Mirziyoyev attends opening ceremony of the Presidential Olympics

On 26 November, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the grand opening ceremony of the Presidential Olympics at the stadium in the Olympic Village. This was reported by the press service of the Uzbek leader.

The ceremony featured stirring fanfare, welcoming athletes and teams who had excelled in regional qualifying competitions, as well as world, Asian, and Olympic champions. President Mirziyoyev delivered a speech at the event.

“Today, in this magnificent Olympic Village, a symbol of New Uzbekistan, we launch the Presidential Olympics. This is the first event of its kind in our country, uniting young people across Uzbekistan under the noble principles of the Olympic movement. I congratulate everyone on this sports festival,” said the President.

Over the past eight years, annual sports funding from the state budget has increased from 250 billion soums to 3 trillion soums. The average salary of sports coaches has risen sevenfold. More than 250 major sports facilities have been newly built, and nearly 100 have been renovated. Around 2,000 sports grounds have been established in neighborhoods, especially in remote villages, and 14 Olympic and Paralympic centers now feature fully modern infrastructure.

“These initiatives create a strong foundation for our country to achieve high results in prestigious international competitions and to join the ranks of nations with advanced sports development. At the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, our brave athletes secured 13th place. Continuing this momentum, our youth achieved 13th place at the World Universiade, and proudly took second place at the Youth Games in Bahrain and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia. Notably, our boys and girls set over 50 records at world, Asian, and Olympic competitions, clearly demonstrating Uzbekistan’s position and prestige in the international Olympic movement,” the report stated.

Additionally, for the first time, the Uzbekistan national football team secured a spot in the World Cup.

“Undoubtedly, the young men and women of New Uzbekistan, with strong willpower, courage, resilience, and high intellectual potential, are shaping our sports history. Glory to such heroic athletes! May the flag of our country always fly proudly above them,” the President said.

The report emphasized that global sports competitions are increasingly competitive, necessitating further improvement of preparation systems for major international events, including the Olympics.

To develop sports from the grassroots level, five stages of mass sports competitions were conducted this year, involving 15 million citizens. Thanks to increased focus on adaptive sports, the number of para-athletes has risen nearly sevenfold over the past three years, with over 70,000 individuals with disabilities participating in mass sports. Digitalization and transparency initiatives have enabled students in 10,000 schools and 9,000 neighborhoods to showcase their abilities.

A completely new system for selecting and guiding talented youth into professional sports has now been launched through the Presidential Olympics. More than 100,000 young athletes from school sports clubs, private clubs, and 310 sports schools participated in district and regional stages. Over 3,000 of the top performers advanced to the Presidential Olympics, competing across 10 sports disciplines.

Winners will receive special awards and cash prizes, with top performers directly advancing to national teams. They will continue intensive training at Olympic and Paralympic centers and receive scholarships. In short, the Presidential Olympics will now serve as an annual platform to discover new talent and establish an effective selection system.

From next year, competitions will also include water sports, cycling, triathlon, fencing, and team sports, bringing the total number of sports disciplines in the Presidential Olympics to 20.

Uzbekistan will host major international sports events, including the 46th World Chess Olympiad in 2026, the Under-20 Football World Cup in 2027, and the Youth Asian Games in 2029.

“Such large-scale events will be a major celebration and skill-building opportunity for our people, especially the youth, and will further enhance Uzbekistan’s international reputation as a land of friendship and cooperation. The Presidential Olympics system will help select elite athletes for these competitions, including increasing the number of licenses from each region for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games,” said the President.

During the ceremony, the President paused to announce the victory of chess grandmaster Javohir Sindorov in the World Chess Cup final, which was met with enthusiastic applause.

Continuing his speech, the President highlighted the educational and formative role of sports, emphasizing its critical importance in nurturing a healthy younger generation amid growing harmful influences.

“I rely on you, respected athletes, honored sportspeople, and coaches, who understand that sports and education are inseparable,” the President said.

He concluded by wishing success and victories to all Presidential Olympics participants. The Uzbekistan flag was raised, the national anthem performed, and the Olympic flame lit, marking the start of a major sports celebration. The event continued with a theatrical cultural program.

Following the ceremony, President Mirziyoyev spoke by phone with chess player Javohir Sindorov, congratulating him on his World Chess Cup victory in India and wishing him success in next year’s Candidates Tournament in Cyprus.