Support for youth sports has become one of the main priorities in Freedom's social projects. The foundations of future successes of Kazakh athletes are laid in children's and youth sections. To implement this approach, Timur Turlov not only invests significant funds but also creates new structures for the development of children's, youth and adult sports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In its sustainability report for the financial year ended March 31, 2026, Freedom Holding Corp. presented information on financing social, educational and environmental projects. Sport occupies a separate place in the document. The company led by Timur Turlov supports professional clubs, youth competitions and the construction of training facilities.
One of the largest recipients of funds was Freedom QJ League. Created in 2023, it organizes competitions for men's and women's youth teams of Kazakh football clubs and schools. The winner represents Kazakhstan in the UEFA Youth League. Timur Turlov has chaired the League's board of trustees since its creation. During the reporting period, the Freedom Shapagat foundation allocated 5.55 billion tenge, or more than $10.71 million, to it.
QJ League. The holding's ESG report notes that it pays special attention to children's and youth competitions, whose budgets are significantly more modest than those of Premier League clubs.
Freedom also pays great attention not only to organizing the competitive process but also to creating sports infrastructure.
In Karaganda, with the support of the holding, an academy is being created where future players of Shakhtyor will be trained. The total cost of the project is stated at 18.5 billion tenge. The project is financed by the Freedom Shapagat foundation, which has already allocated 4.17 billion tenge in the reporting period. The academy includes full-size football fields, an indoor arena, a heated field, a stadium, a boarding school and medical facilities. Support also extends to school football. The corporate football foundation of the Karaganda region was allocated 846 million tenge for several projects, including the ALGA school social project. Launched in 2025, it brought together almost 2,000 students in grades 1-4 from 10 secondary schools in Karaganda, Saran, Temirtau, Abai and Ushtobe.
In Semey, the foundation allocated 534.29 million tenge for the construction of the Freedom Yelimay complex. The artificial turf football field is placed under an inflatable dome, thanks to which Yelimay's youth teams can train in winter as well.
Inclusive sports are financed separately: the Bolashak foundation received 31.95 million tenge for the UNI FOOTBALL LEAGUE, where children with various physical and cognitive characteristics play football.
Another priority area of sports investment for Freedom is chess. The Kazakhstan Chess Federation received 5.3 billion tenge, or $10.22 million, from Freedom Shapagat. The funds are intended for the development of chess education and support for Kazakh athletes' performances at international competitions.
Timur Turlov has headed the federation since January 2023. In his address published in the annual report, he said that in 2025 Kazakh chess players won 162 international medals, including 64 gold.
Part of the funding is directed to work with schoolchildren. The International School Chess Federation received 1.45 billion tenge to hold the team world championship among schoolchildren and the scientific conference "Chess in School." Another 99.5 million tenge was allocated to programs that help children develop strategic thinking and other skills through chess.
Support for chess also extends to the international level. In September 2026, Timur Turlov was elected president of the International Chess Federation (FIDE). In addition, the holding's European structure Freedom Finance Europe co-organized the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, directing $1 million to its holding. During the competitions, master classes and meetings with grandmasters were organized for students of the Freedom24 Chess Academy and local clubs.