IOC President joins athletes and young people for Olympic Day celebrations in Uzbekistan
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach took part in Olympic Day celebrations in Tashkent today, joined by Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.
Joining youngsters and athletes at the Olympic Museum, the IOC President saw demonstrations of fencing, gymnastics, taekwondo and karate, as well as traditional Uzbek combat sports.
Also there to greet President Bach were two of his former fencing adversaries: the President of the Uzbek Fencing Federation, Sabir Ruziev, and Alexandr Romankov, the one opponent the IOC President never managed to beat during his sporting career. Mr Romankov now coaches young Uzbek athletes.
On Sunday, the President visited the new headquarters of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, praising the wonderful facilities. Joined by NOC President Mirabror Usmanov, President Bach described the new NOC headquarters as “amongst the best facilities I have ever seen”.
The IOC President also visited sporting facilities, including a high-level gymnastics centre where he got a chance to meet young athletes.
Earlier, he attended the closing ceremony of the Asian Confederation Junior Continental Boxing Championships, with AIBA President and IOC Executive Board member Ching-Kuo Wu.
President Bach, a guest of the Uzbekistan NOC, also met the President of the International Fencing Federation, Alisher Usmanov.
Later, the IOC President met the President of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov. The two leaders discussed the vital role of sport in education, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the contribution of sport to international peace and development.