Address by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev at the solemn ceremony of opening of Multifunctional ice complex «Humo Arena»

Assalamu-alaykum, dear compatriots!

President of the International Ice Hockey Federation dear Mr. René Fasel!

Distinguished guests!

Ladies and gentlemen!

First of all, I sincerely welcome you in Uzbekistan on the eve of holiday of Navruz and beautiful days of spring. I am very pleased to express my deep respect and kindest wishes to all of you.

I thank you very much indeed for joining us today and sharing our joy in commissioning the modern sports facility – the «HUMO ARENA» in the city of Tashkent.

Dear guests!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Today on the eve of the spring festival of Navruz it gives me enormous pleasure to welcome all of you at opening of the ice palace – the «HUMO ARENA», the magnificent multi-functional complex in the center of our capital city.

The renowned stars of world sports, acclaimed people of culture and art, diplomats, representatives of international organizations and heads of leading companies present here are sharing our joy with us today.

Welcome to hospitable land of Uzbekistan!

Welcome to Uzbekistan!

Dear friends!

At present, we are carrying out the large-scale reforms and dynamic transformations in our country.

And our absolute priority is to bring up physically healthy and harmoniously developed generation. For these purposes we spare neither our strength, nor funds.

In this regard, we attach a special significance to physical culture and sports.

The modern and affordable sports infrastructure is being established all around and even in the most remote areas.

For over the last two years alone the number of people who are going in for physical culture and sports increased two-fold.

Uzbekistan’s athletes won more than one thousand medals at various international competitions and over 400 of them are gold.

Today the Uzbek schools on boxing, judo, freestyle wrestling, free calisthenics, chess and other types of sports are well-known around the world.

Our country hosts more prestigious international competitions, including world and continental championships.

We have also initiated holding Summer Asian Games in 2030 in Uzbekistan.

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

We are striving so that Uzbekistan could also worthily be represented in winter types of sports, including most entertaining among them – figure skating, ice hockey, mountain skiing, freestyle, snowboarding and many other.

Yet in the seventies of last century Tashkent had its ice sports complex named «YUBILEYNIY» and ice hockey team – «BINOKOR», and in the Tashkent Region – the ski trail.

Among our achievements – winning gold medals at the Winter Olympics and world championships on freestyle, over 70 medals won by figure skaters at the Asian Games and other international competitions.

We consider it our duty to continue these glorious sporting traditions.

Last year four ice hockey clubs were established in the country. The first ice hockey tournament of Uzbekistan took start in February.

The other day Uzbekistan’s athletes participated for the first time at the World Winter Student Games in Krasnoyarsk.

I believe it won’t be an exaggeration to say that launching this modern ice complex is opening up a new stage in the history of Uzbek sport.

This facility is unique on its advanced architectural and engineering decisions, the level of technical equipment. We have tried to attract all of the latest developments and know-how of our leading partner companies.

I am confident that the «HUMO ARENA» will serve for:

 training the highest-class athletes and organizing the large international competitions in Uzbekistan;

 most importantly – broadly attracting our youth to winter types of sports.

In the future we will build such complexes and centers in other regions of the country, as well.

In this regard, I would like to address to our dear guests who are joining us today – the renowned athletes and trainers – the world sport stars: we rely on your support, your knowledge, mastery and enormous professional experience!

Dear friends!

Opening of this grandiose and modern sports complex which you have been visiting today serves as a primary practical result of the work in this direction.

It will be right to say that this very unique facility, which fully meets the world requirements, was many years-long dream of our sport-loving people, especially, of our youth.

I express my deep gratitude to those who have made possible this dream by constructing this magnificent complex in short period of time: to designing engineers, constructors, architects and engineers, all of the foreign specialists and the people who have contributed to this noble cause.

I congratulate from the bоttom of my heart our entire people on the opening the «HUMO ARENA» Sports Complex which wonderfully adds to the image of our capital city.

This day will remain as a bright page in the history of our national sport.

I congratulate once again the multinational people of Uzbekistan, all participants and guests of our event – on the opening of the «HUMO ARENA»!

I wish all of you peace and well-being, many successes and new sporting achievements!

Thank you very much for your attention!

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