Kazakhstan: Five Deaflympics Athletes Die in Accident
Seven Kazakhstani Deaflympics athletes and their driver died in a tragic minivan-truck collision on the Almaty-Bishkek highway.
The nation is mourning the tragic loss of seven people, including renowned Kazakhstani Deaflympics athletes, who were killed in a horrific road accident on the Almaty-Bishkek highway in Kazakhstan early morning on 2 December 2025. The victims, who were respected figures in the deaf sports community, were returning to Almaty after participating in a football tournament for deaf veterans in Bishkek.
The athletes were travelling in a Honda Odyssey minivan when the accident took place. According to early reports, the minivan crashed into the trailer of a large and heavy truck moving ahead of them. The Vice President of the National Deaflympics Committee, Arssen Shakuov, said that the truck was travelling at very high speed before the collision. All seven people inside the vehicle, including the driver, died instantly.
The news has caused shock and deep sadness across Kazakhstan, as the accident has taken the lives of national sporting heroes. Five of the seven victims were officially named as key members of the deaf sports world:
• Assyl Ibraimov – respected football coach for deaf athletes
• Dmitry Mochalskiy – Deaflympics chess champion, European Deaf chess champion
• Saken Smagulov – veteran of the national deaf football team
• Sergey Volkovinskiy – veteran of the national deaf football team
• Serik Moldashev – veteran of the national deaf football team
Shakuov shared that he had known all of them since childhood and that they were his father’s closest friends, adding a deep personal layer to the tragedy. Police are now investigating factors such as vehicle speed, driver error, and condition, with official results expected in the coming weeks.
