On 20 July, the global chess community celebrated the 101st International Chess Day. The theme for this special date in 2025 was “Every Move Counts”, to remind that every decision shapes the journey, both on the chessboard and in life. Freedom Holding Corp. has long supported this intellectual endeavor, making it increasingly accessible to everyone in Kazakhstan and worldwide. In the 2025 fiscal year alone, Freedom Holding allocated over $11 million for this purpose.
Where Intelligence Wins
According to the annual financial report of Freedom Holding Corp., during the 2025 fiscal year ending on March 31, the group made financial contributions totaling $ 11,222,000 to the Kazakhstan Chess Federation to support the organization of championships, tournaments, and training camps. “For us, chess is not just a game with a long and rich history — for us, it’s a reflection of the future. Chess is becoming one of the most popular types of cybersports, a symbol of the intellectual era where intelligence, not force, wins. And we want to be part of this trend”, says Timur Turlov, CEO at Freedom Holding Corp. and President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation.
To celebrate International Chess Day on Sunday, 20 July 2025, Freedom Holding Corp. installed a unique knight chess figure at Shymbulak, one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in Kazakhstan. Created in the Minecraft style, the figure symbolizes how a traditional intellectual game can appeal to a new generation, representing the meeting point between classical and digital worlds, as well as between chess strategy and creative thinking.
Beyond Chess
Supporting chess is just one of Freedom Holding’s social initiatives. The group actively backs many other social sports projects through charitable and sponsorship activities. For example, Freedom helps to facilitate the development of football and tennis in Kazakhstan.
The QJ League, a youth football league sponsored by Freedom, covers 17 regions of Kazakhstan and boasts over 1,600 players. In 2025, Turlov announced the launch of a fully-fledged football league for girls. A football academy will be built in Karaganda, funded entirely by Freedom Holding Corp. The complex will span 9.6 hectares, with over 28,000 square meters of facilities, and cost an estimated $20.8–22.7 million. It is expected to become a key training hub for both boys and girls.
The group also collaborates with the Kazakh Tennis Federation. With its support, the ATP 250 Almaty Open men’s tennis tournament was held in Almaty from 13 to 20 October 2024.
Promoting Culture and Education
Freedom Holding recognizes the social responsibility of business and seeks to create a positive impact on the regions where it operates. Promoting culture and education is another key aspect of the group’s charitable activities. In the 2025 financial year, it supported the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), a prestigious competition for secondary school students from around the world.
Freedom Holding Corp. also acted as General Partner to the Kazakhstan Collegiate Programming Federation for the ICPC World Finals 2024 in Astana, one of the largest international competitions in the IT sphere.
In 2024, the group helped build a new centre for advanced technologies, development, and research at SDU University in Almaty. This new university building will serve as a hub for conducting research in the field of fintech.
Through the “Teach for Qazaqstan” initiative, Freedom grants teachers access to masterclasses, seminars, and specialized training modules aimed at creating a supportive and stimulating learning environment. And with another project, Freedom Academy, the holding brings financial literacy to the public.
Environmental projects
Freedom Holding’s sponsorship and charitable activities are centralized within the Freedom Shapagat Corporate Foundation, whose project portfolio is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As part of the Group’s efforts to promote balanced regional development, the Fund supports multiple environmental projects.
In 2024, it began providing financial assistance for the Oasis Project, which focuses on planting black saxaul and other salt-tolerant plants in the dried-up bed of the Aral Sea. The initiative aims to restore the region’s ecosystem, which has suffered from a long-term ecological crisis due to the deterioration of the sea.
Other environmental projects include Freedom Fandomats (RVM, reverse vending machines) and the Eco-Village project. The former is a technological solution for collecting plastic bottles and aluminum cans for further recycling. The latter contributes to the sustainable development of rural regions of Kazakhstan.
In total, Freedom’s sponsorship expenses in fiscal year 2025 amounted to $51 million. This contribution is an important part of the holding’s long-term ESG strategy. “We haven’t forgotten what we’ve always considered important. We allocated $51 million for sponsorship support, including sports, education, environmental initiatives, and regional development”, stated Freedom in its annual financial report.
