Dmitriy Panarin, leader of the national badminton team, makes history as the first Kazakh player to qualify for the Olympics. He will represent the country in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics in France, QazMonitor reports citing the National Olympic Committee.
Olympic qualifications: According to Askar Ormanov, the national team’s chief coach, the qualifications for the upcoming Olympic Games will be finalized on April 28. Despite two remaining tournaments, Panarin's 25,005 points ensure his spot.
To secure a spot, it is necessary to participate in several competitions and achieve the highest placement. Athletes ranked in the top 38 will qualify for the Olympic Games.
Dmitriy Panarin currently ranks 31st, while the national badminton team ranks 25th overall with 2,695 points.
Since January, the athlete has competed in eleven events, including the 32nd Iran Fajr International Challenge in Yazd, the Selangor Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 in the Malaysian city of Shah Alam, the Yonex German Open 2024 in Mülheim an der Ruhr, the Badminton Asia Championships 2024 in the Chinese city of Ningbo, and others.
By participating in these tournaments, Panarin earned rating points. While it's impossible to win medals and earn points in all competitions, collectively, we managed to obtain the necessary number of points.