February 26, 2015
Healthy Child Is the Hope of Society, Backbone of Nation. 2
POLICY
Healthy Child Is the Hope of Society, Backbone of Nation
At the Oqsaroy on 24 February, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov chaired a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Fund for the Development of Children’s Sports of Uzbekistan
The head of our state expounded on the efforts undertaken by the Fund last year and issues in the further perfection of its activities.
“Today, our life confirms the aptness of the establishment of this fund that serves to promote children’s sports, nurture a healthy and comprehensively advanced generation,” President Islam Karimov said.
“Sports have become an inseparable part of the lives of our families and been cemented in the consciousness of our people. Parents are bringing their kids to sports hobby groups. Boys and girls going in for sports are growing healthy, strong and resolute, and their world outlook has been changing. In a word, our nation has manifested itself in sports, as well.”
Wide-ranging works are underway in our country in the name of this noble end. The measures being taken to prop up healthy lifestyle, consolidate families, secure the protection of motherhood and childhood have been helping bolster the health of the population and boost the living standards.
The principal criterion of these endeavors is to ensure the health of children. After all, a sound child will grow into a physically powerful, strong-willed and reasonable person capable of achieving the goals set and of bringing good for the family and society.
Uzbekistan’s Fund for the Development of Children’s Sports has been instrumental in fostering a comprehensively advanced generation. From the moment it was set up, more than 1,700 sporting facilities have been erected in our country. They are outfitted with state-of-the-art hardware and equipment that indisputably promotes regular attendance of sports, consolidation of children’s health, triumphs of our youth in the international arena and amplification of our Motherland’s standing.
Extensive efforts have been undertaken within the frameworks of the National Program for Bolstering the Economic and Technical Capacities and Further Improving the Activities of Children’s Music and Arts Schools for 2009-2014. In particular, 278 children’s music and arts schools have been commissioned. They were supplied with more than 30 thousand new music instruments, 61 thousand copies of learning guides, notes of national and world music compositions.
Islam Karimov noted the necessity of consistent continuation of works directed at building music and arts schools and of elaborating a new concept to further these goals. Uzbekistan’s leader stressed the importance of studying the classics of world music art in these schools alongside the national music heritage.
Physical and spiritual development constitutes the two wings of the person. Sport hardens the body and willpower, while arts nurture taste and uplift the cultural state of mind. Children going in for sports are confident in themselves, whereas people who understand and value the beautiful wield a broad outlook. Such youths enrich the society and will never stray from the right path.
In the year 2014 that was announced in Uzbekistan as the Year of Healthy Child, the scale of these works expanded even more. The implementation of the National Program adopted in connection with that helped boost the medical culture of the population, effectiveness of diseases prophylaxis, affirmation of the healthy lifestyle and the dynamic development of sports.
Within the frameworks of the concept “Healthy Mother – Healthy Child”, women and children have been undergoing medical examination and they have been extensively engaged in sports. As a result of these gracious endeavors, birth of children with congenital pathologies has decreased 1.3 times. Morbidity with acute infections among children aged 6-15 has declined by 34.4 percent, with pneumonia by 49.7 percent, with bronchitis by 32.8%, and scoliosis by 32.7 percent.
The resolution of the head of our state “On the National Program to Further Boost the Reproductive Health of the Population, Protect the Health of Mothers, Children and Teenagers in Uzbekistan for 2014-2018”, signed 1 August 2014, has stimulated the enhancement of opportunities for the physical and spiritual development of our children and the further perfection of the youth policy.
The meeting participants analyzed comprehensively the works designed to construct, repair and outfit the sporting facilities and swimming pools. A special significance was placed on issues relating to the elevation of effectiveness in the operation of sports complexes and on those pertinent to a more extensive engagement of children, especially girls, in sports.
The efforts in the construction, reconstruction and capital overhaul of the sports facilities and children’s music and arts schools were continued steadily in 2014. In particular, 115 facilities of children’s sports and 48 children’s music and arts schools were erected.
Owing to the fact that all the sports complexes were provided with cutting-edge sporting equipment and staffed with qualified coaches, the mass nature of sports has been expanding. Currently, in excess of two million children are involved in 30 types of sports. Average usage of sporting facilities constitutes 9.8 hours per day.
