Capital team wins Kazakhstan Drone Soccer Championship

Kazakh capital team become the champion of Kazakhstan in drone soccer and will represent the country at an international tournament in South Korea, El.kz reports.

Astana hosted the national Astana FIDA Drone Soccer Championship 2026, which gather 20 teams from various regions of the country. Participants included teams from Almaty, Shymkent, Karaganda, Aktobe, and Kokshetau, highlighting the growing interest in technological sports among the youth and the advancement of unmanned technologies in Kazakhstan.

What is Drone Soccer?

Drone soccer is a format in which players control drones encased in protective spheres. The teams' objective is to navigate their drone through the opponent's ring (goal). The entire game takes place in the air and requires high precision, rapid reflexes, and team coordination.

In Kazakhstan, drone soccer is developing as a team discipline where players operate within a confined playing area. Each match is built around piloting precision, intra-team coordination, and rapid decision-making.

Organization of the Championship

The event was organized by the "Kazakhstan Drone Soccer Association" Public Fund, with support from the Astana Akimat (city administration) and the "Astana Daryny" Center. The competition was held according to the international rules of the Federation of International Drone-soccer Association (FIDA), evaluating piloting skills, team strategy, and player interaction.

Following the results of the championship, the capital’s team, Skillset_Eagles, emerged victorious. They have earned the right to represent Kazakhstan at an intl tournament to be held in July 2026 in the Republic of Korea. The team will attend the competition as the country’s official representatives.

Director of the Kazakhstan Drone Soccer Association Alikhan Ryspai noted that the discipline fosters an engineering mindset and technical skills in participants.

"Drone soccer is much more than just flying a drone. A successful athlete must possess high concentration, good reflexes, strategic thinking, and the ability to work in a team. Furthermore, technical skills are vital. A player must understand the drone’s components and be able to perform basic diagnostics and equipment calibration. Unlike many traditional sports, the result here also depends on an engineering approach. This is why drone soccer is especially valuable for the youth. It helps develop skills that are in demand in programming, robotics, aviation, and unmanned technologies. We view drone soccer as a tool for training future engineers, developers, and specialists in artificial intelligence and unmanned systems," Alikhan Ryspai said.

According to the organizers, drone soccer is growing through school programs and student clubs. Participants train in equipment handling, analyze game scenarios, and learn to operate effectively during fast-paced, dynamic matches.