TOKYO, October 9. /Dunyo IA/.   Yuri Imamura, a correspondent for the Japanese newspaper “The Asahi Shimbun”, shared with Dunyo IA her impressions of the performance of the national team of Uzbekistan at the XX Summer Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya:

- Successful performance of the sports delegation of Uzbekistan at the XX Summer Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya has further reinforced the country’s status as one of the leading sporting powerhouses in Asia.

At the Games, the athletes of Uzbekistan won 21 gold, 25 silver and 24 bronze medals – a total of 70 awards, securing fifth place in the overall team standings. The country demonstrated the same result at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. At the same time, in terms of the number of gold medals, Uzbekistan equalled India.

These results demonstrate that the development of sports in Uzbekistan has a sustainable and systematic foundation. Combat sports remain one of the country’s strengths, which was once again manifested in judo and Greco-Roman wrestling.

I was also impressed by the scale and diversity of the sports delegation. A total of 396 athletes – 224 men and 172 women – participated in competitions across 42 sports. Along with traditionally strong boxing and wrestling, Uzbek athletes competed in track cycling, sailing, golf and rugby.

Participation of 172 female athletes deserves special attention. This testifies to the development of women’s sports and sports infrastructure in the country.

I cover Uzbekistan not only in the field of sports and have visited the country on numerous occasions. Each time, I felt the special energy of the Uzbek youth and their desire for development. The large proportion of young people is one of the important factors driving the ongoing changes in the country.

Aspiration of the younger generation to build a new country is also reflected in the international sports arena. I perceive this as a unique ‘spirit of Uzbekistan’ – an energy, a drive for development and a determination to move toward the goal.

State’s investments in identifying and nurturing young talents, combined with the hard work, patriotism and determination of the athletes themselves, translate into medals. In this sense, athletic achievements reflect the development processes taking place in Uzbekistan today.

Result in Aichi-Nagoya has once again demonstrated that Uzbekistan has transitioned from a developing sporting country into an established sporting powerhouse in Asia.

I am confident that the performance of Uzbek athletes will serve as an important bridge for further strengthening friendship and mutual respect between Uzbekistan and Japan.

I express my admiration for the dedicated hard work and results of the athletes of Uzbekistan and will look forward to their new achievements on the global sports arena with great interest.