Twin sisters Zhamilya and Madina Bakbergenova have already made it into the history of Kazakhstan as one of the country's most successful athletes in the 21st century, becoming champions and prize-winners of the world's leading championships. In 2012, 16-year-old Zhamilya and Madina represented Kazakhstan at the Children of Asia Games in Yakutsk and became champions - each in their own weight category - and took home the first gold medals of an international tournament...
Ms. Zhamilya BAKBERGENOVA is an Honored Master of Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, an international master of sports, three-time Asian champion in wrestling (2020, 2022, 2023), silver (2021, 2022) and bronze (2023) medalist of the world championships. In 2022, she was recognized as the Best Athlete of Kazakhstan.
ABOUT CHILDHOOD
When we were in the 8th grade, our elder sister Balnur brought us into sports. We were very active and restless, and Balnur once said we must sign them up for wrestling. Balnur is two years older than us, and we also have a younger brother, Nurdaulet. The sports club was not far from home. At first, we just trained; genuine interest and understanding of this sport came later. A few months later, my dad suggested enrolling in a sports school. Our dad, Nauhannur Bakbergenuly, is a former athlete, a famous Kazakh football player in the 80s, and worked as a school principal. In the beginning, he also taught us, instructed us, and said that we should always be very attentive to everything - what we do, eat, drink, since all this is of great importance, especially in big-time sports. At the sports school, profound training and a love for wrestling began. Somehow, we became involved in all this, and sports became a part of our lives.
In 2012, we participated in the Children of Asia Games in Yakutsk. At that time, we were 16 years old. Madina is 5 minutes older than me. What surprised me most was the Midnight Sun - it was always light, and even at night, it was almost like day. My sister and I became champions - me in the up to 60 kg category and Madina in the up to 52 kg category.
ABOUT SPORTS ROUTINE
Currently, we are living and training in Astana. Madina’s husband, Nursultan Temirov, trains us. Everyone in the family is very supportive. Dad is our main fan and never misses a single Kazakhstani championship. Maybe my relatives had a slightly different attitude before, but now they understand that wrestling is our work, our life.
We don't think about how or what will happen next; we train and prepare for the next tournament to show the maximum of our capabilities. The upcoming tournaments are the Kazakhstani championship and license competitions, deciding who goes to the Olympics.
During the preparation period before competitions, the daily routine is quite simple: get up at 7 am, take a walk, then have breakfast at 8, then morning training, lunch, and then a second training. Training camps take place either in the city or in the mountains. Now, I'm switching to the weight category up to 76 kg to prepare for the Olympics. However, first things first: we need to perform well at the Kazakhstani Championship.
OUTSIDE SPORTS LIFE
I have two degrees - first, as a coach, and the second, as a lawyer. In the future, I plan to stay in the sports domain, but not as a coach since this is still more of a men’s job. Coaching involves ongoing training camps and trips, while I want to care for my home and family. I like to spend my free time with loved ones and friends. Among the athletes, Dariga Shakimova helps me like an older sister - she is the Asian boxing champion (2010, 2015) and bronze medalist of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics (2016). My favorite dish is manty (Kazakh dumplings) with pumpkin; rarely anyone likes them, but I love them.
.jpeg)
I wish the young athletes who will participate in the Games good luck and victory! Let these competitions become the beginning of your bright victories in big sports! Believe in yourself and your strengths, be purposeful, and everything will definitely work out!
Mr. Nursultan TEMIROV is the Bakbergenova sisters’ coach. From the age of eight, he was engaged in wrestling, studied at the Hajimukan Munaitpasov Republic-wide Specialized Boarding School & College of the Olympic Reserve, and graduated from the Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National University. He is the champion of Kazakhstan and a master of sports. Due to health reasons, he left sports early and began a career as a coach. He is the coach of Kazakhstan's national women's wrestling team. Since 2019, he has been Madina’s personal trainer, and since 2020, personal trainer of Zhamilya. In 2023, he was recognized as the best coach in Kazakhstan. In our conversation, he noted that there were peculiarities in training athletes that are not just similar but sisters.
“The pros of training sisters are that they are about the same weight, they motivate each other, and you can pair them up and practice techniques together. Their key strength is their personality. On the mat, they fight until the very last second. This is very important for a professional athlete. By nature, they are physically very strong. In addition, they have an iron will, internal discipline, and natural talent - all these are the basis of their success. Their father played a significant role in Madina and Zhamilya’s sporting careers. Initially, he also participated in their training, advised, and suggested something. He is a former athlete, played for our famous football club Kairat, and was one of the leaders in the sports field, so they come from an athletic family.”
Ms. Madina BAKBERGENOVA is an international master of sports, a two-time bronze medalist of the Asian Wrestling Championship (2016, 2020), an Asian wrestling champion (2022), and a bronze medalist of the World Championship (2023).
ABOUT CHILDREN OF ASIA
Wrestling is already our life. This excitement, adrenaline, and emotions during competitions cannot be replaced by anything. Children of Asia Games was our first big event. Everything there was at the highest level. At these competitions, we saw a large sports arena and felt what it was like to perform at the international level.
ABOUT FAMILY
My sister and I always prepare before the competitions. We help each other in everything. There are no rituals or talismans before tournaments. We know we need to work hard in the gym and believe in Allah and ourselves. We are very similar now. I mean, before that, I competed in the category up to 59 kilograms, and she - up to 72, and we were different, of course. Now I'm in the weight category up to 68, and we have more in common. We even have the same voices—sometimes, my mother can't tell which one of us is speaking.
Our father is an athlete. He is our first coach and motivator. When we just started wrestling, he taught us everything. But now he doesn’t really interfere with our training process. However, when we are at home, he always demands that we strictly follow the regime and eat the right food, and mom always feels sorry for us. After the competition, my sister and I discuss both victories and defeats. This is important for us.
ABOUT THE COACH
In 2018, my husband, Nursultan, started training me. However, at that time, he was not working as a coach yet, and I officially had a different coach. During that period, I would often lose. But then my husband took over my training, and the situation changed: I began to perform better and feel more confident on the mat. Zhamilya noticed that. By then, she wanted to change her coach and start wrestling for another city. In the end, we decided that Nursultan would train us. Since 2020, he has been training both of us. And, as you can see, there are good results.
OUTSIDE SPORTS LIFE
I have two sons: the eldest will soon be seven, and the youngest is three. The eldest has started gymnastics. I don't want him to do wrestling - I prefer that he focuses on his studies. But the younger one will definitely do either wrestling or hockey.
There was a time when I thought about working in law enforcement. But after wrestling, everything changed. Now, I spend all my free time with my family - I walk with my children, and I like to cook. Sometimes, we play rugball together.
.jpeg)
I wish all Children of Asia Games participants good health, first of all! I remember when we arrived, everything was so well organized there. May these competitions bring you victory, new friends, and exciting moments you will remember joyfully!