Editing Bandy (section)

===Kazakhstan===
{{Update section|date=November 2022}}
[[File:Issaliev Rauan.JPG|[[Rauan Isaliyev]], captain of the [[Kazakhstan national bandy team]]|thumb]]
Bandy has a long history in many parts of [[Kazakhstan]] and it used to be one of the most popular sports in Soviet times. However, after independence it suffered a rapid decline in popularity and only remained in [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]] (often called by the Russian name, "Uralsk"), where the country's only professional club [[Akzhaiyk]] is located. They presently compete in the Russian second tier division, the [[Russian Bandy Supreme League]].

Recently bandy has started to gain popularity again outside of Oral, most notably in [[Petropavl]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://bandy.kz/ |title=Главная страница (Archived copy) |website= bandy.kz |access-date=17 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918022047/http://bandy.kz/ |archive-date=18 September 2017 |url-status = dead}}</ref> and [[Khromtau]]. Those were for example the three Kazakh cities which had players in the team at the [[Youth Bandy World Championship#Y17|Youth-17, Youth Bandy World Championship]] for boys in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/nationalteam/664/roster/1687/|title=Информация о команде Юношеская сборная Казахстана (игроки до 17 лет) – Сборные команды – Федерация хоккея с мячом России|website=rusbandy.ru}}</ref> The capital [[Astana]] has hosted national youth championships in [[rink bandy]]<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.inform.kz/ru/v-astane-startoval-chempionat-kazahstana-po-hokkeyu-s-myachom_a2766390|title= В Астане стартовал чемпионат Казахстана по хоккею с мячом |date= 16 April 2015 |website= inform.kz}} http://www.inform.kz/ru/v-astane-startoval-chempionat-kazahstana-po-hokkeyu-s-myachom_a2766390 Google Translate]</ref> as well as championships in traditional eleven-a-side bandy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inform.kz/ru/article/2874453|title=Хоккей с мячом: Сборная ЗКО стала чемпионом Казахстана (ФОТО)|website=www.inform.kz|date=24 February 2016}}</ref>

In recent years the former capital [[Almaty]] has hosted both the [[Asian Winter Games]] (with bandy on the program) as well as the [[Bandy World Championship]] for men in which Kazakhstan finished 3rd. Plans are being made to reinvigorate the bandy section of the club [[Dynamo Almaty]], who won the [[Russian Bandy League|Soviet Championships]] in 1977 and 1990 as well as the [[European Cup (bandy)|European Cup]] in 1978. Almaty is also the home of the headquarters of the [[Asian Bandy Federation]]. Since bandy began regaining popularity and acceptance, the state has begun supporting bandy. [[Medeu]] in Almaty is the only arena with artificial ice. A second arena in Almaty was built for the [[Bandy World Championship 2012|World Championship 2012]], but it was taken down afterwards. [[Stadion Yunost]] in [[Oral, Kazakhstan|Oral]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/stadium/38/|title=Информация о стадионе "Юность", Уральск – Реестр – Федерация хоккея с мячом России}}</ref> was supposed to get artificial ice for the 2017–18 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rusbandy.ru/news/10867|title=Каток в Уральске сдадут до конца 2017 года - Архив новостей - Федерация хоккея с мячом России|website=rusbandy.ru}}</ref> It got delayed but in 2018 it was officially ready for use.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tdk42.kz/ru/news/ledovaya-arena-stadiona-yunost-oficialno-otkryta/ |title=TDK-42 |date=9 July 2018 |publisher=Tdk42.kz |access-date=2019-06-10}}</ref>