‘We have been updating our equipment for the coverage of the Asian Winter Games,’ says Technical Director, Aidyn Bazhileyev. ‘OB vans will be deployed in the sports arenas to enable us to broadcast the games live, and we plan to produce daily sport highlights from the press centres in Astana and Almaty. There will also be extended coverage of the games in news programmes.

It is the first time the Asian Games will be held two cities – more than 2,500 athletes from 45 nations are expected to arrive at the capital city of Astana and the largest Kazakh city of Almaty.

‘We have set up a digital archive where the entire video material of the Asian Winter Games will be gathered. This will enable operational efficiency, and we will be able to produce and air the video material from any arena swiftly,’ Bazhileyev says.

JSC Khabar Agency has also begun promotion of the games in its programming, including following the country’s preparations for the event. ‘Last August, we began featuring video trailers about sportsmen, the disciplines of the Winter Games and the construction sports facilities to increase interest in the competition as well as Kazakhstan,’ says Timur Kamashev, JSC Khabar Agency’s Sports Programme Producer.

The transmission of the Asian Games will be carried by three TV channels – Khabar, Yel-arna and Kazakhstan.