Former national team captain Roman Starchenko has joined the coaching staff of Kazakhstan's men's national hockey team ahead of the Asian Championship, which South Korea will host, infohub.kz reports.
The tournament will run from November 5 to 8 in the South Korean city of Jeonju. Kazakhstan will face Japan, South Korea and China.
Kazakhstan won gold at the previous two editions of the Asian Championship, taking the title on home ice in Almaty in 2024 and defending it in Beijing in 2025.
Talghat Zhailauov remains head coach of the Kazakhstan team for a second consecutive year. Roman Starchenko joins him in preparing the players, and the Asian Championship will mark his debut in the new role.
A former national team captain and one of Kazakhstan's most experienced hockey players, he represented the country on the international stage for many years. He will now continue his hockey career off the ice as a coach with the national team.