. It is important for clubs to be able to sell tickets to games.

 

And 18,000 people came to the opening of the league, which is a very large number for teenagers. Today, most of the players playing in the Kazakhstan national youth team are members of the league. There are also those that have caught the attention of coaches thanks to the QJ League. Football players who tried their best were invited to the national youth team. It's amazing. More than 30 players playing in the league have been invited to the country's U17 and U19 national teams in 2023. The matches were broadcast live on republican television channels, and the number of viewers is growing.

 

Thousands of people watched the games in Kyzylorda and Atyrau. In the future, Matchday will be organized in other cities. A viewer interested in football can become a real fan. Why? Because the kids from our yard, our own pupils, play there. In addition to the children's parents, relatives, teachers, youngs and even girls came. Mass sports are developing, and competition increases accordingly.

 

This project makes a great contribution to the education of not only football players, but also a new generation of fans.

 

– What changes are expected in the new season? Perhaps the number of cities and participants will increase?..

 

– This season the QJ League team held six festivals in different cities of the country. Including the opening match and eco-event in Almaty. Whichever one you look at, it's easy to see that interest is high. The experts, parents and our little fans liked everything.

 

We visited many cities, such as Semey, Turkestan, Ust-Kamenogorsk. There is a lot of interest from local clubs.

 

In the first season there was only one age – U-18. The 12 best youth teams of professional clubs from 10 regions of the country competed. And in 2024, the competition will be held in two age categories. Teams from all regions of the country will take part in it. There will be a second league in which teams will be selected. In 2025 we plan to add a third age and a women's league. Because among our girls there are many who want to play football.

 

– It was your initiative to create this league. Where did this idea come from?

 

– The idea of ​​creating such a league appeared last year – during trips to the regions. We communicated not only with the heads of regions or clubs, but also with coaches, including children's coaches. Then I realized the need to create a domestic football project, like MLS-Next in the USA or the YFL in Russia. There are also youth leagues in Europe that have become a bridge between children's, teenage and adult competitions. Pupils of football centers and academies need to adapt to the lifestyle of professional football players from childhood. They also need to work on a weekly cycle, playing home and away matches. It’s not enough to come up with an idea, you also need to implement it. In this case, it all comes down to money.

 

When I met Timur Turlov, a Kazakh billionaire and philanthropist, I told him that there was such a project. This interested him very much. Mr. Timur believes that large entrepreneurs should invest in the development of the country, human resources and youth. He believes that by implementing this project, we will get closer to this goal. Our views converged and I managed to interest him in football; before, he was not interested in football. After consultation with the President of Kazakhstan Football Federation, Adlet Barmenkulov, it was decided to create a youth league and implement it as a federation project.

 

An important project started in April. Six months later, the first season ended.

 

The championship turned out to be truly competitive. The youth team of «Kairat», who became the champion, lost to the players from «Zhas Kyran» in the last matchday. This means that competition was high.

 

– Can this league become a social lift for our youth?

 

– Our goal was to reach a new level by improving quality. This applies not only to football players. Together with the KFF, we began to improve the qualifications of coaches and judges. New positions have appeared, such as Matchday manager, sports manager, media manager. We try to develop comprehensively.

 

Source: El.kz