DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a highly competitive process, Phygital International today announces that Kazakhstan has been chosen as the host of the Games of the Future 2026.

Ahmad Haffar speaking at The Games of the Future 2026 Host Country Announcement

This annual tournament, which is the pinnacle event of the phygital sporting world, received hosting bids from countries across the world, all bidding to follow the UAE in becoming hosts of this prestigious event.

Kazakhstan proved itself the ultimate winner with the Phygital International Expert Committee judges, after showcasing its expertise in hosting international tournaments, its state-of-the-art sports venues - along with the perfect mix of being a nation that embraces sports, culture and tradition as well as its technology and innovation capabilities.

The Games of the Future is a unique international event, which brings together the next generation of dynamic sporting heroes from all over the world. Phygital International expects the Games of the Future 2025 in UAE and now, 2026 in Kazakhstan to welcome thousands of world-class athletes and esports persons as part of multinational clubs. They will participate in the multi-sport event which comprises of a number of phygital sport challenges.

Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International, commented: "We're hugely excited at the prospect of Kazakhstan receiving the phygital flame from next year's host, the UAE to host the 2026 tournament. It's so pleasing to see the exponential growth of not only phygital sports, but also the global phygital community.

"In fact, the host nation bidding process for the Games of the Future 2027 is already hotting up but there's still time for other countries to put their bid in before the deadline in December."

Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports, for the Republic of Kazakhstan comments, "It is a privilege for our great nation of Kazakhstan to be awarded the honour of hosting the Games of the Future in 2026. Our country has supported phygital sport from its very inception, and we take pride in being the next in line to host this great event and we're excited to receive the phygital flame from the UAE, who's hosting in 2025 we greatly look forward to."

The Games of the Future places no restrictions on its participants and welcomes everyone, regardless of their age, gender and nationality. The deadline for submitting applications to host the tournament in 2027 is December 31, 2024.

Notes to Editors

For further information please visit: Phygitalinternational.com 

Phygital International is the promoter of phygital sports globally and is focused on innovating and redefining sports. It is the custodian of the Games of the Future, the tournament operator and oversees the bidding process for each host city.

The World Phygital Community provides a platform for clubs to enter the Games of the Future by regulating and promoting phygital sports around the world across a network of members of over 80 countries globally.

The Games of the Future is an annual international event that fuses the worlds of physical and digital and is the pinnacle of phygital sport.

X : https://x.com/officialgotf

Basketball players in action at The Games of the Future 2024

Nis Hatt, CEO of Phygital International (L) and Rene Fasel, Founder of Phygital International, (R) congratulate Yerbol Myrzabossynov (C) on Kazakhstan being selected as host country of the Games of the Future 2026

Rene Fasel, Founder of Phygital International (L) congratulates Yerbol Myrzabossynov, Minister of Tourism and Sports for the Republic of Kazakhstan