PETROZAVODSK, August 18. /Dunyo IA/. A traditional friendly football match was held between the amateur national teams of Uzbekistan and Russia, timed to coincide with the 47th anniversary of the tragic death of the Tashkent football club “Pakhtakor” players in the 1979 plane crash, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Event in Petrozavodsk was organized within the framework of the “International Sports Festival “People’s Friendship Cup”’ project, initiated by the ANO “Initiative” with the support of the Grants Fund of the Head of the Republic of Karelia and the General Consulate of Uzbekistan in Saint Petersburg. The match and accompanying activities, held at the stadium of secondary school No. 11, were attended not only by athletes but also by the leadership of the Football Federation of the Republic of Karelia, as well as representatives of the region’s national organizations, including the ROO “Association of Uzbeks of the Republic of Karelia”.

During the solemn ceremony, a welcoming message from the General Consulate of Uzbekistan in Saint Petersburg was read out, expressing gratitude to the organizers for preserving the memory of the tragedy and noting that the competition serves as a tribute to the deceased athletes and a factor in strengthening bilateral ties.

Yuri Starodubtsev, Head of the ANO “Initiative”, stated that the event, held since 2019, has become a sustainable tradition, passing the torch of memory to new generations. In turn, Yadgarbek Mukhtarov, President of the ROO “Association of Uzbeks of the Republic of Karelia”, emphasized that “Pakhtakor-79” will forever remain a symbol of national pride and shared grief for fellow compatriots.

In summary, the participants of the meeting unanimously recognized the memorial and unifying character of the match, confirming the status of such initiatives as an effective tool of popular diplomacy that contributes to the development of friendly relations and intergenerational dialogue between Russia and Uzbekistan.