The Bunyodkor and Uzbek player offered encouragement to the four countries taking part in the Festival as well as to the referees and coaches preparing for next week’s competition phase.

The children from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan were wide-eyed at the chance to meet one of the most popular players in Central Asia, who also signed autographs and answered questions from the floor.

Some of the Q&A featured the following exchanges:

Question: Why did you choose to sign for Bunyodkor?

Djeparov: I played six years at Pakhtokor and won all the titles which were possible to win. I went to Russia, but unfortunately, I could not find what I really wanted for myself and the football did not happen for me. I then returned to Tashkent and decided to sign for Bunyodkor.

Question: What was your reaction when Rivaldo was named captain of Bunyodkor?

Djeparov: I took this decision well, because Rivaldo has a huge of amount of experience and he is the most respected player in our team.

Question: In which club would you like to finish your career?

Djeparov: Chelsea (joke)!! I am not sure at this stage of my career.

Question: What advice would you give these aspiring young boys in there development?

Djeparov: My advice to you all would be to work hard in football and for yourself. You are still very young and learning about the game, but if you work hard you can do anything you want in football. You also must love football, every time you train and when playing. I wish you all the best and hope that you all will become great players for your countries.

During the day, the boys also took part in skills tests conducted to measure their skills according to certain set standards.