Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, on 11 October 2022, the festival "Qoqand ethnosport challenge - 2022" is being held in Qoqand in the palace of Khudoyar Khan. The event was opened by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Bakhtiyor Ibragimov, Khokim of the city of Qoqand Maruf Usmanov and Chairman of the Ethnosport Association of Uzbekistan Oybek Norinboev.

“As is known, work is underway in our country to develop and widely popularize folk folk games and national circus art on a global scale. Particular attention is paid to such folk national games as horse riding, javelin throwing, javelin throwing, archery, rock climbing. Thanks to the demonstration performances of ethnosport and folk national games within the framework of this event, local residents and tourists who attended the event will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the ethnosport games that have a long history, or remember them,” Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Bakhtiyor Ibrahimov said.

Zarrina Abdullayeva, head of department at the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage, explained why Qoqand was chosen to host the festival.

“The city of Qoqand was not in vain chosen to host today’s festival,” said Zarrina Abdullayeva. “Earlier, festivities were held here, and now national games that have been forgotten are being restored in the region. It is also worth noting that circus art is developed here. In general, Fergana, Qoqand is a territory rich in folk national games, and I think that this is how we can attract tourists.”

It should be noted that participants from all regions of Uzbekistan, as well as Kyrgyzstan, took part in the festival. Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Ethnosport Association of Uzbekistan Oybek Norinboev wished the participants successful participation.

It is worth noting that ethnosport is a type of sporting event that allows you to preserve the authenticity of traditional games and bring them in line with the times, which contributes to the development of tourism and sports, and is also the goal of preserving the rich heritage of the country. At the same time, this sport plays an important role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle among the population.

Ethnosport also serves as a bridge between societies in preserving and supporting cultural diversity, promoting cohesion and cordial dialogue in the world community, strengthening ties between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals, inspiring peace efforts and increasing the flow of domestic and foreign tourists to the city of Qoqand.