Kazakhstan ParaVolley announced that men’s national team head coach, Bauyrzhan Takhauov, won the Paralympic Sports Coach of the Year honour this year, beating three other candidates through online voting.
Takhauov won with 45 per cent of the votes, tallying 2,332 votes, with a 179-vote margin over the next best candidate who had 42 per cent or 2,153 votes while his other fellow candidates trailed behind with nine per cent or 475 votes and four per cent or 201 votes.
The Kazakh sitting volleyball tactician steered a brilliant run for the men’s team in 2023, as he helped Kazakhstan in its campaign to return to the Paralympic Games after 28 years, qualifying through the 2023 PVA Sitting Volleyball Zone Championships in Astana as the silver medallists.
Kazakhstan’s last Paralympic Games appearance was at the 1996 Games in Atlanta, where they placed eighth overall.
Takhauov also led Kazakhstan to a second-place finish behind Iran at the fourth edition of the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China, proving they are one of the world’s best teams.