Central Asian Cup 2023

May 16, 2023

On May 6-7, the annual Central Asian Cup, an international grand debate tournament, occurred within the walls of AUCA (American University of Central Asia). The tournament traditionally brings together the strongest speakers from across Central Asia. The AUCA Debate Club organized the event with the support of the American University of Central Asia and Bard College.

                                                                         

The Central Asian Cup is one of the largest and most significant events in the debating community within the entire Russian-speaking community. The organizing team had a clear goal - to make the best debate tournament in the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) region every year. Throughout the tournament's history, our event has been attended by speakers from cities such as Vilnius, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kyiv, Odesa, Minsk, Tallinn, Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Dushanbe, Kokshetau, and Tashkent. Thus, the CA Cup is a leading platform for fostering interaction among the best debaters from neighbouring countries, promoting the intensive development of critical thinking and public speaking skills, and raising discourse on contemporary society's most relevant and important issues. 

This year, the tournament was attended by 100 participants representing debate clubs from universities such as Nazarbayev University, KIMEP University, AlmaU, Suleyman Demirel University, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, International IT University, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Abai Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages, Kyrgyz-Turkish University "Manas," and Kyrgyz State Law Academy. Thanks to the CA Cup, AUCA annually strengthens the connections between students from leading universities in different countries.

 

The Panel of Chief Adjudicators consisted of Malika Mamirova (Astana), Zhetpisbay Kozhabergen (Kokshetau), and Mukhtar Tashkenbayev (Astana).

 

Tournaments like the CA Cup provide an excellent opportunity to improve the quality of debates in the region. To achieve this goal, the organizers invited highly experienced judges from Kazakhstan, namely Malika Mamirova, Zhetpisbay Kozhabergen, and Mukhtar Tashkenbayev. Furthermore, Mukhtar was also a member of the Panel of Chief Adjudicators at The European Universities Debating Championships  2022 (EUDC 2022) held in Croatia.

The chief adjudicators of any tournament are responsible for creating the resolutions - the topics that debaters discuss during each round. Thirty-two teams competed for the cup, engaging in debates of the British Parliamentary Format (BPF).

In addition, another important goal of the event is to showcase the best manifestations of Kyrgyz identity and civil society in the country. Thus, the tournament has been held under different themes in different years.

This year's slogan is "Aŋyzday süylö" (Speak like a legend). A tradition of coming together and discussing pressing issues has always existed in Kyrgyzstan. Many contentious matters, from everyday challenges to events that determined the nation's fate, were resolved through this tradition.

Thanks to this tradition, we have managed to hear and understand each other for many centuries, maintain peace, and make wise decisions.

"Central Asian Cup 2023" continues this tradition. The dialogue begins with strong arguments, and the ability to listen to other people allows us to find a reasonable solution to any dispute. We chose this slogan because we believe that speakers can bring positive changes to society through their speeches.

The best way to capture the results of CA Cup 2023 is through feedback from the participants.

Feedback about the tournament:

"CA Cup is an event where, regardless of your personal debate results, you will leave feeling satisfied and happy. Even if you return to the tournament a year later, you will still experience the same euphoria as if it were your first time. AUCA is simply magical because how else can we explain this effect we experience? Thank you for these unique and warm memories; you have given me priceless emotions." - Zhasmina Saruar, Almaty.

"This has been said many times, but I don't understand how AUCA manages to raise the bar so high consistently. Every time I asked newcomers to CA Cup about their experience, I naturally received responses filled with an ocean of positive emotions. But the most delightful thing for me is the fact that even when you come for the third year in a row, you expect everything to go smoothly at the highest level, yet you still remain surprised by many things. CA Cup is more than just a debate tournament; it is the best and most comfortable platform for bringing people together from different cities and countries. I think every participant appreciates that. Thank you for creating this platform." - Galymzhan Makashev, Astana.

"I participated in the Central Asian Cup for three consecutive years, and with each trip, a deeper impression was left in my memory due to the unparalleled level of organization and indescribable emotions from the tournaments. The best debaters from the CIS gather to discuss pressing issues and set trends for the development of debates in the entire Russian-speaking community. What could be better?

