Sport in Uzbekistan

Football

Football is the most popular sport in Uzbekistan. There are 16 professional teams in the Premier League, 18 in the First League and more in the Second League. The oldest and most celebrated is Pakhtakor (‘The Cotton Pickers’). Founded in 1956, it achieved fame as one of the best Soviet teams. It remains a top team and has become something of a national treasure, affectionately commemorated in popular songs. Two other favourites are Lokomotiv ‘Locomotive’ (founded in 2002, owned and sponsored by Uzbekistan Railways) and Bunyodkor ‘Creator’ (founded in 2005). The Uzbekistan Football Federation (founded in 1946) oversees the national league system and associated championships. In 1994 it joined FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) and the Asian Football Confederation.

In recent years the main teams have participated regularly in international matches and have started to attract well-known players and coaches from abroad. Likewise, Uzbeks players are being courted by prestigious foreign teams. Uzbek football has won an enviable reputation for good sportsmanship. In 2012, the Uzbekistan Football Federation received the highest AFC rating for ‘Fair Play’; in January 2013, it was presented with the FIFA ‘Fair Play’ Award. Individuals, too, are well regarded. The internationally respected referee Ravshan Irmatov (b. 1977) has worked with FIFA since 2003; he has been named ‘Best Referee of the Year’ in Asia several years running. In 2010, he refereed the opening match of the FIFA World Cup (between South Africa and Mexico).

Football in Uzbekistan is not a male-only preserve: the Women’s National Football championship was formed in 1996. Currently there are ten women’s teams. They compete at the domestic as well as the international level. Youth football is also thriving. Along with local clubs and teams, there are national squads for specific age-groups: Under-20 (nicknamed Oq bo’rilar ‘The White Wolves’), Under-19 and Under-18. There is a national table of rankings and awards (i.e. for ‘Best Player of the Year’, ‘Best Coach of the Year’). The youth squads come under the jurisdiction of the Uzbekistan Football Federation and are thus part of the Asian Football Confederation. They have been competing in their respective categories in AFC Championships (since 2002) and FIFA World Cups (since 2003). These matches take the young footballers to countries across Asia, giving them an extraordinary opportunity to experience at first hand other cultures and societies.

Tennis

Tennis has a good base organisational base in Uzbekistan, though it has less popular appeal than sports such as football. A few Uzbeks were included in Soviet tennis teams, but the game only began to attract a national following in the early 1990s. In 1997, the President’s Cup was inaugurated in Tashkent. It was affiliated to the International Association of Tennis Professionals Circuit (ATP Tour); eminent foreign players, including the British champion Tim Henman, participated. The Cup was held yearly until 2002, but thereafter was suspended as the emphasis shifted to other activities, notably the Davis Cup. Uzbekistan first played in the Davis Cup tournament in 1994. It has continued to take part in this annual event. Currently it competes in the Asia/Oceania Zone, but it aims to reach the World Group (it has already been in seven play-offs). There are also several internationally ranked Uzbek tennis champions who participate on an individual basis in major competitions in Europe, Asia and the USA. Apart from Denis Istomin, they include Farrukh Dustov, Temur Ismailov, Sanjar Fayziev and Oleg Ogorodov.

Rugby

The history of rugby union in Uzbekistan is not just a matter of sport, but a reflection of the changing political environment. The game was played in Russia before the 1917 Revolution, but banned during the early Soviet period as a symbol of ‘cosmopolitan capitalism’. After Stalin’s death it was gradually re-introduced. It gained a following in Uzbekistan and in 1962, four local teams were founded. Today, it is still a minority sport, but is attracting a growing number of players and fans. There are at present seven 15-a-side club teams and a national team. The Uzbekistan Rugby Federation (URF) was created in 2002; shortly after, it became a member of the Asian Rugby Football Union, likewise of the World Rugby Board. The current President of the URF is Senator Sodyk Safoyev (a senior Uzbek political figure, currently First Deputy Speaker of the Senate and himself a keen rugby fan). Uzbek teams have not as yet competed in a Rugby World Cup tournament, but they do take part in rugby internationals in the Asian region. As with football, enthusiasm for rugby is not confined to men in Uzbekistan. The national women’s team has been competing in international tournaments since 2008.