Official visit spotlights remarkable progress for sport in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s archers made history last summer in Paris, having qualified not just one archer but two – and a mixed team – the first in the country’s Olympic history.
It was major milestone in the current rapid ascent of the Central Asian nation.
World Archery secretary general Tom Dielen was recently invited by the Uzbekistan archery federation to visit the capital, Taskhent, and facilities in the southern city of Samarkand to discuss closer cooperation between the quickly developing country and World Archery.
The trip uncovered why Uzbekistan could quickly become an archery powerhouse.
On 17 June 2021 a new presidential decree (PP-5149) was issued in Uzbekistan. It was titled: On measures for the further development and popularisation of the sport of archery.
It was the first such act by a head of state since the 15th century in England, when adults were forced to practise archery weekly, and a powerful symbol of Uzbekistan’s commitment to the sport’s future. Under the leadership of Uzbekistani president HE Shavkat Mirziyoyev, archery is growing rapidly in both infrastructure and on-field results.
The first evidence of that came internationally when Ziyodakhon Abdusattorova’s near dead-centre shoot-off arrow in Bangkok in November 2023 secured the country’s first-ever Olympic archery quota.
But that arrow was an outcome of significant investment in facilities, which is ongoing.
Full spectator stands at the International Alpomish Barchinoy Tournament.
The recurve women’s final at the International Alpomish Barchinoy Tournament.
World Archery secretary general and NOC secretary general Oybek Kasimov.
The training centre in Tashkent.
Korean Archery Association vice president Jang Youngsool accompanied the World Archery secretary general on his trip in Uzbekistan.
The experienced administrator (and former head coach of the Hyundai Steel pro team) is a renowned facilities expert and travelled to Tashkent to give valuable advice on a new dedicated training centre planned for the capital, part of an Olympic City development which is aimed at hosting international events as well as domestic high-performance programmes.
World Archery’s delegation visited the Olympic Committee, met Uzbekistan Olympic Committee secretary general Oybek Saimov and sports minister HE Adkham Ikramov, as well as Uzbekistan archery federation president Rustam Djurayev and secretary general Orkhan Kopadze.
The productive discussions centred around international collaboration – and how knowledge sharing might accelerate the development in Uzbekistan, and elsewhere.
Stops at the current Taskhent training centre, for able-bodied and impaired athletes, the Olympic Museum and national centre for sports psychology culminated in a showcase finals session at the International Alpomish Barchinoy Tournament, one of the 175-plus competitions taking place annually in Uzbekistan.
The host country won four of the five events, with India taking the fifth. Nine countries participated, with Kazakhstan, Georgia and AIN also featuring on the podium.
Paris may have marked a milestone for archery in Uzbekistan – but with more than 2500 active archers, 12,000 young people discovering the sport in school every year, and a mission to grow backed by the country’s president, there’s plenty more to come from this emerging archery nation.
