"Children have nowhere to train." The hockey community appealed to the authorities amid the closure of Humo Arena. Video
"Children have nowhere to train." The hockey community appealed to the authorities amid the closure of Humo Arena. Video
Uzbekistan, Tashkent – Podrobno.uz News Agency.
Parents of young hockey players, fans, and representatives of the sports community appealed to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Saida Mirziyoyeva asking for assistance for the Humo hockey club, young athletes, and the preservation of the opportunity to train on the ice at Humo Arena. They stated that after the arena's closure, children, as well as players from the youth and national teams, were left without a primary rink for training and preparation for competitions.
The ice arena was built, in part, to promote hockey and host matches. However, in recent years, the rink has been more often used for concerts and other public events. Currently, the arena is closed, and children are forced to train on ice temporarily provided by individual hockey schools and clubs. According to those who signed the appeal, these facilities are insufficient for regular training.
The official reason for the closure of Humo Arena has not yet been announced. The authors of the appeal attribute the situation to financial difficulties and request that conditions be provided for training of young athletes, the youth and national teams.
"On behalf of the parents, the Uzbekistan youth hockey team, and the core of the Uzbekistan national hockey team, we ask you to facilitate the resumption of training, training camps, and the allocation of ice for us for further training and competitions on the international arena," the appeal states.
Against this backdrop, a meeting on hockey development was held at the National Olympic Committee on August 7. It was attended by Presidential Representative for Sports Odil Abdurakhmanov, Sports Minister Adham Ikramov, NOC Secretary General Oybek Kasimov, and Vice President of the Uzbekistan Hockey Federation Bakhodir Gafurov.
According to the NOC, the meeting discussed the development of hockey infrastructure, club support, coach training, and the creation of conditions for children's sections. Participants also discussed the preparation of Uzbekistan national teams for the World Championships and the Asian Winter Games. However, no specific decisions regarding the reopening of Humo Arena or its continued use for training have yet been announced.
Separately, the petitioners asked for help for the Humo club to return to the ice. Fans call the team an important part of Uzbek hockey and note that they supported it alongside their families and children.
"On behalf of the fans, for us, Humo is not just a team; it is the pride of Uzbek hockey. We believed in our team, we supported the stands, we came with our families, we brought our children. We believed in the best. Please help the players get back on the ice and not deprive the children of their future," the petitioners asked.
It was previously reported that the Uzbekistan national team won all matches at the World Championship and advanced to Group A of the third division. The core of the national team was formed by players from the Humo and Binokor clubs.