Tashkent, Uzbekistan, October 11, 2020: The National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Cooperation last Friday, October 9.
According to the Uzbekistan NOC, this is part of a process to strengthen cooperation with the world’s leading sports powers. Last month, Uzbekistan NOC signed a similar agreement with its Chinese counterpart.
The event was held online with Uzbekistan NOC being represented by Rustam Shaabdurakhmanov, President of Uzbekistan NOC, and Oybek Kasymov, Secretary General, while Ukraine NOC was represented by legendary athlete Sergey Bubka, NOC President.
The signing ceremony was originally scheduled for March 21 when Ukraine’s NOC chief Bubka was due to visit Tashkent. Due to COVID-19 that trip was postponed.
Shaabdurakhmanov, addressing Bubka, said: “You are an example for thousands of representatives of the former Soviet Union. So many people dreamed of becoming such a great athlete as you. I will be honoured to welcome Ukrainian athletes and coaches in Uzbekistan within the framework of our cooperation.
“It should also be noted that you occupy a special place in Uzbek sports. In 2014, you were one of the first representatives who laid the foundation for the construction of the current building of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan and the athletics base as well,” Shaabdurakhmanov added.
Bubka said he was pleased with the bilateral cooperation and was thankful for the continuation of friendly relations between the two countries in the field of sports.
According to the Memorandum, it is planned to hold joint training camps for national teams of both countries preparing for major competitions and to exchange experiences in sports medicine and pharmacology. Moreover, coaches from Ukraine in swimming, fencing, athletics, gymnastics, archery and rowing will share their knowledge with their Uzbekistan counterparts.
Source: Uzbekistan NOC
