Bilateral Sports Talks in Almaty Signal Growing Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Collaboration

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Yerbol Myrzabossynov, has met with Uzbekistan’s Minister of Sports, Adkham Ikramov, in Almaty to discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in sports.

The meeting also included senior officials from the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, such as Gennadiy Golovkin, president of Kazakhstan’s NOC, and Otabek Umarov, First Vice President Chairman of Uzbekistan’s NOC, along with representatives from the Paralympic Committees and other relevant sports organizations, The Caspian Post reports via Kazpravda.

Key topics addressed during the talks included training of sports personnel, development of Paralympic sports, and joint initiatives to promote traditional national sports.

The ministers discussed a planned friendly football match between the national teams, scheduled to take place in Turkestan this November. They also covered Uzbekistan’s planned participation in the international “Games of the Future” competition, set to be held in Astana in 2026.

“Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are strategic partners in the field of sports. Our shared goals and historical, cultural ties create a strong foundation for cooperation. I am confident that strengthening our partnership will accelerate the development of sports in both countries,” Myrzabossynov said.

He also announced the completion of construction of Kazakhstan’s National University of Sports and invited Uzbekistan to collaborate in the field of sports education.

In turn, Golovkin noted, “The National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan values cooperation with our Uzbek colleagues, especially within the Olympic movement. Meetings like this reinforce our partnership and create new opportunities for sports development in our region.”

Both parties concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to deepening their sports partnership and fostering ongoing dialogue.