One of my pleasures in life is walking my dog Obi in the evenings. I am moving to more walking than running these days, but the idea is that I keep moving. Tashkent is a pleasant city to walk in with wide sidewalks, many parks, good weather, and variety in different parts of the city. The crazy drivers make me nervous sometimes, but overall, it is a walkable city. Unlike American cities, there are always plenty of pedestrians and people outside. I think it is because most people live in small apartments and they like openness of public spaces. The “third space” (not work or home) is alive and well in Central Asia and is a channel for people to connect.
I went for a bike ride last weekend out towards Parkent and noticed the progress of the “Olympic Village”. The government is building a sports complex in preparation for the Asian Youth Games 2025 that will take place in Tashkent from September 10-25, 2025. This will be only the third Asian Youth Games. Singapore hosted the inaugural games in 2009 to show the International Olympic Committee they could host the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics. Nanjing, China picked it up in 2013, but the event was cancelled in 2017 due to the disorganization of the host, Jakarta and in 2019 due to COVID. There are 13 sports and the previous two games have been dominated in the medal tallies by China and South Korea. They are called “Youth” because they are for athletes ages 15-18. After the successful Paris 2024 Olympic Games which I absolutely loved following, it should be fun to have them in the city. Athletics, tennis, soccer, handball, and swimming will be the sports I will be following. I wonder if they will expand the games. Uzbekistan may want to add the sports they excel in, including boxing and wrestling. I can’t wait to see the finished site. I see there are several Chinese construction companies involved in the project.
I also noticed the upgrades to Central Asian University, which is across the street from the Olympic Village. Someone or some organization is infusing resources into the campus and its programs. Hosting conservative commentator and author Jordan Peterson does not come cheaply. I think they are trying to become a higher education hub in Central Asia.
It was a bit of an emotional week for us as our middle son Oliver earned his driver’s license, moved into his dormitory, and started his orientation at Saint Norbert College. It was sweet that our eldest son was able to drop him off and get him started as well as good family friends, Mark and Donnell. We miss Oliver dearly and are excited for him to start life on his own.
I end this post with a classic Central Asian motif. I appreciate when the Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev visits Tashkent because the traffic circle near the park named after his father and the Azeri neighborhood in Tashkent gets an upgrade. This time, they planted grass, flowers, and trees in the circle and put up a new photo billboard of the host, Uzbek President Mirzoyoyev and President Aliyev. There were a few traffic delays as the official delegations moved through the city, but the visit was mostly uneventful. I see the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus region coming closer together. They are also being pulled in different directions by the big players in the region, Turkey, China, and Russia. It is fascinating to see how this will play out.
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