The example of Turkmenistan is “contagious”: how far to the Central Asian hockey league?
The Hockey Federation of Uzbekistan (HFU) officially established in Tashkent. Now time to open skating rinks, to build ice palaces and organize teams, which will allow holding hockey championships of the country.
Within the next five years, measures to create the necessary conditions for the development of ice hockey in each of the 12 regions of Uzbekistan will be implemented.
In particular, the first professional “Humo Arena” Ice Palace with a main arena for 12,500 seats and an additional for 300 seats is under construction in the capital city of Tashkent. In 2018, the construction of three similar complexes is planned - in Samarkand, Andijan and Karshi.
Already in 2020, the leadership of the HFU plans to organize a championship of Uzbekistan among club teams in five age categories from 7 to 16 years.
Here is another warm Central Asian country decided to promote ice hockey that formerly considered as an exotic winter sport. Of course, Kazakhstan, which borders on Siberia, is an exception to the rules. Thus, there are no barriers to sports, neither climatic nor traditional.
At the same time, we should remind that Turkmenistan was the first country in the southern region that “opened the doors” for winter sports. There were skeptical smiles at a time when, on the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan, hockey players and figure skaters started training in the Center of winter sports in Ashgabat. Only a few years have passed, and now Irina Rodnina, many times world champion of the Olympic Games, admits that the level of training of figure skaters in Turkmenistan meets the highest requirements, and the time when Turkmen sportsmen may try participating in international competitions is not far off.
As for hockey, the situation is even more in rush. For example, the national ice hockey team of Turkmenistan have achieved a tremendous success in its International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship debut in 2018, where won in Division III Qualification tournament in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and being promoted to next year's Division III. This victory gives Turkmen hockey players the right to compete in the 2019 IIHF World Championship Division III, and sports experts to consider how soon Turkmenistan will break into the world hockey elite. The only one conclusion comes to mind: faster than one would expect.
Therefore, it is great that Uzbekistan are serious about hockey. We think that Tajikistan will not be long in coming either. Moreover, who knows how far to the Central Asian hockey league? Following the example of NHL or KHL. Of course, it is no more than a fantasy as of today. Active development of winter sports in Central Asia may lead to the emergence of regional federations, among them in ice hockey. Tomorrow or in a few years, one would be able to think of organizing a regional tournament that will bring a joy to thousands of hockey fans and will become a usual kind of sport for our hot countries.
