On the Khiva Oasis in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River in Uzbekistan, there is the ancient city of Khiva built in the 4th century AD. It used to be a must-pass stop on the ancient Silk Road. After thousands of years of wind and rain, the glory of the Silk Road has never diminished.
The long Silk Road has left a legacy for generations; the friendship between China and Uzbekistan will continue in the future. Today's Khiva has become a witness of friendship between China and Uzbekistan. “Hangzhou Asian Games” will take you to uncover the mystery of the ancient city of Khiva and walk into a different sports country.
Spreading the Stories of Civilization Exchange on the Silk Road
“I am willing to trade a bag of gold for a look at Khiva.” This ancient Central Asian proverb is enough to describe the charm of the ancient city of Khiva, which is as beautiful as the oriental ancient city in “Tales from the Thousand and One nights”.
As a historical city along the “Belt and Road”, Khiva was included in the World Cultural Heritage List in 1990. In 2014, China and Uzbekistan decided to cooperate in the protection and restoration of the ancient city of Khiva, focusing on the restoration and improvement of the Amir Tula Institute and Hassan Murad Kushbegi Mosque and the surrounding environment in the ancient city.
After five years, the ancient city of Khiva has been rejuvenated with the joint efforts of both parties, spreading the stories of the China-Ukrainian Silk Road civilization exchange that has lasted for thousands of years.
In the inner city of Ichan - Kala, the mosque complex is still standing firmly in the sand after a thousand years; the sand-colored “painting” records the bustling scenes of the ancient city's business activities... Uncovering the veil of the ancient city of Khiva, people are more curious about this country.
Today, when the protection of Asian civilization has become an active practice of China's “One Road”, another method of cultural exchange — sports, is also infiltrating our historical context.
Sports Exchanges Create a New Bond of Friendship between the Two Countries
With sports as a carrier, we will continue to write a new chapter in the history of China and Uzbekistan through the exchange of colorful civilizations.
In the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the fun running activity ignited the enthusiasm of the entire city of Samarkand, and people released their passion and joy in running and sweating. This friendship will continue to be passed on in the fun run during the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In August 2021, Jiang Yan, the Chinese ambassador to Uzbekistan, pointed out in the article “Let Sports Exchange Become a New Link of China-Uzbekistan Friendship” that in recent years, Uzbekistan had highly developed mass sports, and with the vigorous promotion of the competent departments of the two countries, the sports exchanges and cooperation between China and Uzbekistan continue to deepen.
In February 2019, China and Uzbekistan had an in-depth exchange of views and signed the “China-Uzbekistan Sports Agreement” to strengthen sports exchanges and cooperation. In September 2020, China and Uzbekistan signed a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation between the Olympic Committees of the two countries. “Athletes from the two countries actively participate in international competitions held in each other's territory, and jointly improve their competitive level through mutual learning. The people of China and Uzbekistan both love sports and pursue a healthy lifestyle. Both sides have great potential for cooperation in competitive sports and mass sports.”
Looking back on the Beijing Winter Olympics and looking forward to the Hangzhou Asian Games, China and Uzbekistan will continue to promote the mutual development of the Olympic movement and sports and build sports exchanges into a new bond of friendship between the two countries.
Looking Forward to Revival at the Hangzhou Asian Games
In fact, Uzbekistan can be called a “sports power in Central Asia”. It has contributed many champions to many international events such as the Olympic Games and Asian Games and is versatile in all sports. At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Lina Cheryazova won the first Olympic gold medal in women's freestyle skiing aerials, which is Uzbekistan’s first Olympic Games gold medal after its independence.
In addition, there are many gymnastics legends such as Oksana Chusovitina on the list of Uzbekistan champions; in heavy athletics, the men's boxing champion Kazakov and the super heavyweight weightlifting champion Rakhmanov are widely known; there are also champion players in women's basketball... They continue to refresh Ukrainian's championship height.
As a strong football team in Central Asia, Uzbekistan won the peak glory of the 1994 Asian Games champion. In 2021, Ahmedov, known as the signature figure of the “Golden Generation”, was officially elected as the vice-president of the Football Association, and Uzbekistan is developing its football with the strength of the whole country and is determined to revive its former glory in the longer term.
For the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Uzbekistan sports delegation is already ready to go. They are looking forward to fighting for the honor of themselves and the motherland and redefining the worthy title of a sports power in Central Asia.