Welcome to the Women’s Hockey Academy in Nur-Sultan

Welcome to the Women’s Hockey Academy in Nur-Sultan

Our Mission: To provide support for every female hockey player and develop more opportunities for girls to play ice hockey.

We are in the process of introducing a movement in Kazakhstan to involve girls in hockey, which is unusual since hockey was considered a sport for men only. We enable girls to be strong, confident, educated and strive to achieve goals.

OUR MISSION

To empower girls in sports. Attracting more women to sports. To open and conduct a permanent recruitment of new kids to the kid’s-girls-women’s hockey section.

Raise a new generation of professional hockey players, including for the future National Team of Kazakhstan. Popularisation of women’s sports.

GROWING THE FEMALE HOCKEY GAME IN Kazakhstan

Women’s hockey academy is a minor hockey community that creates opportunities for female hockey athletes residing in the City of Nur-Sultan an opportunity to play on all-female teams in the different countries.

As a hockey academy, we are able to accept registration of any female athlete living within the boundaries of Nur-Sultan.

OUR OBJECTIVES

To provide a safe, fun, and engaging environment where girls at all levels of interest and ability can learn and play ice hockey

To develop each player as an athlete and an individual while teaching the fundamentals of hockey, teamwork, discipline, and hard work

To create the best possible hockey experience for each player by enhancing friendships, teaching life lessons, and instilling a love of the game

To encourage our older players to give back to the girls hockey community through volunteerism

To grow the game by designing innovative programs that increase girls’ participation in the sport

HOW EVERYTHING STARTED

On March 8th, we ran a Charity Ice Hockey Tournament by Bulbul Kartanbay, dedicated for International Women’s Day. There were 16 kids teams. We had a great chance to find 12 girls to join us.

We had some ice time to use as an opportunity for the girls to play some hockey together. Since that day we realised we could play a significant part in growing the sport for girls.

In April 2021 the founder and owner of our academy met with the president of Kazakhstan Republic and gave a speech. Where she expressed her desire to open an academy and develop women’s hockey in Kazakhstan. Since that meeting everything changed for us. We’ve got government support. Bulbul Kartanbay met with Mayor of capital city and also with the Minister of Sports and Culture

In May 2021 we officially opened a non- profit organisation, on July 1st we opened a women`s-girls hockey academy, since that time we got 65 girls more who wanna join us. But some girls still don’t have the opportunity & budget to buy hockey gear. But the academy is hard working on it. Because We believe that hockey is an incredible sport for girls to play and the hockey community regardless of association is second to none.

We are so proud of our girls and envision their future to be limitless both in the sport and as a result of playing the sport.

Right now we have 2 teams U8- U13, one team U6- U8, one team U14 -U 18, and we have 75 girls in the Academy. It was really hard, because nobody in Kazakhstan believes that we need Women’s sports.

With little money and big belief we started everything on July 1st and now we have lots of girls involved in ice hockey and women’s sports, because I believe we have rights to be.

Together we can make a difference in the lives of girls who want to play the sport of hockey. Please consider donating to the club.

OUR RESULTS & TOURNAMENTS

Thanks to Bulbul’s initiative, a new type of tournament was introduced in the country. Championship of the Republic of Kazakhstan 8U – 13 U. – Girls from the academy had 3rd place and 6th place in the tournament. We also joined the Courtyard league (pond hockey) and we won 2nd place, our 6U -8U team. Women’s hockey academy also held the first participation in the Fifth Winter Spartakiad of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It was a big honor for us and our girls 14U+.

About Bulbul Kartanbay

Bulbul Kartanbay has played ice hockey for more than thirteen years. She was born in Kazakhstan, and in 2019 became the first Kazakh athlete to play for the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) when she signed with the Metropolitan Riveters. She has also played for the Kazakhstan Women’s League, the Southern Alberta Women’s Hockey Association in Canada, and competed in five World Championships. When she’s not on the ice, Bulbul is a model and owns her own business, Omnomnom Eco Bakery, selling cookies that are healthy, vegan, gluten- and sugar-free. In 2020, Bulbul became one of the head coaches for the Princeton Tiger Lilies high school women’s team.

GOALS

Develop own Women’s Hockey Academy in Kazakhstan.
Facilitating the exchange of experience with directors and general managers from other countries of professional women’s teams and communities.
To represent my country, my team and women’s hockey by being the best person, hockey player and member of my community that I can be.
To share my knowledge and love for hockey with young girls and women.

OUR NEEDS

The academy is in dire need of hockey equipment for 40 players aged 8-12, as well as an acute need for equipment for 3 goalkeepers aged 6, 10, 14 years.
We are open for support and help, you can donate here Due to lack of ice in our country and in the capital city. We are planning a bold project that will clearly announce our academy in Kazakhstan and in the world.
Our main goal is the construction of a mobile ice rink. Where all children will be able to study and improve their skills.
We need foreign investors, as the construction of an ice arena is an expensive project for Kazakhstan. We plan to attract as many sponsors from other countries as possible, as this will have a positive impact on our friendship between our and your countries. For more information about the project, please leave your email address.

Resume Bulbul Kartanbay