Facilities of children’s sports are being equipped with hardware and tools of mostly local production. 116 types of sporting equipment and stock out of 120 are currently manufactured by enterprises of our country.
For girls, sports uniforms suiting the national mentality of our people are produced, and wider opportunities for training coach women and physical culture teachers are being created.
The head of our state underlined specifically the importance of further promotion of the activities of the Fund meeting contemporary requirements.
Life does not stand intact. Requirements change over the course of time, and competition rises. For this reason, we should critically reassess the efforts undertaken to promote sports with a close eye on contemporary developments.
Athletes of our country have been preparing actively for the Summer Olympics 2016. In accordance with the 25 February 2013 resolution of the head of our state “On Preparing the Athletes of Uzbekistan for the 31st Summer Olympic Games and the 15th Paralympics 2016 due in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”, endeavors on this front have been in progress in modern conditions and environment.
Victories of our sportspeople play an important role in the extensive popularization of sports. Looking at young men and women triumphant in international competitions and holding Uzbekistan’s flag high, we all experience boundless pride and joy. Such achievements help amplify the glory of our native land in the international arena.
It was pointed out that it is essential to raise the works carried out in this sphere to a new level, train highly professional athletes and enhance their participation in international contests.
Each type of sports has to have a special complex. In order to further this end, it is imperative to build specialized sports complexes in all the regions of the country to train international class masters of sports. Those facilities ought to be staffed with the most qualified coaches, and if need be – specialists should be invited from abroad, while the expertise of advanced nations in sports should be studied, the President of our country said.
The session participants discussed the works to be embarked on in 2015. Tasks have been outlined concerning the construction and reconstruction of sporting facilities, the provision of them with necessary equipment and stock.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Adham Ikramov, Minister of Public Education Ulughbek Inoyatov, Deputy Minister of Public Education – Executive Director of the Fund for the Development of Children’s Sports Erkin Iskandarov, Chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan Mirabror Usmanov, heads of a range of ministries and agencies as well as hokims of regions spoke on the issues discussed.
Corresponding decisions were adopted on the issues deliberated at the meeting.
(Source: Press-service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan)
Art
Light Genre, Serious Music
The Tashkent State Theatre of Musical Momedy (operetta) commences work on a series of subscription concerts. The Theater’s symphony orchestra will be provided with a scene, where musicians will play musical pieces and tell spectators stories on their originality, about musical instruments and a great deal more. “It is an important additional opportunity for musical education of the growing generation,” says Botir Rasulov, chief conductor and head of the Theatre’s symphony orchestra, Merited art worker of Uzbekistan, who was awarded the ‘Dostlik’ (Friendship) Order on the eve of the 23rd anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence.
Mr.Rasulov, music of various trends resounds in the Theater, starting with classical operettas and ending up with modern rhythms. Are there many all-round musicians in your orchestra who have good command of diverse musical styles?
“Endowed musicians with all-round education make up the nucleus of the orchestra. Because of the very nature of musical comedy, they have to be able to play practically all major musical trends and directions, starting with classics and folk music to jazz improvisations. And it is up to a conductor how to manage various elements of the music. Moreover, the orchestra, like the Theater has shaped a multinational group represented by 12 nationalities, and every one of them contribute their own colors into their performance. Many of them are soloists of jazz and variety orchestras.”
You have been a conductor and producer of more than 40 plays. What are the plays you remember most?
“For all that it is the genre classics – Johann Strauss’ operettas “King of Waltz” and “The Bat”, which were highly appreciated by spectators, as well as those of Laggard and Calman. Although the genre is considered a light one their music is rather serious, deep and requires a painstaking effort from musicians. Getting ready for their rendition we listen to performances of the best orchestras of the world. Plays by Uzbek composers Valery Saparov, Alisher Ikramov and Ulughbek Salikhov rank high in our repertoire. The music they compose, similar to works by Anvar Ergashev, author of two musical performances “The Little One” and “Our Maisara”, the first nights of which were held recently, are quite colorful and filled with national tunes and melodies.”
Have you always dreamt of becoming a conductor?
“In my younger days I used to play a gijjak (Uzbek string instrument) while working for the orchestra of national instruments and the National symphony orchestra. Such concerts were real discoveries of the time – playing classical music with national instruments. Ghijjak played the violin part in pieces of music by Serrates, Venyavsky, Sen-Sans and Mendelsohn. As a soloist I was a double winner of the first Republican competitions of national instrument performers. But the profession of a conductor kept attracting me. Upon graduation from the Conservatoire, where I specialized in “conducting opera and symphony music”, in 1979 I was assigned to work at the Theater of operetta as a chief conductor.”
But you are also an artistic director and chief conductor of the Youth symphony orchestra of the Uspensky Republican Music Lyceum…
“I have been leading this team for ten years now. It is a winner of the State prize “Nikhol” (the Bud). The orchestra staff includes the most talented students of the Uspensky Music Lyceum. We conduct charity concerts within the framework of the ‘Children to Children’ project, which ‘Uzbekistan Today’ more than once told its readers about, and we took part at the International Music Festival ‘Sharq Taronalari’ (Melodies of the East) and recorded our performances for TV. Working with the youth is an inspiring thing. Surely one feels sad when time comes to say them ‘Goodbye’ – children continue their education at the State Conservatoire of Uzbekistan. But then come others, not less talented young people, and the work goes on. As of this year I also teach “general conducting skills” at the Conservatory.”
Your spouse is a prima donna of the Theater of Operetta and Honored Actress of Uzbekistan Dinara Minyayeva. Is there enough room for two creative personalities under one roof?
“She rushed in to the Theater repertoire in 1994 and today performs practically all leading parts. Her latest roles include Donna Lucia in B. Thomas’ ‘Hello, I am your Aunt’ and Beatrice in K. Goldoni’s ‘Servant of two Masters.’ We lively discuss every next performance at home. I think that spouses have to share their ideas. The saying is right when it says that a husband and wife should look in one direction, not at each other.”
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
sport: Karakalpakstan
Toward Great Victories
Karakalpakstan confidently declares itself in the world of sports. Young people as part of the Uzbekistan national team are showing good results on the international arena. A necessary environment was created, so that the growing generations of athletes who popularize a variety of sports are led by experienced trainers.
«We have all the conditions to ensure that every young person can find something for himself and achieve good results,» said Jahangir Yuldashev, world champion, winner of various international competitions in Muay Thai and student of the Karakalpakstan State University. «I was born and grew up in a family of actors, but became an athlete. I was ten years old when in Nukus, a multiple world champion of Muay Thai Erkinbay Kutybaev opened a section in Thai boxing, and I became one of his pupils. I plan to continue participating at international competitions and I hope that studying at a university will help me in my development as a coach.”
The development of Muay Thai is one of the many examples of large-scale transformations that have taken place in the sports life of Karakalpakstan in the years of independence. The Republic had the opportunity to develop a variety of sports in the interests of young people. Dozens of modern sports facilities were built, sports federations have been created. For the sake of achieving good results, not only the best specialists in the country were active, but foreign coaches were also invited.
Looking into the sports arena, which attracts the attention of visitors with its unusual architecture, I saw guys doing karate under the guidance of a coach from Japan. Foreign experts in Uzbekistan were invited by the administration of Sports school №2 of Nukus and the Karate Federation of Karakalpakstan.
«A bad athlete is the one, who does not dream of becoming a world champion,» says President of the Karate Federation of Karakalpakstan Hamidulla Kalimbetov. «For improving the results of our athletes, sharing experience, and ensuring victories in prestigious international competitions, we’ve invited an expert from Japan, which is the home of Karate.”
“It’s my fifth month of work in Karakalpakstan, and I can safely say that there are so many young people who can achieve good results in the international arena,» says the coach, the owner of a ‘black’ belt Yoshida Ryota. «The first results are encouraging; I will evaluate them in six months. I hope to justify their confidence in me.”
