(ATR) IOC president Thomas Bach visited Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday at the conclusion of a three-country tour.
Bach met with Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev to discuss the role of sport in aiding development of the country.
Atambayev thanked the IOC for assisting with the development of sports in the country, saying sports have contributed to a healthy generation of young people in Kyrgyzstan.
Also in attendance on the three-country tour was Association of National Olympic Committees president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah. Sheikh Ahmad is also president of the Olympic Council of Asia.
After meeting with Atambayev, the IOC and ANOC presidents visited the Kyrgyzstan National Olympic Committee headquarters and attended a 2018 World Cup qualifying match between Kyrgyzstan and Australia.
Before arriving in Kyrgyzstan, Bach and Sheikh Ahmad made stops at two other former Soviet states. The trip began on Monday in Tajikistan and continued on to Uzbekistan on Tuesday. A common theme among all three stops was an emphasis on ways sports can help develop a country.
Bach was welcomed at the capital of Tajikistan by the country’s president Emomali Rahmon, who is also president of the country’s NOC. Both leaders spoke about the important role sports can play in education.
"Sport instills the values of self-respect and respect for others. It can unite society and it can help in nation-building," Bach said.
On Tuesday, Bach and Ahmad visited Uzbekistan and celebrated Olympic Day. During their visit, the leaders visited the new headquarters of Uzbekistan’s NOC.
NOC president Mirabror Usmanov showed them around the facilities which Bach said were "amongst the best [he’s] ever seen".
Later during the day, Bach met with the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov. The two discussed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and how sport can lead to peace.
Both Islam Karimov and Atambayev received medals from the IOC. Karimov also received a medal from the OCA for the country’s contributions towards the development and growth of football in Uzbekistan and Asia.
Written by Kevin Nutley
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