At the same time, I believe that such impeccable focal points for debaters should not be limited to just one tournament per year. I sincerely believe that the organizing team has the capacity to create cool platforms for Central Asian debaters not only to organize tournaments but also to develop skills in the young generation of debaters who are now rebuilding bridges for integration and striving to bring our countries back to the high international level we were at before the pandemic. In my opinion, an excellent example of such a project was the Aitmatov International Debate Academy by IDEA, where experienced debate coaches selected debaters with tremendous potential and conducted a series of fantastic training sessions for them. Such events were an incredible opportunity to gain a powerful boost in a short period of time.

I am immensely in love with everything the AUCA Debate Club does for debates. Thank you for everything!" - Bogenbay Doldinov, Astana.

 

"Instead of a message of gratitude, I want to hug everyone involved in organizing not just a tournament but a true celebration of debates and friendship! CA Cup has become an event that you eagerly await every debate season! Thank you to the organizers for your hard work! Making the best tournament of the season year after year is a skill that we can all learn from. Thanks to you, CA Cup is such a comfortable and heartwarming tournament! I can confidently say that CA Cup is the best tournament I have attended In my six years in debating!" - Nadezhda Geldt, Astana.

"CA Cup is an event in my life that I have been eagerly anticipating since the beginning of this year. My usual rhythm of life was disrupted during these four days, and I still don't want to return to reality. It's for moments like these that we live. Thank you to the organizers for the emotions! I know how challenging it can sometimes be for you, but not for a second did I feel that creating comfortable conditions for me was a burden to anyone." - Aslan Abilkairov, Astana.

"Organizing a tournament of this level where all participants leave without finding a single flaw is simply miraculous. But to maintain this standard year after year, judging by the stories and posts I've seen, proves that the real miracle here is YOU - AUCA: the organizers, volunteers, and advisers. Since I learned about CA Cup, I wanted to compete in it. This year, I finally had the opportunity to witness it with my own eyes. And I witnessed a miracle. Thank you!" - Nauryzbay Menlen, Astana.

 

"A huge thank you for these amazing weekends that didn't just revolve around the best tournament! Unfortunately, because of you, I will now be picky even at the best tournaments in the community because you spoil us so much! And I will have to significantly improve my speeches and train new legends so that they can also experience the marvellous phenomenon of 'The CA Cup.' But I definitely don't see any downsides to that.

I've heard that CA is the best and most atmospheric tournament, but it seems they didn't exactly lie to me; rather, they didn't tell me everything)

Thank you to the organizers for the incredible work you have done, sketching a million wonderful details and creating a masterpiece!" - Vyacheslav Bejenaru, Almaty.

"I want to express my gratitude to all the organizers for a cool debate tournament and something more. CA Cup is Kyrgyzstan, its people, culture, city, daily life, nature, and everything else. CA Cup opened my eyes to this wonderful country, its amazing debaters, and its people. With each CA Cup, I fall increasingly in love with Kyrgyzstan, filled with love and warmth. And CA Cup plays a significant role in that. Such a tournament is not just about debates; it embodies a very big IDEA. The idea of 'Back to the roots' from last year, 'Aŋyzday süylö' of this year, of it is an idea about the Kyrgyz people, their history, past and nature. And the tournament, organized at such a high level, perfectly fulfils its mission: it conveys this idea to us. Kyrgyzstan touches our souls, and its people find a place in our hearts." - Samat Sayakov, Astana.

Tournament results:

Winners - Altynai Zamanbekova and Magzhan Sovetbek (Nomad Debate Club - Nazarbayev University, Astana).

Best speaker - Amirlan Kasymov (Nomad Debate Club - Nazarbayev University, Astana).

Best judge - Bogenbay Doldinov (Parasat Debate Club - L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana).

 

It is difficult to underestimate the significance of the Central Asian Cup for the entire debate community. This tournament allows us to understand that extraordinary things can be created and lives can be changed with the right amount of effort. 

 

Despite numerous positive reviews of the event this year, the AUCA Debate Club intends to maintain a high standard and contribute to the development of debates in the CIS. The club administration has already begun working on improving future events with a focus on intergenerational continuity. Therefore, at the moment, we are considering the format of a Summer Debate Academy, through which more experienced speakers can pass on their knowledge to novice debaters.

 

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