In the years of independence, recognized schools of sportsmanship of Karakalpakstan have also been further developed. The pride of the republic is the Nukus city school of the Olympic Reserve, where boys and girls are engaged in Judo, Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling, Karate-do, Kurash, as well as the Republican Specialized Children and Youth School of the Olympic Reserve of Wrestling, which in addition to free-style, female and Greco-Roman wrestling, has cultivated Judo, Sambo and Taekwondo.
Both schools are clean and renovated rooms with modern wrestling mats and brand new fitness equipment show great attention of the state. Their administrations are working to expand the network of branches.
«Today we have three modern, renovated and well-equipped wrestling halls around the city, and are now preparing for the opening of another one,» said deputy director of city school of the Olympic Reserve Gayrat Baymirzaev. «The branches contribute to the popularization of martial arts among young people; create facilities to allow more children to engage in sports. The more children attend our sections, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to prepare some elite athletes.”
For example, more than a 100 people are involved in the school of Judo, five of them became the winners of the Uzbekistan championship in this sport which recently concluded in Tashkent, Sanam Erkinbaeva became a champion, Ozoda Orazimbetova took second place, and Yulduz Mustafaeva, Kunduz Baymanova and Elyor Masharipov were able to climb on the third step of the podium.
«We create all kinds of sports facilities for children. In contrast to the urban schools, we have a wider geographical coverage of our branches: the same number of four, but all of them are located in remote rural areas,» said director of the Republican Specialized Children and Youth school of the Olympic Reserve of Wrestling, Merited coach of Karakalpakstan, international referee Arsen Sharshanidze. “And the result is obvious. In wrestling, 80% of the members of the Uzbekistan national female team are our pupils. Chances are that our students in freestyle and women’s wrestling will take the coveted license and adequately perform at the upcoming Olympic Games.”
But most importantly, these schools have given Uzbekistan a lot of winners of various international competitions. Among these names is the bronze medalist of the 1st Junior Olympics Nilyufar Gadaeva, five prize winners of the Asian Championship of women’s wrestling in 2014. The country is proud of Rustam Kazakov, a multiple winner of many international tournaments in Karate, Azamat Turdanov, a prize winner of the Asian Sambo Championship, and many other athletes coached in these schools.
Not only athletes involved in martial arts are successful in the international arena. Developments in this area are boasted by the Specialized Youth Sports School of Olympic Reserve in Rowing. At the Continental Cups and Championships and other international competitions, the country was honorably represented by Abdugapir Abdujabbarov, Ernazar Hamidullayev, Islam Mametnazarov and Sasenbay Davlepeshev. Today, a new generation of promising young people from this school is being prepared to succeed them.
“Karakalpakstan still has a way to go in rowing,” director of the school, Merited coach of Uzbekistan Vladimir Pakhomov hopefully looks into the future. “Talented young people showed great interest in our sport while the number of children who have successfully engaged in our school has reached 320. With the support of partners, the boat park was upgraded. 15 kayaks were bought thanks to the funds allocated from the state budget, the Federation of Rowing and Canoeing of Uzbekistan helped with the acquisition of 10 boats for rowing. Currently, with the support of sponsors from among farmers and entrepreneurs, we are going to acquire several canoes.”
The improvement of the base for training and gatherings is clearly noticeable. While there is a reconstruction work going on the “Dustlik” canal in Nukus, the main burden for the trainings are set upon another canal of the capital of Karakalpakstan – Kattagar. This year, for the summer training sessions, it is planned to equip the Ahshigul Lake, located near Nukus. Facilities that will create optimal conditions for the living and training of athletes will be created.
Another major center for the training of sports professionals is the Republican Specialized School of Olympic Reserve for sports games. It makes a great contribution to the development of basketball and volleyball – teams that are prepared here, have repeatedly won prizes at the championships of the republic. While talking about it, not to be missed is the fact that 67 of its students are members of the reserve and the basic squad of the national teams of Uzbekistan in various sports. Another interesting fact is that in spite of the profile, the institution tutored the Asian Champion of 2013 and runner up of the 2014 World Championship in Powerlifting Iskander Tursunbaev and the Asian medalist in weightlifting Islom Karimov.
Its director Davletmurat Kalhorazov also talked a lot about providing children with the best opportunities for sports. The school has five courts with modern coverage and recently, a large sports hall formerly owned by the trade unions was transferred under its management. Over the years, the venue hosted games of basketball, volleyball, tennis and table tennis, as well as weightlifting. From September 2014, sections for badminton, cycling and fencing were opened.
