In an interview during PGL Astana, Rustem “mou” Telepov expressed his disappointment about Kazakhstan’s classification as part of Europe in esports, noting the illogical nature of their regional assignment. He emphasized that Kazakhstan lies in Central Asia and thus should compete within that region rather than being placed in the European division.

“I hope someone hears me out, and we will get a chance to compete in our own region,” mou told HLTV.

mou recalls the Kazakhstani team’s struggle against European teams, highlighting a recent loss during their group-stage run. Despite this setback, he remained optimistic about the future of esports in Kazakhstan, including their first tier-one LAN event, which was hosted in Astana.

During the interview, mou reflected on the successes of Kazakh players in the past and the potential for a resurgence of the Kazakhstani scene. “Tournaments like this could have happened much earlier if our Esports Federation had been doing its job,” he lamented, citing the case of Mongolia, which has a structured esports setup.

He also pointed out that talented Kazakh players have been overlooked, stating, “You can’t even fathom how many talented players Kazakhstan could have produced if we had been given the chance to play and train at home.”

Overall, mou’s interview is a strong call to action for better recognition and support for the Kazakhstani esports scene.