The Administrative Court of Astana considered an administrative lawsuit brought by a local resident against the Ministry of Tourism and Sport, seeking to declare unlawful the refusal to pay monetary awards for sporting achievements.
According to the press service of the capital's courts, in October 2021 the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships were held in Budapest (Hungary), where the plaintiff took first and third place in different disciplines.
In subsequent years — 2023 and 2024 — the sportswoman also won prize places at world championships held in Khiva (Uzbekistan) and Cholpon-Ata (Kyrgyzstan).
In November 2024, she applied to the Ministry of Tourism and Sport for payment of a monetary award for the prize places at the aforementioned championships.
The Ministry considered her application and forwarded the documents for payments for the achievements of 2023 and 2024, but refused to pay the awards for 2021, citing the expiry of the limitation period.
The court of first instance found the Ministry's actions to be unjustified and stated that the reference to the expiry of the limitation period in this case is not applicable.
"From the provisions of paragraph 4 of the Rules, approved by Resolution No. 1345 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated 19 December 2014, it follows that the payment of a monetary award may be made to a prize-winner of an international sports competition, which the plaintiff is. Consequently, she is entitled to receive a monetary reward for the prize places obtained at international sports competitions," the statement said.
The appellate court upheld the arguments of the court of first instance and left the decision unchanged.