Uzbekistan and World Taekwondo Enter New Cooperation Phase

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks on April 15 with President of the World Taekwondo Federation Cho Chung Won, who is visiting the country in connection with the World Youth Championship.

During the meeting, it was noted that the number of people regularly practicing taekwondo in Uzbekistan has nearly doubled in recent years, reaching 35,000 athletes. It was also emphasized that at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, Uzbek representatives ranked third in the overall standings in this sport.

The guest highly praised Uzbekistan’s ongoing reforms in sports development, the promotion of physical activity among young people, and the creation of modern sports infrastructure.

The sides discussed prospects for expanding cooperation, including professional athlete and referee training, exchange of experience in high technologies, artificial intelligence, and sports medicine, as well as organizing international competitions in Uzbekistan on a regular basis.

Following the meeting, the President of Uzbekistan awarded Cho Chung Won the Order of Friendship (“Doʻstlik”) for his contribution to promoting taekwondo in the country and strengthening international friendship and solidarity through sport.

In return, Cho Chung Won presented Shavkat Mirziyoyev with the highest individual award of World Taekwondo — the Order of Glory.

It was noted that this award was presented to a head of state for the first time, recognizing Uzbekistan’s large-scale reforms in sport and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among young people.