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Unfortunately, the 2025 Asian Youth Games, originally planned to take place in Tashkent, will now be held in Bahrain. This decision was made by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which transferred the hosting rights to another country.
It was officially announced in 2019 in Doha that Tashkent would host the games. To prepare for the event, large-scale sports facilities began construction in the New Tashkent area, requiring significant investments of around $300 million.
The Reason: Delayed Preparations
Today, it was revealed that Uzbekistan itself declined to host the games. The country’s National Olympic Committee sent a letter to the OCA explaining its inability to hold the event in September 2025. The reason is simple — the construction of the Olympic City in Tashkent will not be completed on time.
Despite years of effort and substantial financial investment, the project could not be realized within the planned timeframe. This raises many questions, as an event of this scale requires meticulous planning and adherence to deadlines.
What’s Next?
The relocation of the games is a blow to Uzbekistan’s image, as the country aims to strengthen its position on the international sports stage. Meanwhile, Bahrain has expressed readiness to host the competition. The country’s Olympic Committee stated that it has everything necessary, including sports venues, infrastructure, medical services, and leadership support.
For Uzbekistan, the hope remains that the investments will not go to waste and that the facilities under construction for the games will eventually be completed and utilized in the future.
Questions Left Unanswered
The decision to step back from hosting the games has sparked much debate: Why were the construction deadlines missed? How will this affect Uzbekistan’s reputation? And most importantly, how can such situations be avoided in the future?
Share your thoughts in the comments. What do you think led to this decision? And is there still a chance for Uzbekistan to successfully host another major event in the future?
The article may contain inaccuracies as it is translated by AI. For more details, please refer to the Russian version of the article. If you notice any inaccuracies, you can send corrections via the Telegram bot: Uzvaibik_bot.
