Uzbekistan takes steps towards applying for hosting 21st Asian Games

The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan adopted the decree on the special program that lists the measures to build the infrastructure applicable to host Asian Games in Uzbekistan.

The document envisages the measures to prepare and send the application to the Olympic Council of Asia. It also states the need to conduct negotiations with the representatives of the Council, the International Olympic Committee and international and Asian sports federations.
Besides, the decree establishes the creation of working group on studying the best practices on hosting Asian Games, analyzing country’s sports infrastructure and building the plan on its development.
As a follow-up, necessary steps will be taken to implement the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan. In particular, Olympic villages will be built in Tashkent and Samarkand, Tashkent-Samarkand highway will be reconstructed.
Athletes of Uzbekistan have been demonstrating great results in the Asian Games. In particular, 231 athletes from Uzbekistan took part in 30 sports and became winners of 70 medals, namely 21 gold, 24 silver and 25 bronze in the past 18th Asian Games that took place in Indonesia on August 14 – September 3, 2018.
Besides, national wrestling sports game of Uzbekistan – “Kurash” was included to the list of sports in the previous games.
On October 6-13, 2018, 54 athletes from Uzbekistan secured 77 medals: 35 gold, 24 silver and 18 bronze during the 3rd Asian Para Games.
Hosting 21st Asian Games in Uzbekistan will be a great asset in strengthening state’s sports image, which, in turn, will help boost international investments to the country. Furthermore, it will have a positive impact on the sports and socio-economic development at large.
Dynamic development of Uzbekistan and its great achievements in the area of sports grant the right to host 2030 Asian Games.
According the decision of the Olympic Council of Asia, 19th 2022 Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou (China), while 20th in Nagoya (Japan) in 2026.

Navoi region of Uzbekistan became the free economic zone.

According to the decree of the President of Uzbekistan dated May 15, 2019, Navoi region declared the free economic zone open for innovative, high-tech, export-oriented and import-substituting projects.
The document is aimed to help create the favorable conditions in high-tech industry, doing business and developing innovative entrepreneurship. It also envisages the strengthening of mineral resources processing industry and production of high-quality goods in Navoi region that would be competitive on both national and international scale.
Notably, adoption of clusters and injection of innovative technologies to the area of production are also foreseen in the document.
The decree states that the enterprises of Navoi Free Economic Zone will also be released from paying land tax, income tax, corporate property tax, single tax payments for microfirms and small enterprises.
Moreover, business entities will not pay customs payments (except for customs clearance fees) for equipment, raw material and components imported for production needs, including the construction materials produced outside Uzbekistan, yet imported within the project implementation.
These benefits are granted from 3 to 10 years depending on the amount of investment.
Besides, the founders of enterprises bringing investments, also the members of Navoi Free Economic Zone along with their family members will be issued the “investment visa”. It will be valid for three years and have the extension right without leaving the territory of Uzbekistan.
The steps taken are aimed at the strengthening the localization processes for the production of high-tech products through the development of industrial cooperation between enterprises in the region, the development of transport, engineering and communications infrastructure, as well as the creation of a large logistics center in the region along with capacity building programs based on the current and future needs of the regional economy.

Uzbekistan will host the debut international tournament “The Wrestling Games”.

On June 7-9, 2019 the 1st open international tournament “The Wrestling Games” will take place in Khiva city, Uzbekistan. The event is organized in the memory of Pahlavon Mahmud.
The tournament is being organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, The State Committee for Tourism Development and Khokimiyat of Khorezm region.
The ancient city of Uzbekistan – Khiva is a symbolic destination for this international tournament as the offspring of Uzbek nation – Pahlavon Mahmud was born and raised on its land. As an avid wrester, he took part in numerous tournaments and remained undefeated.
Notably, sports events like wrestling tournaments will undeniably serve as an asset in extending the international cooperation in the area of sports tourism, promoting tourism potential and related opportunities of Uzbekistan on both national and international markets. They also stand for healthy lifestyle and stimulate the interest towards sports among youth.

IA “Dunyo”