While getting acquainted with the sporting life of Karakalpakstan, we looked at the Nukus College of Olympic Reserve. Everyone who loved sports in their school years, try to get in it. Some do it in order to achieve higher results in sports, others – to get a job of a coach or a gym teacher. The country needs both.
We were met by the director of the college Erkinbay Kutybaev, the same five-time Muay Thai world champion, whom we mentioned at the beginning of our report. Not just in words but in real deeds, not only he knows the taste of sports victories, but mainly the technology for achieving them. Perhaps that is why our conversation with him began with the fact that he offered to get acquainted with the results of the performance of the pupils at national and international competitions:
“In the academic year of 2011-2012, our students won 34 medals in championships and cups, of which nine were gold, while in 2013-2014 the total was 75 medals, 21 being gold. This positive trend indicates that that we are on the right track, the college gained experience, which in the future will allow our students and trainers to show better results in all competitions at various levels. Of course, most of our gained awards come from national competitions. But I think this is a good result, because these competitions for promising athletes are the gateway to the national team. After all, those who will represent Uzbekistan abroad are selected based on these results.”
Together with Erkinbay Kutybaev, we walked through the college facilities where there is a learning process. This school works on increasing the skills in 17 Olympic sports and Kurash. The interviewee said that in recent years a lot of people have been particularly willing to play football, volleyball, tennis, basketball, water sports, and kurash. The college has the necessary physical infrastructure that meets the highest standards for preparation for each sport – courts, a swimming pool, a stadium and wrestling halls. All facilities are provided with brand new inventory and equipment.
“Our challenge is to educate not only champions, but also meet the great need for youth sports schools for qualified coaching staff in various sports,” said Erkinbay Kutybaev. “The development of sport in Karakalpakstan as a whole will depend on how well we cope with this task. I wish that all kinds of sports were presented in our sports facilities.”
In the center of public attention are the activities of the Children’s sports Development Fund.
For thirteen years of its presence in Karakalpakstan, 14 modern sports facilities for youth sports schools were built, most of which are located in the most remote and inaccessible locations, a further 27 reconstructed in accordance with modern standards. These institutions play an important role in attracting students to sports, awakening their interest in sports, revealing their talents. Sports coaches see these facilities as the main supplier of promising talents.
“Since last year, we’ve not only built, renovated and equipped the Sports school, but also took care of all the sites involved in the development of children’s sports, ensured the availability of a complete set of equipment,” said Director of the Karakalpak branch of the Foundation for Children’s Sports Development, Azimbay Erimbetov. “Last year, about 70 sports items worth more than 1 billion soums were purchased” (currency rates of CB RU from 26.02.2015 1$= 2460.32 soums).
… I remember four years ago I had a chance to visit a sports complex for the junior school that was just built in Beruniy District. This facility, which today has its own gym, tennis courts, a soccer field, locker rooms and showers, was built on a vacant lot, where usually, the boys living in the county played football. With the completion of the construction of the facility, they were able to train and play under the guidance of experienced coaches, and have engaged in nine different sports. Along with the boys, the sports clubs were also being visited by girls, now they make up about half of the total student population. Professional trainers of the school, most of them with a higher education, tend to adequately prepare their students for their participations in various competitions. Similar stories happen with each of the Fund’s new buildings…
Youth and Chidren’s Sports schools contribute to the promotion of various sports. Thanks to them, today, gymnastics and many other types of sports that previously have not even been presented in the region are actively being developed.
Nowadays, much attention is being paid to sports halls of secondary schools. They play an important role not only in ensuring the quality of the educational process in the conduct of physical education lessons, but also in encouraging a greater number of students to go in for sports and a healthy lifestyle. After all, in their spare time, after lessons, there are various sports sections open to family visits.
“By 2020, we will not have any school that does not have its own gym. To do this, we still have to build 53 halls, 18 of which are going to be commissioned for operation later this year,” Azimbai Erimbetov concluded.
(Source: «Uzbekistan Today» newspaper)
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