This year our country has celebrated 100^th anniversary of cycling in Kazakhstan.

In order to identify the exact date for the beginning of the first cycling contest in Kazakhstan, representatives of the Republican Cycling Federation did extensive research.

According to Vice President and General Secretary of the Kazakhstan’s Cycling Federation Mr. Kayrat Aytikenov, there was no information before. They needed some confirmation: sources, archive data, recollections.

Thanks to efforts of enthusiasts, they started to get the whole picture of outstanding events, dates, names of athletes and coaches. Thus, 10 years ago in the interview to Evrika Newspaper, Mr. Bakhytzhan Yeszhanov, head of the department of sports disciplines in Aktobe State Teachers’ College said: "On 6 July 1914, at one of Aktobe Sabantuis (celebrations) merchants and Tatar society "Jamgiati Hairiya", for the first time, included cycling races in the program of a city celebration. The gold medal was won by instructor of the labor school (according to other sources, gymnastics teacher at a Muslim school, maybe, it's the same thing) Sibagat Zabirov".

At the same time, he reckoned that this was the first medal won by an athlete in Kazakhstan in this type of race. The medal was rectangular. The front side of it depicted a bicycle, the back side was inscribed with 1^st Prize for Cycle Race for S.Zabirov. Sabantui. Aktyubinsk, 6 July 1914. Medal was made from 15 grams of pure gold. It was attached to the suspension device with a short chain. Further, Bakhytzhan mentioned biographic details of the first cycling champion.  Well, more on that later…

It was not sufficient to have mere facts for official declaration of the date of birth of cycling sports in Kazakhstan as well as for planning events dedicated to the 100^th anniversary. So, recently, at the request of the Republican Cycling Federation of Kazakhstan, Director of the local Sports School for Children and Youth Mr. Alexander Gribovskiy with his colleagues found a biweekly magazine "Aktobe Newsletter" No. 19 dated 17 July 1914 printed in Kultura Print Shop. The magazine mentioned the hosting of the first cycling races in Kazakhstan.

Cycling Federation kindly provided the editor’s office with copy prints of the 14^th and 15^th pages of this magazine, where in the article "Sabantui" the author with an intriguing pseudonym Dvigatel (Engine) thoroughly discussed the preparation and conduct of the festivity supported through the donations of local merchants and regular citizens. As reported by the author, A. Husainov, one of the reputable and successful citizens, was the event’s initiator.

Donating money for initial expenses, the patron said: "A seed that falls on good soil will yield fruit. Good advice given to good people will yield benefit". Indeed, the soil was very fertile. In order to organize the festivity under leadership of Usmanov, the committee was set up to include F. Zabirov, M. Dalatkazin, A. Abdrashitov, H. Gubaydullin and G. Sagadiyev.

On 6 July 1914, 2 p.m., the fairground full of people hosted the contests of wrestlers, athletes and runners. Tents were overcrowded. A good half of people did not have tickets. Controlling the crowd was entirely impossible. Public was especially happy to observe the camel races. Trotter races were outstandingly won by gracious stallion of Cherkasov. The horse that arrived the second belonged to merchant Shevchenko, the third horse was F. Zabirov’s. In another type of race the first prize was won by the ambler of G. Fadeyev, while the general race was dominated by "juyruk" G. Zhubayev. Entertaining and exciting competitions were cycling races, which were won by Sibagat Zabirov.

Let us now talk about the first cycling champion of Kazakhstan. Moreover, we have recollections of witnesses that were cited by teacher Bakhytzhan Yeszhanov as well as other authors. Encouraging is the fact that we were able to locate a photo of Sibagat Zabirov at an older age, which was provided by retired athlete Boris Sinev from Almaty.

Sibagat started his career in one of the commercial enterprises of Temir as a bookkeeper. The town often hosted fairs. It was attended by merchants from Central Asia, Russia and England. Early 20^th century saw the  emergence of bicycles that were intensively used by the population. Aktobe and Temir had no railway connection, so Sibagat bought a bicycle of English brand Dux. In order to make deals, every day he had to travel about 160 km from Temir to the oblast center. This was a sort of workout for him.

Then Zabirov moved to Aktobe to work as gymnastics teacher in the first Muslim school. Training session were a novelty, and Sibagat had to expend enormous amount of effort to prove their necessity. Mullahs looked askance at him, his colleagues teased him. Soon he got his first disciples.

Sibagat responded positively to the news that open cycling championship of the city will be held as part of the Sabatui, and took part in it more out of curiosity, rather than hoping for a win and prizes. Twelve cyclers joined the race. Each one of them had a brand new cycle of German or English origin, and Sibagat Zabirov was the only one who started the race with a weatherbeaten Dux.

Athletes had to race the distance of three laps three versts each (about 10 km) through streets. On the finish line, the members of the committee consisting of the most worthy and respected citizens could not have imagined that S. Zabirov was the first one to finish the last lap with a significant advantage, even though no one placed any bet on him. So the gymnastics teacher became the golden champion of the first cycling race in Kazakhstan.

According to recollections of Aktobe fan Shamil Bakhtiyarov, Sibagat Zabirov has never lost his passion for cycling and cycled in any weather. He lived in Aktobe, in the neighborhood Malyshka at the Kubanskaya Street, Building 15. This house is still there.

To be finished.

Maksut IRZHANOV, m.irzhanov@kazpravda.kz
www.kazpravda.kz