Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Uzbekistan Badminton Cup is being held in the capital’s badminton center in a team and individual direction. 85 athletes from 10 regions of the country take part in the competition.

This tournament will select candidates for the national team. 49 men and 36 women participate in the competition.

Team competitions will be held in a round robin system and as a result, the team with the most points will become the winner. Then there will be individual competitions.

 The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Chairman of the Badminton Federation of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov, Deputy Minister of Physical Culture and Sports Avazzhon Karimov, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan Oybek Kasymov, responsible persons of the Badminton Federation of Uzbekistan and media representatives.

- Today’s organized competition is the tenth in a row. It should be noted that until now, badminton has not received much attention in our country. However, badminton is a popular sport among the population. According to the recently signed Presidential Decree, badminton is one of seven priority directions in the development of mass sports and the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among the population. At the same time, every athlete participating in the Uzbekistan Cup should contribute to the popularization of this sport among the population. Together we will make badminton one of the most popular sports in the country, Aziz Abdukhakimov noted in his speech.

The competition will last until 7 November.