Plans for the development of hockey in Uzbekistan were discussed at the NOC

**The NOC of Uzbekistan Discussed the Strategy for the Development of Hockey**

On Friday, the National Olympic Committee of Uzbekistan held a meeting dedicated to the further development of hockey in the country.

According to the NOC press service, the meeting was attended by Odil Abdurakhmanov, the Presidential Representative for Sports; Adham Ikramov, the Minister of Sports; Oybek Kasimov, the NOC Secretary General; and Bakhodir Gafurov, the Vice President of the Hockey Federation.

"The participants exchanged views on key areas for the development of this sport... They discussed in detail the creation of more favorable conditions for youth hockey, the development of sports infrastructure, the provision of the necessary conditions for the advancement of the youth and national teams of Uzbekistan to higher divisions of the World Championships, and preparations for participation in the Asian Winter Games," the statement read.

In addition, the meeting participants discussed measures to strengthen the activities of hockey clubs, improve the system for selecting promising athletes, and train qualified coaches and specialists.

Earlier, a group of hockey fans appealed to the country's leadership for support in this area, specifically by helping finance sports schools and facilities, as well as organizing and supporting the participation of domestic hockey players in various events, including international and regional ones.

The appeal noted that due to a lack of funding, the only professional adult hockey club, Humo, was on the verge of closure.

"Since the revival of ice hockey in 2019, Uzbek players have achieved significant success: the national and youth teams have each won two world championships, winning their respective divisions... Uzbekistan's hockey clubs have won fans not only in our country but also abroad. These achievements confirm the interest and popularity of ice hockey," the appeal emphasized.