ТASHKENT, January 26. /Dunyo IA/.  On January 26, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the 46th General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia, held in the city of Tashkent, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to the press service of the Head of our State, the event was also attended by leaders and representatives of leading international and regional sports organizations, including First vice president of the Association of National Olympic Committees, president of the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency Witold Bańka, president of the International Gymnastics Federation Morinari Watanabe, president of the International Weightlifting Federation Mohammed Jalood, president of the World Boxing organization Gennadiy Golovkin, president of the International Hockey Federation Tayyab Ikram, president of the Asian Paralympic Committee Majid Rashed, president of the International Sambo Federation Vasily Shestakov, secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees Gunilla Lindberg, and president of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa Mustapha Berraf.

Furthermore, the assembly was attended by special guests and officials, including Special Representative of the President of the United States Paolo Zampolli, Minister of sport of the Russian Federation Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of sport of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud, as well as Minister of youth and sports of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, among others.

In his speech, the Head of our state noted the special role of sport as a universal tool for strengthening dialogue, mutual understanding, and trust between nations amid growing global challenges.

President of Uzbekistan congratulated Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani on his election as President of the Olympic Council of Asia, noting his high professionalism, extensive international experience, and significant contribution to the development of sport not only in Asia but throughout the world.

Particular attention was devoted to the development of multifaceted cooperation between Uzbekistan and the Olympic Council of Asia. The successful hosting of the Council's 77th Executive Committee session in the country, the election of a representative from the republic as Vice President for Central Asia and the planned hosting of the 2029 Asian Youth Games were noted.

The Head of our State also provided information on the large-scale reforms being implemented in the field of physical culture and sports in the New Uzbekistan.

A three-stage system of comprehensive competitions, the “Presidential Olympiad”, has been introduced, modern sports infrastructure, including an Olympic Town, has been established, while the system for selecting and training high-performance athletes is being expanded.

The high results of Uzbek athletes in the international arena were highlighted, including their successful performance at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, as well as the development of mass sports in the country today with more than 15 million of our citizens regularly engage in physical activity.

It was also emphasized that international and Asian sports organizations have signed more than 20 agreements with Uzbekistan's national sports federations.

Particularly, the International Weightlifting Federation will support the development of the Akbar Juraev Weightlifting Club in the Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent region, United World Wrestling will establish a regional Wrestling Academy, and the Asian Volleyball Confederation plans to open volleyball sports clubs in every region. With the technical assistance of the International Hockey Federation, two field hockey stadiums will be built.

Uzbekistan's commitment to the principles of fair play and the consistent fight against doping was reaffirmed.

In this context, the importance of holding the regional meeting of Central Asian anti-doping organizations and an international forum in Tashkent was highlighted.

The Head of our State confirmed that the New Uzbekistan is open to comprehensive and long-term cooperation with all countries in the sphere of sport, emphasizing its readiness for the further development of sports diplomacy and joint initiatives.

At the conclusion of the event, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani was awarded the “Shon-Sharaf” Order by the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan for his special contribution to the development of the Olympic movement and the promotion of significant sports initiatives.