Uzbekistan Marks Olympic Day With New Family Sports Festival Format

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Tashkent's Olympic Village drew hundreds of residents and visitors for International Olympic Day on Sunday in a reinvented format — a family sports festival that marked the first time the annual celebration has been held at the complex and the first time it has centered explicitly on engaging children and families.

Around a thousand guests had the opportunity to explore 13 Olympic sports disciplines, participate in masterclasses, and try interactive sporting activities spread across the venue. Exhibition performances, competitions, and prize draws rounded out the program before a closing concert featuring popular local artists.

The event brought together athletes, coaches, government officials, and sports enthusiasts in a setting that organizers said was deliberately chosen to signal ambition. "For the first time, we are celebrating International Olympic Day at the unique Olympic Village," said Sports Minister Adham Ikramov. "It is especially gratifying to see families here with their children. Events like this help popularize sport among young people and strengthen healthy lifestyle traditions."

Otabek Umarov, First Deputy Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan, framed the format shift as a strategic choice. "We organized Olympic Day as a family festival to bring joy to our families and inspire children to take up sport," he said. "Let sport become an integral part of every person's life."

Odil Abdurakhmanov, Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan on Sports, used the occasion to underscore the political weight behind the country's Olympic ambitions, noting that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev personally chairs the National Olympic Committee. "The Olympic movement is one of the greatest spiritual achievements of humanity," he said, describing the day as a symbol of peace, friendship, and unity among peoples.

The festival format reflects Uzbekistan's broader push to expand grassroots sports participation and embed Olympic values into public culture — an effort that has accelerated alongside the country's growing international athletic profile in recent years.