Astana - Sport

Sport

Astana is home to FC Astana and FC Astana-64, of which the latter won the national championship in 2000, 2001 and 2006. The city is also home to the Astana Tigers basketball team who successfully took the 2004/2005 season title, as well as Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League. In addition, Astana has a professional cycling team. They participated in the 2007 Tour de France wearing uniforms in Kazakhstani national colors, but were excluded during the race after the failed test of Alexander Vinokourov for illegal doping practises, and was banned from the 2008 race. Astana returned to the Tour de France in 2009 and won the overall Team Classification, with Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong finishing first and third respectively. In 2010 Contador again won the Tour de France with the Astana team, but announced in August 2010 that he would be leaving the Astana team to join the Sunguard-SaxoBank team in 2011.

A bandy team by the name of Dynamo-Astana has been formed, and an indoor bandy arena is being built for Dynamo. The 2011 Asian Winter Games were partly held in the capital.

Club Sport Founded League Venue
FC Astana Football 2009 Kazakhstan Premier League Astana Arena
FC Astana-64 Football 1964 Kazakhstan Premier League K. Munaitpasov Stadium
Astana Cycling 2007 UCI ProTour
Astana Tigers Basketball 2000 Kazakh Basketball League
Barys Astana Ice hockey 1999 Kontinental Hockey League, Kazakh Ice Hockey League Alatau Sports Palace

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