Daribai Ospanov is a four-time world champion in powerlifting. The 75-year-old athlete is preparing for the next world championship in Norway in the summer.
The elder lives in the village of Agadyr, Shet district. He started powerlifting 19 years ago at the age of 56.
- In my youth, I also played sports - volleyball. I have a 1st category. I also played tennis, I was engaged in sambo, but it was just a hobby. And I started professional sports only at the age of 56, - ​​says the elder.
At first, Daribai Ospanov trained at home. The small gym in the village was not suitable for powerlifting. However, over time, the athlete decided to take matters into his own hands.
- We decided to build a hall equipped with equipment for bench press and other exercises. Sports equipment was collected from scrap metal. So, little by little, we did everything, - says the powerlifter. - Now we still make some of the equipment ourselves. Our hall is small, and the equipment is not 100%, so we have to do some things ourselves.
For his next victory at the 2024 World Championships, Daribay Ospanov received an HS Power set from Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as a gift, which consists of a special bench and a barbell for 450 kg.
Now, in the village gym, the powerlifter and his son train children aged 9 and older for free. Among them are four international masters of sports, several masters of sports, and champions of Kazakhstan and Asia.
In addition to coaching, the elder continues to train hard. In March, he will have a qualifying championship, where, if he wins, he will have the right to participate in the World Championships in Drammen (Norway).
- We plan to participate in that competition with our son. He is a five-time world champion in powerlifting. Of course, all this is expensive. We wish powerlifting was supported like an Olympic sport, - says Daribay Ospanov.

Source : https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/karaganda/press/news/details/926432