President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov met with President of FIFA Joseph Blatter at the Oqsaroy on May 16.

Greeting the guest, the head of our state noted that Joseph Blatter is renowned in Uzbekistan as a prominent public figure who has devoted himself to the development of world and national football. FIFA leader’s current third visit to Uzbekistan has coincided with the centenary celebration of Uzbek soccer this year.

At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on prospects of Uzbek football, consolidation and enrichment of our country’s fruitful cooperation with this eminent international institution. One of the effects of that interaction has been the implementation of “Goal”, “Goal-2” and “Goal-3” projects, in accordance with which a soccer pitch with artificial covering and a training base for junior national teams of Uzbekistan have been built in Tashkent, while an indoor mini-football gym is being erected in Samarkand. Uzbekistan is also interested in boosting cooperation with FIFA in promoting children’s and youth soccer as well as the national school of referees and coaches.

Football has come to be one of the most popular sports in Uzbekistan, a game of the millions, especially among the younger generation.

Rather potent has been the government support for popularization of football, a part and parcel of policy to foster a spiritually and physically advanced generation. In this respect, a systemic action plan was approved to enhance the infrastructure and propaganda of this sport deriving from the presidential resolution on “Additional Measures to Bolster the Economic and Technical Capacities and to Promote Football in Uzbekistan for 2011-2013” signed in early 2011.

The FIFA chief thanked President Islam Karimov for a warm meeting and highly appraised the sporting successes of our country, including the remarkable performance of Uzbekistan’s athletes in the international arena. (Source: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan)